Tool 7 (the Document Review Template) can be used to record your findings. Note: not all your questions will be
answered by the document review and some documents will answer several questions. Remember that you are
not yet analysing your findings (that is the next stage) but merely recording what you are finding out.
Figure 12: Steps for a document review
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Initial
Focused
Peer
Review
Overview
Review
Moderation
of findings
Step 1: Initial overview of language, images and tone
Begin your review of each document with a quick overview of:
• Specific words, tone and phrases that are relevant for you and for the language of your documents
(e.g. gender + budgeting, disaggregation, discrimination, diversity, equality, inclusion; gendered pronouns
such as she/he etc). Note how and where these terms are used. Are they gender neutral or specific?
Do they promote gender equality?
• Images, photos, graphics etc, noting how gender is represented (particularly images of women and girls).
What is the context? Does it promote gender equality?
If you are reviewing the documents online, you will be able to use search tools. Figure 13 is an example of a
search for ‘gender equality’ in the APF’s Human Rights Education Manual8.
Figure 13: Example of an online word search
8 A
PF (2019 Rev), Human Rights Education: A Manual for NHRIs,
www.asiapacificforum.net/resources/human-rights-education-manual/ (p104)
36