PHYSICAL TRACES,

ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
RESEARCH TECHNIQUE - VIII

GROUP -12
BHAVYA 17001006011
NANDINI 17001006046
NIMISHA 17001006050
RITIK 17001006061
SHIFALI 17001006067
OBSERVATIONAL METHODS
Observational methods in psychological research entail the observation and description of a
subject's behavior.

It can be of two types.

● Direct method-Direct observation, also known as observational study, is a method of

collecting evaluative information in which the evaluator watches the subject in his or her
usual environment without altering that environment.
● Indirect methods- Indirect observation can be used if one wishes to be entirely
unobtrusive in their observation method. This can often be useful if a researcher is
approaching a particularly sensitive topic that would be likely to elicit reactivity in the
subject. There are also potential ethical concerns that are avoided by using the indirect
observational method.
INDIRECT METHODS
Indirect observation can be used if one wishes to be entirely unobtrusive in their observation method.
It can be of two types:

Physical trace evidence Archival Research

The investigation of physical trace evidence involves
examining the remnants of the subject's past behavior.
These remnants could be any number of items, Use traces
indicate the use or non-use of an item.
Examining physical trace evidence is an invaluable tool to
psychologists, for they can gain information in this manner
that they might not normally be able to obtain through
other observational techniques. One issue with this
method of research is the matter of validity. It may not
always be the case that physical traces accurately inform
us about people's behavior, and supplementary evidence is
needed when acquiring physical trace evidence in order to
substantiate your findings.
Archival records are the documents that describe the
activities of people at a certain time point or time period.
Running records are continuously updated. Episodic
records, on the other hand, describe specific events that
only happened once.
Archival records are especially useful since they can be
used as supplementary evidence for physical trace
evidence. This keeps the whole data collection process of
the observational study entirely unobtrusive. However, one
must also be wary of the risk of selective deposit, which is
the selective addition and omission of information to an
archival record. There could be easily overlooked biases
inherent in many archival records.
PHYSICAL TRACES
● are remnants, fragments, and products of past behavior.
● Physical trace measures are obtained indirectly—people are not present when the data
are collected.
● Two types of physical traces:
USE TRACES:
○ Evidence of use or nonuse
○ Measured in controlled or natural
PRODUCTS:
○ Owned by individuals
○ Produced by culture
PHYSICAL TRACES MEASURE : PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS

● Are physical traces valid measures of behavior?

○ Other inferences may be possible based on the physical evidences
○ Verified through independent sources of evidence
● Are there biases in physical traces?
○ Biases can exist in the manner physical traces are created or the manner in
which they survive.

● Answers to both these questions indicate we need multimethod approaches to

understanding behavior.
○ When possible, researchers should obtain supplementary evidence.
○ To the extent that different measures of behavior agree (or converge), we can be
more confident in our conclusions.
USE TRACES :
● Evidence that remains from the use or nonuse of an item.
● Example: beverage containers in campus recycling bins (soda, juice, water)
● Physical-use traces are classified as either natural or controlled (planned).

● Natural-use traces: produced without any intervention by the investigator.

Example: analyze the amount of highlighting in students’ textbooks to investigate which
material is read.
What does this analysis tell us about students’ studying? About their learning of the
material?
● Controlled-use traces: produced with some degree of intervention or manipulation by the
investigator.
Example: Place tiny glue seals between pages of texts prior to their purchase. Analyze the
textbooks at the end of the semester to determine which pages have been opened (i.e.,
unsealed).
What does this analysis tell us about students’ studying?
PRODUCTS :
● Creations, constructions, or other artifacts of earlier behavior.
● Ex: television shows, music, fashion, and electronic devices. The examination of these
allows researchers to test important hypotheses about behavior.
● What do children’s television programs tell us about our culture?
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH :
v
Archival research is research involving primary sources held in an archives, a Special Collections library,
or other repository. Archival sources can be manuscripts, documents, records (including electronic
records), objects, sound and audiovisual materials, or other materials.
Ex - Census Data

ARCHIVAL RECORDS :
Archival records are the public or private documents that describe the activities of individual, institution,
government and other groups.

ARCHIVES :
An archive is an accumulation of historical records – in any media – or the physical facility in which they
are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an
individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of that person or organization.
CORE CONCEPTS OF ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
➢ Archival records exist to be used and not merely saved for their own sake.
➢ Some records ought to be preserved long term, even after their immediate
usefulness has passed.
➢ Archival records ought to be preserved as completely and coherently as possible,
with critical information about context and connections preserved.
➢ Archival records ought to be organized properly and in a timely way so they can
be used.
Example of Archival Research
The library at Alexandria, Egypt :

● It was the greatest archive in the ancient world.

● Various researches of great philosophers like Hipparchus, "the father of astronomy"
,Plato “Athenian philosopher and founder of the first institution of higher learning in the
Western world” were kept their.
● The Library also acquired many papyrus scrolls, due largely to the Ptolemaic kings'
aggressive and well-funded policies for procuring texts.
● Also referred as the place of treasure of knowledge in the ancient history.
● A fire consumed it deprived historians of priceless knowledge.
SOURCES OF ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
Primary Sources :

● Created during event being studied or created later by participant in event, reflecting
participant’s viewpoint
● Enable researchers to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an
historical event or time period

Secondary Sources :

● Work not based on direct observation of or evidence directly associated with subject, but
instead relies on sources of information
● Work commenting on another work (primary sources), such as reviews, criticism, and
commentaries
What is ‘Archival’ material?

• ‘Recorded evidence of activities kept for secondary historical values’

• Collections of Primary Sources

• Very often unique

• Held in a variety of ‘repositories’ (also referred to as ‘Archives’!)

• Include (but not limited to!): Introduction to Archival Research 5 Correspondence Maps and Plans
Photographs Film and Audio Deeds and wills Registers Log Books Research Papers Draft Manuscripts
Illustrations Minutes Reports Diaries
Types of Archives:
1. Institutional: acquire and maintain records of parent organization or inter-related
organizations
2. Collecting: collect materials pertaining to a defined area
3. Combination: collect both institutional records and outside materials that document local
area or a subject specialty

Sources of Data Archives :

● Governmental archives
➔ Census data (www.census.gov)
➔ National Health and Nutrition Examination Study
(NHANES)
➔ National Center for Educational Statistics
● University centers
➔ Inter university Consortium for Political and
Social Research (ICPSR) at University of Michigan
● Private collections
Who uses Archives ??

● Staff members of parent institution ● Students

● Staff members of other organizations ● Historians
● Scholars ● Genealogists
● Professors and teachers ● Hobbyists

Main Archival Functions :

● Acquisition
● Appraisal
● Arrangement and description
● Preservation and storage
● Reference and access
● Outreach activities
 ADVANTAGES :
● Data are already collected
● Data may allow looking at variables that
would be difficult or impossible to study
directly.
● Ability of huge amount of data in one
place.
● Historical comparisons or trend analysis.
● Research approaches already available.
● Comparison with larger population.
DISADVANTAGES :
● Data may not be in format that is easy to
use to answer the questions of interest.
● Data may not include variables or
interest.
● Data may not include measures that
compare to current literature.
● Difficult to access restricted documents
● Out of date
● May not provide complete picture of
situation.
 ARCHIVAL VALUES

Primary Values : Secondary Values :

● Relate to purpose for which records were ● Information contained in records which is of
created interest not only to creator but also to
● The assumption is that records are needed researchers from a variety of fields of
by records creators for a period of time, after knowledge
which they are no longer needed by the ● Information is often gathered originally for a
records creators. purpose quite different from users to which
the researcher will put the records.
Types of Primary Values:
● Administrative Types of Secondary Values:
● Legal ● Evidential
● Historical ● Informational
● Intrinsic
Evidential Values :
Continuing administrative, legal, or financial use for creators or for any subsequent users
Record details which may serve to protect civic, legal, property or other rights of individuals or
community at large
Reflect evolution of creating body, its structures, functions, policies, decisions, and significant
operations, or individual’s career, interests, or activities

Informational Values :
The usefulness or significance of materials based on the information they contain on persons,
places, subjects, and things other than the operations of the organization that created them
Used for studies concerning historical events, social developments, or any subject other than
the organization itself

Intrinsic Values:
The usefulness or significance of an item derived from its physical or associational qualities,
inherent in its original form and generally independent of its content, that are integral to its
material nature and would be lost in reproduction.
How does Archival Research Work ?
➔ First Step : Discovery
➔ Second Step : The Access Authorisation Data has to be checked
➔ Third Step : Assessment - In this way it is examined if the information is useable concerning
credibility, representatives and meaning .
➔ Fourth Step : Shifting is Performed - This helps to reduce volume of information to a
manageable quantum.
➔ Fifth Step : Cross Checking - To make insure that no information is missed.
How to Do Archival Research?

Develop a hypothesis

What do you want to know?

How might you test it?

Identify an archival source

What kinds of information do you need?

Operationalize definitions

What specific variables correspond to your hypothesis?