GLD Research Seminar Series - Archival Research

GLD’s research seminar series provides an introduction to the research process. In this session: Yusu Magiya, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Social Science Division at New York University Abu Dhabi, gives an overview on archival data, including a discussion on forms, uses, challenges, and best practices. The type of archival data can range from internal correspondences and policy memos to maps and diaries. Archival data differs from other forms of data due to its lack of replicability. Some challenges associated with archival data involve: source bias, selection bias, transfer bias, digitization bias, and reinforcement bias. Crucial to navigating archival data is minimizing selection bias by being aware of misalignment in availability of documents, asymmetry in reporting, and the Rashomon effect. Best practices include awareness of personal and others’ biases, source transparency, cross-checking sources, random sampling, utilizing mixed methods to confirm hypotheses.

About the presenter:
Yusuf Magiya is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Social Science Division at New York University Abu Dhabi. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science at Columbia University in 2022. His research interests are at the intersection of the political economy of development, distributive politics, and identity politics; mainly focusing on the politics of taxation and state-building in the Middle East and in the comparative context.

Readings:

Cusack, T., Iversen, T., & Soskice, D. (2007). “Economic Interests and the Origins of Electoral Systems.” American Political Science Review, 101(3), 373-391. doi:10.1017/S0003055407070384

Cusack, T., Iversen, T., & Soskice, D. (2010). “Coevolution of Capitalism and Political Representation: The Choice of Electoral Systems.” American Political Science Review, 104(2), 393403. doi:10.1017/S0003055410000134

Kreuzer, M. (2010). “Historical Knowledge and Quantitative Analysis: The Case of the Origins of Proportional Representation.” American Political Science Review, 104(2), 369-392. doi:10.1017/S0003055410000122 10

Kim, D. (2022). “Taming Abundance: Doing Digital Archival Research (as Political Scientists).” PS: Political Science & Politics, 55(3), 530-538. doi:10.1017/S104909652100192X

Lieberman, E. S. (2010). “Bridging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide: Best Practices in the Development of Historically Oriented Replication Databases.” Annual Review of Political Science, 13, 37-59.