Doing Archival Research in Political Science By Scott A. Frisch, ...

use of archival sources? If it is the former, a return to the drawing board may be necessary. If it is the latter—which is more likely—then consider the source of the criticism. Have they ever used archival sources? Are they familiar with any research that uses archival sources? Chances are that they are projecting their own apprehensions and anxieties. Or, they are simply jealous that they will not be able to travel to West Branch, Iowa, for a week at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.

No doubt many colleagues believe that they are offering sage advice; we do not mean to cast aspersions on their motives. But the truth of the matter is that they are not speaking from experience, they are speaking from their casual (nonsystematic) observation of the state of the discipline. In the prebehavioral era of political science, imagine how traditional scholars must have viewed their young colleagues who were conducting surveys and coding congressional roll call votes. More than a few younger scholars must have been discouraged from this work for the very same reasons we are discussing here. Back then, it surely was easier to make another trip over to the library to check out some more books to cite in that new treatise on Aristotle.

If colleagues have reservations about a research design, listen very carefully. If their concern is with the archival approach, listen carefully and test their depth of knowledge; ask them why using existing data is better than collecting one’s own, and (most of all) refer them to this book.

Five Reasons to Consider Taking the Road Less Traveled

Part of our purpose in putting this volume together is to encourage archival research and to smooth scholars’ introduction to this mode of research. In contemporary political science, archival research is uncommon; it represents a road less traveled by political scientists. As advocates of archival research, we firmly believe that there are a variety of benefits to taking this road. Some of those benefits are outlined in the following sections.