Microfilming Techniques for Data Gathering and Field Research
Gordon P. Means · Canadian Journal of Political Science · 1970
The foreign area specialist who goes into the field frequently finds it very difficult to acquire all the documentary materials he needs in the time available. Rare books, documents, and newspapers may be in libraries or in archival collections, but unless the writing is to be done in the field, it is difficult to use these sources. Furthermore, collections of papers, letters, clippings, pamphlets, and manuscripts are frequently available from private sources, political parities, and organizations, if one attempts to locate such collections, but they can rarely be borrowed, and certainly not for the length of time needed for thorough research. Similar difficulties may face the scholar engaged in domestic research. My answer to this problem has been to develop techniques for microfilming documents on location under adverse conditions using a minimum of equipment, which can be carried easily in a brief case. With a camera and a few other small items, it is quite easy and economical to microfilm materials and, if necessary, to process the films either at home or under very primitive field conditions.