Working with archival data: studying lives

1. Introduction

2. Working with archival data

The life-course revolution

Asking new questions of old data

The Terman study

From old data to new questions: children of the Great Depression

From life records to codes: The Berkeley guidance archive

Fitting research questions and data

3. Recasting the archive

First approach

Step 1: Evaluation of existing materials

Step 2: The decision to recode

Step 3: Refining the research questions

Creating new codes

Step 4: Evaluating available coding schemes

Step 5: Writing the codebook

Step 6: Coding the case

Step 7: Assessing reliability and validity

4. From retirement to late-life careers

First approach

Step 1: Evaluation of existing materials

Step 2: The decision to recode

Step 3: Refining the research questions

Creating new codes

Step 4: Evaluating available coding schemes

Step 5: Writing the codebook

Step 6: Coding the case

Step 7: Assessing reliability and validity

5. Measuring historical influences

Linking historical influences and individual lives

New codes for research questions

Coding wartime experience

Coding home-front mobilization.