Documentary Research

The methodological research approach termed documentary research has multiple meanings and different usages within the broad research landscape across disciplines. Although the term is commonly used within the field of sociology—even cited as one of the most common forms of research conducted by sociologists—for research that leverages archival documentation including texts, documents, newspapers, films, photographs, governmental publications, census data, paintings, diaries, journals, and books, its meaning within the field of curriculum studies, albeit related, is different. Whereas sociologists focus on these various documents as sources of data and as reliable artifacts when conducting their research, the field of curriculum studies sees documentary research as the art and science of producing the documentation itself. This act of doing documentary research can be conducted through producing written accounts, photography, recordings, or film of various phenomena in the social world. Documentary research in curriculum studies is a form of aesthetic, arts-based inquiry. To those interested in documentary research within the curriculum studies field, the writers, photographers, interviewers, and filmmakers act as researchers explicitly attempting to develop their craft in order to portray a view of reality. These people conducting documentary research, often referred to as documen-tarians or documentarists, have interest in detailing what exists in the social world by revealing what they consider to be the actual state of affairs in sites, environments, or other places of interest.

Both the fields of sociology and curriculum studies draw on the term docere, the Latin word for “to teach,” as the basis for what is occurring in this form of research. The research that results is presented to inform others about a particular way of life, group of people, or event. In addition, both fields of study look for proof through various pieces of documentation (in any of its multiple forms) as evidence that this something exists. In curriculum studies and other related educational fields, however, the foundation of documentary research goes beyond simply using the documents as sources of data; the intention for this form of research is to take action in order to inform through the construction of a document. These documents, commonly referred to as a documentary, suggest particular meaning. The resultant creation or portrayal attempts to reveal authentic events or situations in believable and realistic ways. Through various forms of representations, although the imagery through visual, auditory, and written form are favored, the documentary product of documentary research implies an attempt to discover or uncover what is real or what exists so that others can view it or engage with it. Because of this, documentary research presents a form of authentification about the events, situations, or the way of life that is documented. Through the creation of the documentary, the researcher puts together images through scenes, moments, or illustrations that assist in reconstructing what is occurring in the given phenomenon being studied.

Although documentary research within curriculum studies is related to the work of sociologists, [Page 300]historians, anthropologists, and even journalists, documentary research within curriculum studies is not as interested in accumulating the same “proof” that something exists as is necessary or expected within these other fields primarily because curriculum scholars contend these kinds of finite representations do not exist. This is not to infer that the research is less rigorous or trustworthy than the approaches of the other disciplines, but it suggests that the story, social location, and positionality of the documentary researcher along with the narrative behind the constructed portrait, image, written account, or film is critical to conducting this form of research within curriculum studies. As this form of research works to portray some particularity or phenomenon, it seeks to document life in realistic and believable ways, but is cognizant that elements of objectivity and subjectivity are challenged by the very nature of engaging in this kind of research. The barriers or artificial lines of what is factual and what is interpreted get blurred as those engaged in documentary research try to discern meaning.

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