Documentary research involves the use of texts and documents as source materials: government publications, newspapers, certificates, census publications, novels, film and video, paintings, personal photographs, diaries, and innumerable other written, visual and pictorial sources in paper, electronic, or other 'hard copy' form. Along with surveys and ethnography, documentary research is one of the three major types of social research and arguably has been the most widely used of the three throughout the history of sociology and other social sciences. It has been the principal method - indeed, sometimes the only one - for leading sociologists.
The key issues surrounding types of documents and our ability to use them as reliable sources of evidence on the social world must be considered by all who use documents in their research. The paucity of sources available until now means that this compendium will be of great interest.

Volume 1. Theory and Methods
Volume 2. Personal Documents
Volume 3. Mass Media and Cyber Documents
Volume 4. Official Statistics and Sources