documents' refers to any written text, but can also include sounds and images from film, television, radio and the Internet and other media output. There are different types of documents that researchers can use.
Public documents are produced by organisations such as government departments, schools, welfare agencies, businesses and charities. Some of this output may be available for researchers to use. It includes documents such as minutes of council meetings, records of parliamentary debates and Ofsted reports.
Personal documents include items such as letters, diaries, photo albums and autobiographies. These are first-person accounts of social events and personal experiences, and they generally also include the writer's feelings and attitudes.
Historical documents are simply a personal or public document created in the past. If we want to study the past, historical documents are usually the only source of information (although in the case of the recent past, there may still be people alive who can be interviewed).
Theory:
Documents are usually used by interpretivists, as they provide qualitative data that is detailed and in-depth which can reveal the meanings individuals attach to behaviour (micro). They attempt to establish ‘social reality’.
