Archival research provides valuable information for social science research. Key points include: - Archives preserve important historical records like documents, publications, and materials that provide insight into the past. - Researchers can use archival materials as primary sources to learn about history from the perspective of original records and uncover details not widely known. - It is important to understand the language, context and potential biases of archival sources to accurately interpret the information they provide.

1. Archival
Research:
Its Value to
Social Science
Research
By
Augusto V. de Viana, Ph.D
Chair, Department of History
University of Santo Tomas

2.  By its very definition
research from the French
word “researche”means “
looking back”
 One can literally go back
to the past by looking at
its records
These records can be found
in repositories such as the
archives

3.  An archive is a place
Where people store their
old records

4.  It is different from the
rare books section of a library
where books considered old
or out of print are kept
 Rare books are those
publications which are not
anymore accessible and
therefore have become rare
and had to be more guarded

5.  Archives or archival
material refer to public
records, papers, periodicals,
books or other items, articles,
or materials whether in the
form of electronic, audio-visual,
print , which by their value
which by their nature and
characteristics, have enduring
archival value that that have been
selected for permanent preservation

6.  a building, a room, storage
where archival materials are
kept and preserved

7. Its function is to select, collect and preserve
archival records and make such records
available for public use.

8.  Refers to recorded information regardless of
medium and characteristics. It is frequently
used interchangeably with “records”

13.  The National Archives of the Philippines also
known as the Philippine National Archives
(PNA)

14.  While most records are
accessible to the public,
there are records that are
considered restricted because
there exists a legal impediment
or standard advice issued by the Executive
Director of the Archives that such public
records be withheld from public access

15.  When it has custody of local government
records
 The UST also has its own archives
 It contains records about the University
including wills, lists of students, grades,
personnel etc.

16.  It gives a view of the past

17.  Its words are more
Powerful than spoken
ones

19. Reports

20.  Public archives are those managed by the
government.

21.  The PNA contains documents from the Spanish period such as
1. Ereccion de Pueblos
2. Cedularios
3. Bautismos
4. Vecindarios
5. Difunciones
6. Guia de Forasteros
7. Varias Provincias
8. Sediciones y Rebelliones
9. Asuntos Criminales
10. Presidios
11. Marina
12. Filipinos Ilustres
13. Planos
14. Gaceta de Manila
15. Prestacion Personal (Polos y Servicios)
16. Other documents that pertain to aspects such as health i.e. lazaretos
Economic matters such as the Tobacco Monopoly, Opium Monopoly, maritima,
agricola, etc.

22. Plano de Alcaiceria de Binondo

29.  These contain matters of local interest like
history, lists of people living in the area,
births and deaths, local health matters,
economy, industry and events that have taken
place there

30.  The archives of the Archdiocese of Manila contain
important documents such as
1. Baptisms
2. Foundations of parishes, dioceses and archdioceses
3. Pastoral letters
4. Reports from the various churches
5. Letters including retraction letters of
Rizal and Marcelo H. del Pilar
6. Controversial matters such as brujerias (witchcraft);
divorce ( actually happened during the Spanish
period)
7. conflicts within the church such as rivalries between
religious orders

31.  The Dominicans maintain their archive for
their order
 The Jesuits have theirs at the Ateneo
 The Recollects have an archive at their
Mission House in Fairview

32.  Most of these are primary sources if they are
reports, laws, letters, statements and
statistical figures

33.  Not all archival documents are primary
sources

34.  Others are now available in microfilm,
microfiche and digital copies
 Some can be accessed through the Internet
 Even genealogical records can now be
accessed through the genealogical project of
the Church of the Latter Day Saints based in
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

37.  It is therefore necessary to know the
language

38.  There are many Spanish words not anymore
used or the meaning has changed
 Cajon means a division in a rice field
 There are various terms indicating
measurements such as vara for measuring
length and quintal for weight
 The Spanish legua or league is different from
the English league

39.  Such as Dte Gde - Dios te Guarde, may God
keep you
 Cbllero – Caballero
 Idem – same

40.  The researcher must be able to read between
the lines and understand the intent of the
writer. He could be lying or making things up

42.  In citing archival documents the researcher
must write his sources accurately by citing
the box number, expediente number and
document number, and topic
 i.e. PNA, Marianas, 1858-1898,
Advertisement of putting up opium dens in
the Marianas
 PNA, Marianas, Bundle 38, 1884
 PNA, Marianas, Bundle 33, Espediente 76, ff.
1-4, 1891

43.  Archival research is an integral tool of history
 It unveils truth and destroys stereotypes
 It reveals glossed-over details

44. By using archival materials the researcher is
helping in their preservation by
disseminating them as secondary material.
Citing them restores their importance in
history

45. The understanding of these documents
conveys to us how Filipinos see
themselves and presents to us what
was life was during that point in history