DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENTS

1. Practical

   • hard to access personal documents
   • easier to access public documents eg school websites
   • cheap sorce of data,that has already been gathered(secondary)
     • Saves time and is quick to make comparisoons,correlations,trends

2. Theoretical

   • less representative eg 70 notes collected by HEY
   • positivist see as useful source because through quantitative data provides more objectivity and its scientific data
   • also provides qualitative data - interactionalist favour them because highly valid.HEY found imortant insights
   • depends on subject matter participants may not be willling to talk about sensative subjects eg GILLBORN(racism and schooling)
     • eg GEWIRTS ET AL(maretisation and eduction)
       • May have ethical implications

3. Ethical

   • permission not required for public document eg ofsted inspection
   • Looking at personal documents eg HEY- no informed consent