Documentation capitalisation systematización

A documentation process seeks to organise available information, analyse it in detail, draw conclusions and share the results. Spanish-speaking countries prefer to talk about sistematización, while in French, many organisations refer to capitalisation. While some may see subtle differences in the detailed definition of these words, the main purpose of a documentation effort is the same as that of capitalisation or sistematización: the generation of knowledge on the basis of practical experience.

Many organisations, in different countries, are currently documenting their work, and thus benefiting from these experiences. What are the main differences between the approaches being followed? And what are the common elements? Is there an approach or method that works better in a given situation? Is it possible to combine elements from different approaches and adjust them to a specific situation?

As part of ILEIA’s efforts to promote the documentation of field-based experiences, this booklet describes 18 different methods, including approaches such as participatory videos or story guides. It also presents the work of 18 projects and organisations, as online references. Having all these resources listed together makes it easier to see the differences and commonalities between them. The purpose of this booklet is to provide readers with an overview and taste of the many methods available. With this information at hand, we encourage you to access the full texts and try out different ideas to generate and share new knowledge on the basis of your experience.

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Authors: Jorge Chavez-Tafur, Karen Hampson, Anita Ingevall and Rik Thijssen

Source: ILEIA

Year: 2008

Pages: 70

Language: English

More details: Book details