Documentation Documentation If it isn’t documented, it If it isn’t documented, it

didn’t happendidn’t happen

Sohail SangiSohail Sangi

What is DocumentationWhat is Documentation

Evidential or reference Evidential or reference documents: documents: documents provided or documents provided or collected together as evidence or as collected together as evidence or as reference material.reference material.

PProcess of providing written rocess of providing written information: information: 

the process of providing written details or the process of providing written details or information about somethinginformation about something

Confirmation that some fact or statement Confirmation that some fact or statement is true through the use of documentary is true through the use of documentary evidence evidence

TechnologyTechnology

• Information technologies Information technologies have now matured enough have now matured enough to allow us to create sound to allow us to create sound and video recordings, and and video recordings, and integrate them with text and integrate them with text and other explanatory or other explanatory or analytical material. analytical material.

Documentation Documentation involves…involves…

Fieldwork, going to a place (often Fieldwork, going to a place (often a remote location) live and working a remote location) live and working and living together with them and living together with them there. there.

To undertake fieldwork the To undertake fieldwork the researchers must be properly researchers must be properly trained in the techniques of trained in the techniques of recording (sound and video), recording (sound and video), transcribing, analysing. transcribing, analysing.

MethodsMethods

• Documentation Documentation project should aim project should aim to collect/create to collect/create audio, video, audio, video, graphic and text graphic and text documentation documentation material covering material covering use of language in a use of language in a variety of social and variety of social and cultural contexts. cultural contexts. The priorities for The priorities for collecting, collecting, recording, recording, analysing, and analysing, and archiving are:archiving are:

• to create a range of to create a range of high quality materials high quality materials to support description to support description of a variety of of a variety of language phenomena language phenomena

• to enable the recovery to enable the recovery of knowledge of the of knowledge of the language even if all language even if all other sources are lost other sources are lost

• to generate resources to generate resources in support of language in support of language maintenance and/or maintenance and/or learninglearning

Recording equipment Recording equipment and storage and storage

ArchivingArchiving • Create documentation materials suitable Create documentation materials suitable

for archiving and deposit them for archiving and deposit them • Do not need to archive everything you Do not need to archive everything you

produced during the project. for produced during the project. for example, raw notes, unedited video or example, raw notes, unedited video or audio, or large numbers of similar audio, or large numbers of similar photographs need not be deposited. photographs need not be deposited.

• Archiving is for the benefit of the Archiving is for the benefit of the general people, community & other general people, community & other researchers or interested people in the researchers or interested people in the future. It involves preparing materials so future. It involves preparing materials so that they are as informative and explicit that they are as informative and explicit as possible, ensure long-term as possible, ensure long-term accessibility, and then storing them accessibility, and then storing them safely safely

Identify an institutionIdentify an institution

• Identify an institution such as a Identify an institution such as a library, archive, educational library, archive, educational institution, or community centre institution, or community centre that is accessible to the interested that is accessible to the interested people, people,

• Make arrangements for materials Make arrangements for materials to be deposited with that to be deposited with that institution. institution.

• The extent to which the materials The extent to which the materials can be searched and navigated can be searched and navigated depends largely on how you depends largely on how you prepare the data and metadata. prepare the data and metadata.

• Preparing materials involves much Preparing materials involves much more than handing over data files.more than handing over data files.

Archiving and Archiving and dissemination dissemination

• Dissemination of digital materials, Dissemination of digital materials, typically via the World Wide Web, is an typically via the World Wide Web, is an entirely different process from archiving. entirely different process from archiving.

• archived materials are typically more archived materials are typically more comprehensive than would normally be comprehensive than would normally be published on the WWW published on the WWW

• archives contain some materials that are archives contain some materials that are not currently publishable due to not currently publishable due to sensitivities but may be important for sensitivities but may be important for future revitalisation of the language, or future revitalisation of the language, or research of various kinds research of various kinds

Access to RecordsAccess to Records

• Data Protection Act 1998 – gives Data Protection Act 1998 – gives patients and clients access to their patients and clients access to their paper-based and computer-held recordspaper-based and computer-held records

• Freedom of Information Act 2000 Freedom of Information Act 2000 introduced 2005 – grants rights of introduced 2005 – grants rights of access to anyone, to all information that access to anyone, to all information that is not covered by the Data protection is not covered by the Data protection ActAct

Status of materialStatus of material• Documentation should also include properly Documentation should also include properly

described records of the status (or restrictions, described records of the status (or restrictions, sensitivities etc) of materials.sensitivities etc) of materials.

• Typically, an archive will provide World Wide Web Typically, an archive will provide World Wide Web access to a catalogue of materials and, where access to a catalogue of materials and, where appropriate, access to materials themselves. appropriate, access to materials themselves. Restrictions and sensitivities expressed by the Restrictions and sensitivities expressed by the language community should be respected. language community should be respected.

• An archive catalogue informs the public about the An archive catalogue informs the public about the existence of materials, allowing them to be existence of materials, allowing them to be ‘discovered’ through internet searching. ‘discovered’ through internet searching.

• Catalogues may or may not provide direct access to Catalogues may or may not provide direct access to the actual content of the materials. the actual content of the materials.

• Archive policies differ but some materials will be Archive policies differ but some materials will be made available to various users, subject to the made available to various users, subject to the conditions/restrictions attached to materials or parts conditions/restrictions attached to materials or parts of materials, and depending on the type of user. of materials, and depending on the type of user.

WHAT IS DOCUMENTATION ?

• “Documentation” is what’s written on paper. • You need documentation because courts, lawyers,

social service agencies, and a lot of other people make decisions by looking at what’s written on paper.

• Documentation helps you to convince these people that what you are saying is true so they are more likely to make decisions that help you.

• HOW DO I DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?• The main thing you can do to document the things

that happen to you is to save papers. Save court papers, notices, letters, receipts, notes, and anything else you receive that is important and written on paper.

• You can also make notes of conversations and events. • Always put the date of the conversation or event in

your notes.

• Another way to document things that have happened to you or things you have seen is to make a police report. Some people don’t call the police because they don’t think the police will do anything. But, sometimes a report just documents what happened, even if no charges are filed and no one is arrested. Remember to get and keep a copy of the report, too.

• If you believe that your child has been physically abused in some way, you should report what you know to Children’s Protective Services to help you prove later what happened. In the same way, if you have problems with visitation with your child, make a complaint to the Friend of the Court. Get and keep copies of the paperwork.

• HOW DO I DOCUMENT WHAT I TOLD SOMEONE?• You can document what you say to someone by sending

the person a letter. Always remember to put a date on the letter so you can show when you sent it, and always make and keep a photocopy of the letter so you can show what you sent.

• There are two ways to prove that you mailed your letter. The first is to send the letter by certified mail with a return receipt requested. You get the certified mail receipt at post office when you mail the letter.

• Staple the certified mail receipt to your photocopy of the letter. You get a green card back after your letter is delivered. When it comes back, staple the green card to the copy of your letter, too.

• If you are sending a letter to someone you think will refuse to sign for certified mail, there is another way to prove you sent the letter. You can use a little white slip of paper called a “Certificate of Mailing.” The Post Office calls it “PS Form 3817.”

• A certificate of mailing is really a receipt showing that you mailed a letter to someone and the date you mailed it. It is not the same thing as certified mail (even though they sound like the same thing) because no one has to sign for it. You can fill out a certificate of mailing at any post office. Don’t forget to have the clerk stamp the date of it. Staple the certificate of mailing to the photocopy of your letter.

• HOW DO I DOCUMENT A PAYMENT?• You document that you paid someone money for

rent or some other bill by getting a receipt and saving it. If the person you are paying won’t give you a receipt, make your own. How? Either pay by money order or by personal check. Never give cash to anyone if you are not sure you will get a receipt. You may not be able to prove what you paid.

• WHERE DO I PUT ALL THIS STUFF?• The best place to save all of your documents is in a

large, brownmanila envelope. Put all of those important papers in

that envelope, and keep them there. Then, put the envelope in a safe place. (By the way, it is also very important to keep documents like birth certificates, social security cards, vehicle titles, deeds, and immigration papers in a safe place.)

• The safest place to put your documents would be in a safe deposit box at a bank.

• You can also keep your papers in any other place that is secure and under lock and key. A car might not be the best place, though, if the car is in danger of being stolen, repossessed or damaged in an accident.

• Some people like to give their papers to someone they can truly trust to hang onto them and not lose them. This is a very good idea if you are in a relationship where there is abuse or domestic violence and Making a duplicate copy of your really important papers and keeping them in two different places is also a good idea.

• Organize your papers by date, beginning with the paper with the

earliest date and ending with the paper with the most recent date. All of this paper tells the story of important things that happened to you or you did. It is like a book, with a beginning and an end.