Descriptive Methods: These methods focus on characterizing the collection itself. They aim to provide a detailed and accurate account of what's in the collection, its size, scope, and composition. This involves:
* Content analysis: Systematically examining the collection's contents to identify themes, patterns, and trends. For example, in a collection of archival letters, content analysis might reveal the prevalent topics discussed or the changing writing styles over time.
* Bibliographic description: Creating detailed descriptions of individual items within the collection, including author, title, publication date, format, and other relevant metadata. This is crucial for cataloging and making the collection accessible.
* Statistical analysis: Using quantitative methods to summarize the collection's characteristics. This might involve calculating the number of items, their average age, or the distribution of items across different categories.
* Data visualization: Creating graphs, charts, and other visual representations to display the collection's characteristics and highlight key findings. This makes complex data easier to understand and interpret.
Comparative Methods: These methods go beyond simply describing the collection by comparing it to other collections, datasets, or theoretical frameworks. This allows researchers to contextualize their findings and draw broader conclusions. Examples include:
* Cross-collection comparison: Comparing the subject matter, geographic coverage, or time period of one collection to another. For instance, comparing a collection of photographs from the American Civil War with a contemporary collection of Civil War letters reveals different perspectives and information about the same historical event.
* Comparative content analysis: Comparing the content of a collection to external sources, such as news articles, census data, or other scholarly works, to verify the accuracy of the collection's information and place it within a broader context.
* Benchmarking: Comparing the collection's size, completeness, or quality to similar collections to assess its relative strengths and weaknesses.
* Comparative case studies: Examining multiple collections in relation to a specific research question to identify similarities and differences in their characteristics and implications. For example, studying the representation of marginalized groups in different museum collections reveals potential biases and disparities.
Combining Descriptive and Comparative Methods: The most effective approach often involves a combination of descriptive and comparative methods. Descriptive methods lay the groundwork by characterizing the collection, while comparative methods provide the context and allow for more nuanced interpretations. For instance, a researcher might first conduct a descriptive content analysis of a collection of oral histories, then compare the themes and narratives they identify to those found in related historical accounts or academic literature. This combined approach yields a richer and more comprehensive understanding of the collection's significance and contribution to the field.