Support the spread of “good practice” in generating, managing, analysing and communicating spatial information Documentation Introduction to Documentation By: Jon Corbett and Kasondra White Unit: M14U01

Introduction Documenting the process Recording material Why documentation is necessary When and how it should be conducted For whom and by whom information is recorded Available techniques

Why documentation is necessary Inform and support a community’s mapping project Keep an account of the mapping product’s activities and events

The role of community members Role of facilitators and trainers Local ways of expressing knowledge Cultural factors Inclusivity Balancing multiple methods

Methods of documentation Archive and literature review Observation and note taking Interviews Photography Participatory video

Archive and literature reviews Review: - existing reports - studies - videos - photos - maps - documents Avoid duplication and wasting time Validate collected information

Archive and literature reviews: pros and cons ProsCons Documents group characteristics Elaborates upon history and pattern of development Establishes historic presence Provides insight into ways that the community has been portrayed in the past Sources from outside the community may not reflect local perspectives Quality of documents will vary Access may be restricted Data may be inaccurate or an incomplete representation

Observation and note taking Listening and watching “Seeing what we expect to see” “Seeing what we want to see” - project evaluation Field notes

Observation and note taking: pros and cons ProsCons Low cost Includes impromptu remarks Records behaviours that may escape other tools of documentation Documents steps taken in creating the map Can exclude some community members Reflects researcher’s perspective May not include context behind statements or occurrences

Interviews Dialogue between two or more people Focus groups Structured interviews Semi-structured interviews Unstructured interviews

Focus groups: pros and cons ProsCons Collaborative problem solving Time-effective and cost-effective Places community members on equal footing Flexible format Cannot provide same kind of in- depth information as one-on-one conversations Some community members may feel uncomfortable speaking up Group think: agreeing on popular ideas

Structured interviews: pros and cons ProsCons Comparability across a group of people May not need to transcribe interviews (less time-consuming) May not reveal true concerns of community members if they cannot deviate from questions Does not allow for inclusion of interesting or revealing stories

Semi-structured interviews: pros and cons ProsCons Allows for a degree of comparability Still allows for inclusion of some incidental comments or stories May still be seen as ultimately representing the agenda of researchers from outside the community

Unstructured interviews: pros and cons ProsCons Recognises unique body of knowledge possessed by each respondent Driven by community members Allows for the full expression of each person’s ideas Easy to get off track May spend time discussing seemingly irrelevant points More time-consuming than other techniques May require transcription

Photography Enhances the: - aesthetics - content People, places and events Historic photos Photos from community members’ personal collections

Photography: pros and cons ProsCons Adds aesthetic value to words of community members Meaningful regardless of language or literacy Depicts people, places and events in a way that could not be accomplished using words alone Could give the wrong impression Not all map makers will be familiar with photo-taking techniques Some community members may feel uncomfortable in front of the camera

Participatory video Depicts: - events - emotions - community life Shares ideas regardless of language or literacy Involves community in film making

Participatory video: pros and cons ProsCons Conveys action, so is a preferred means of conveying events Meaningful regardless of language or literacy Allows for the depiction of emotion Relatively expensive compared with other techniques Not all map makers will be familiar with the tools required to create a film Some community members may feel uncomfortable in front of the camera

Choosing a documentation method Multiple techniques may be used Some questions to ask: - How will the map be displayed? - How much time is available? - What is the budget? - What styles of documentation are preferred within the community? - What techniques best meet project goals?

Time and funding constraints Render certain techniques more appropriate than others Balance between: - lower cost but less comprehensive approaches - higher cost but more thorough techniques Community role Training community members - sharing learned skills

Ethical requirements of documentation Free, prior and informed consent Knowledge of risks and benefits Misuse of participatory practices - extractive data mining versus empowerment Release forms - signed consent - generally not needed when participating in public events