Archival Research:

Its Value to Social Science

ResearchBy

Augusto V. de Viana, Ph.DChair, Department of History

University of Santo Tomas

By its very definition research from the French word “researche”means “looking back” One can literally go back to the past by looking at its recordsThese records can be found in repositories such as the archives

An archive is a place

Where people store their

old records

It is different from the

rare books section of a library

where books considered old

or out of print are kept

Rare books are those

publications which are not

anymore accessible and

therefore have become rare

and had to be more guarded

Archives or archival

material refer to public

records, papers, periodicals,

books or other items, articles,

or materials whether in the

form of electronic, audio-visual,

print , which by their value

which by their nature and

characteristics, have enduring

archival value that that have been

selected for permanent preservation

a building, a room, storage

where archival materials are

kept and preserved

Its function is to select, collect and preserve archival records and make such records available for public use.

Refers to recorded information regardless of medium and characteristics. It is frequently used interchangeably with “records”

The National Archives of the Philippines also known as the Philippine National Archives (PNA)

While most records are

accessible to the public,

there are records that are

considered restricted because

there exists a legal impediment

or standard advice issued by the Executive

Director of the Archives that such public records be withheld from public access

When it has custody of local government records

The UST also has its own archives

It contains records about the University including wills, lists of students, grades, personnel etc.

It gives a view of the past

Its words are more

Powerful than spoken

ones

Reports

Public archives are those managed by the government.

The PNA contains documents from the Spanish period such as1. Ereccion de Pueblos2. Cedularios3. Bautismos4. Vecindarios5. Difunciones6. Guia de Forasteros7. Varias Provincias8. Sediciones y Rebelliones9. Asuntos Criminales10. Presidios11. Marina12. Filipinos Ilustres13. Planos14. Gaceta de Manila15. Prestacion Personal (Polos y Servicios)16. Other documents that pertain to aspects such as health i.e. lazaretosEconomic matters such as the Tobacco Monopoly, Opium Monopoly, maritima,

agricola, etc.

Plano de Alcaiceria de Binondo

These contain matters of local interest like history, lists of people living in the area, births and deaths, local health matters, economy, industry and events that have taken place there

The archives of the Archdiocese of Manila contain important documents such as

1. Baptisms2. Foundations of parishes, dioceses and archdioceses3. Pastoral letters4. Reports from the various churches5. Letters including retraction letters of

Rizal and Marcelo H. del Pilar6. Controversial matters such as brujerias (witchcraft);

divorce ( actually happened during the Spanish period)

7. conflicts within the church such as rivalries between religious orders

The Dominicans maintain their archive for their order

The Jesuits have theirs at the Ateneo

The Recollects have an archive at their Mission House in Fairview

Most of these are primary sources if they are reports, laws, letters, statements and statistical figures

Not all archival documents are primary sources

Others are now available in microfilm, microfiche and digital copies

Some can be accessed through the Internet

Even genealogical records can now be accessed through the genealogical project of the Church of the Latter Day Saints based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

It is therefore necessary to know the language

There are many Spanish words not anymore used or the meaning has changed

Cajon means a division in a rice field

There are various terms indicating measurements such as vara for measuring length and quintal for weight

The Spanish legua or league is different from the English league

Such as Dte Gde - Dios te Guarde, may God keep you

Cbllero – Caballero

Idem – same

The researcher must be able to read between the lines and understand the intent of the writer. He could be lying or making things up

In citing archival documents the researcher must write his sources accurately by citing the box number, expediente number and document number, and topic

i.e. PNA, Marianas, 1858-1898, Advertisement of putting up opium dens in the Marianas

PNA, Marianas, Bundle 38, 1884

PNA, Marianas, Bundle 33, Espediente 76, ff. 1-4, 1891

Archival research is an integral tool of history

It unveils truth and destroys stereotypes

It reveals glossed-over details

By using archival materials the researcher ishelping in their preservation by

disseminating them as secondary material. Citing them restores their importance in history

The understanding of these documents conveys to us how Filipinos see themselves and presents to us what was life was during that point in history