Biographies, or generally any work of historical nonfiction, aren’t just about collecting interesting stories about someone’s life. It takes much more than that.
It’s pretty much a process that takes research; it takes patience; it takes the ability to piece together all of the collected information from various sources into one cohesive unit.
If you take a person’s memoir, there are a great deal of interesting stories that can be found there. Even if you look at something as plain as a newspaper headline – the same thing happens. But regardless, the most useful details/information tend to be found elsewhere. They can be found in documents that were (originally) created with a different purpose in mind (e.g., employment records, correspondence, institutional archives, court documents, historical registers, etc.). And you might be reading this and thinking to yourself, “What? Really?!”; And yes – really.
All these can be an astounding source for helping piece together an entire timeline, a way to understand all the circumstances that happened (when, how, why?). And by stitching together all these types of little clues, you get a full story. You get the story of what makes that person the person they are today.
These types of documents can then become extremely important for authors who are interested in making biographies and historical nonfiction.
It’s about learning how to work with these materials, and knowing how to do that is what separates those who just write about some anecdotes or interesting stories from those who create a well-supported account of the events that have transpired.
The Timeline
To begin with biographical research, it’s important to create a chronological outline of the events that transpired.
We do this before trying to interpret why someone made the decision they made, what the motivations behind those decisions were, and any other elements that shaped their life. In chronological order, we can also determine some important factors such as where the person lived, what they did/what position they held, which institutions and/or organizations they worked with or were associated with, and generally all the important events that happened in their lives and during the periods when they lived.
These questions aren’t simply important, but they also have the ability to become the foundation of further research and open up new questions – questions that need asking and questions that need answering.
The timeline also helps us identify gaps in certain parts – if there are any. It is a process of documentation and one that helps us get the clearest possible picture.
Institutional Records
Comparing institutional documents to personal accounts, we can find that there are instances where institutional documents can provide certain information that is otherwise overlooked.
Employment records, appointment registers, correspondence, and administrative files can all establish dates, locations, and a view of professional relationships. All of these can be used when writing about someone or when using information about when certain events happened that require legal process.
We can take an example: a now former priest – Raymond Kownacki – accused of sexual misconduct. Searching through the available archives in the investigation showed Raymond Kownacki’s record across southern Illinois parishes, which in turn illustrated how the former assignments could be traced through official documentation in the Illinois Attorney General’s public database. This list lists parish assignments that spanned several decades. These documents are particularly important when trying to determine the timeline and pinpoint what exactly happened in that case.
However, as it is with pretty much any records, they need to be interpreted carefully and thoroughly. Everything isn’t simply black or white; there are nuances. In the mentioned example, it is worth noting that the assignment list establishes reported placements; it does not necessarily explain everything that happened during those appointments or even give the full picture of the events that happened.
This is important to historical writing, or we should say that distinction is important to it; documents can establish certain facts, but writers should not make conclusions that evidence doesn’t support.
Cross-Reference Different Sources
No single document shows a complete account of someone’s life.
A personnel record might establish an appointment. A newspaper article can provide information about a public event. Correspondence can showcase how people communicated and what was said. Court records can show legal disputes and proceedings. Each different source provides a bit more information, and it also gives you a different perspective.
So if you’re doing biographical research, here are a couple of different types of documents which you might want to look at:
- public archives
- historical registers
- newspaper archives
- contemporary reporting
- court records
- published legal decisions
- personal letters/diaries/memoirs
- institutional records
- official correspondence
- recorded interviews
And these are just a few ideas here.
Again, it’s not about just having one part, but about getting as detailed an account of everything as possible. It also helps establish which sources are credible and which aren’t.
This, of course, helps make the best conclusion based on evidence and sources.
Conclusion
Realizing how documentation is presented, including its advantages and disadvantages, helps us better know history. It helps us paint a clearer picture of all the events that happened, even when it comes to difficult historical events and subjects.
The truth matters.
And we should do our utmost to stay as truthful as possible, especially in writing, due to the fact that it will remain there for future generations to find and see. Cross-referencing different sources is also a vital part of that. It is also important to note that evidence is different from interpretation and assumptions. It is about making research part of the reading experience.
It’s about archiving events, and it is about using those archives to research the events, people, and history.
