Documents

• What is a document?


  A document is a written text that can be on paper or in digital form.
• What are the two types of documents?


  The two types of documents are public and personal.
• What are public documents?


  Public documents are produced by charities, businesses, and local government.
• What are personal documents?

  Personal documents include letters, diaries, memoirs, and autobiographies.
• What are examples of official documents?


  Examples of official documents include school records, health records, church records, and social work records.
• How can documents be categorized based on their nature?


  Documents can be expressive, focusing on meanings, or formal, like official documents.
• Why do interpretivists prefer expressive documents?


  Interpretivists prefer expressive documents because they are a source of qualitative data.
• Who is Philippe Aries and what did he study?


  Philippe Aries studied the experience of childhood in the Middle Ages through portraits.
• What was the main finding of Aries's study on childhood?


  Aries showed that childhood was socially constructed rather than inevitable.
• What is content analysis?


  Content analysis is a method of systematically analyzing communication to understand its meanings.
• What types of communication can be analyzed using content analysis?


  Content analysis can be used to analyze speeches, films, or letters.
• What are the four criteria suggested by Scott for judging documents?


  The four criteria are authenticity, credibility, representativeness, and meaning.
• What does authenticity refer to in document analysis?


  Authenticity refers to the extent to which the document is genuine or fake.
• What does credibility refer to in document analysis?


  Credibility refers to the extent to which the data is believable or an honest account.
• What does representativeness refer to in document analysis?


  Representativeness refers to the extent to which the document is typical or not.
• What does meaning refer to in document analysis?


  Meaning refers to the messages being sent through the document that need to be understood and explained.
• What did the Glasgow Media Group analyze in 2013?


  The Glasgow Media Group analyzed various sources of news media to investigate the nature of news reporting.
• What did the Glasgow Media Group find in their analysis?


  They found that the media represents political biases and prejudices against immigrants.
• What are the research must-haves in sociological research?

  • Representative
  • Reliable
  • Valid
  • Practical (Time and Money)
  • Ethical
  • Theoretical (Positivism and Interpretivism)
  • Triangulation (Using more than one method)
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of using documents in research?

  Strengths:

  • Good source of qualitative data
  • Access to the past
  • Enables observation of changes over time
  • Might be the only information available
  • Easy to access

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Difficult to understand if old
  • Potential for fakes
  • May contain lies, especially personal documents
  • Ethical issues regarding privacy
• What are personal documents in the context of social research?


  First-hand accounts of social events including the writer's thoughts and feelings
• What types of personal documents are mentioned?

  Photo albums, letters, diaries, and autobiographies
• What are public documents?


  Documents produced by organizations like government departments and charities
• Why are public documents considered a matter of public record?


  They are available for anyone who wishes to see them
• What types of public documents are available to researchers in education?

  OFSTED reports, school websites, prospectuses, policy documents, and textbooks
• What is the validity of school websites and prospectuses?


  They can be trusted for basic information but may be biased
• What is a limitation of OFSTED reports?


  They are only conducted every four years and last for three days
• How can schools manipulate their image during OFSTED inspections?


  By putting on an act for a couple of days to appear positive
• What is the requirement for schools and colleges regarding prospectuses?


  All schools and colleges are required to publish prospectuses and results
• What is a limitation of OFSTED reports regarding outstanding schools?


  Outstanding schools may not be inspected for several years
• What significant change occurred due to the 1988 Education Act?


  Many public documents became widely available to the public
• What are examples of personal documents related to schools?

  School reports, pupils' written work, diaries, and notes
• How does the validity of personal documents compare to other types?


  The more personal a document is, the higher the validity
• What is a challenge regarding the representativeness of personal documents?


  Hardly anyone keeps diaries anymore, affecting representativeness
• What factors may affect the representativeness of disciplinary records?


  Teacher bias may increase the incidence of certain students undergoing procedures
• What practical issues arise when accessing teacher mark books and records?


  They are difficult to access due to safeguarding issues
• What ethical consideration must be taken when accessing sensitive documents?


  Informed consent must be obtained
• What are the key types of documents used in educational research?

  • Personal documents: diaries, letters, autobiographies
  • Public documents: OFSTED reports, school websites, prospectuses
  • Secondary data: school policy documents, textbooks
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of using public documents in educational research?


  Strengths:

  • Widely available
  • Provide structured information

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • May be biased
  • Limited insight into actual practices
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of using personal documents in educational research?

  Strengths:

  • High validity due to personal accounts
  • Rich qualitative data

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Limited number of contributors
  • Potential for bias in individual accounts