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Contribution to Book
Researching ‘the most dangerous of all sources’: Egodocuments
Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Military Studies (2014)
  • L.H.E. (Esmeralda) Kleinreesink
Abstract
Egodocuments are texts in which an author writes about his or her own acts, thoughts and feelings, such as diaries, blogs, and memoirs. This chapter looks at how egodocuments can be (and are) used by military researchers. It concludes that it offers great research opportunities for any researcher despite scientific discipline or methodological background. All sorts of elements can be researched from paratext, theme and plot, to the psychology behind word usage, and both qualitative and quantitative methods can be used. Careful scoping and time and patience to collect the documents involved are essential ingredients for the successful military egodocument researcher who is looking for well-accessible, rich sources on the military.
Keywords
  • methodology,
  • egodocuments,
  • military studies
Publication Date
2014
Editor
J. Soeters, P. M. Shields & S. Rietjens
Publisher
Routledge
ISBN
978-0-415-63533-2
Citation Information
L.H.E. (Esmeralda) Kleinreesink. "Researching ‘the most dangerous of all sources’: Egodocuments" LondonRoutledge Handbook of Research Methods in Military Studies (2014)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/esmeralda_kleinreesink/12/