Integrative documentary analysis: a framework for studying complex educational phenomena through educational concerts

Purpose This study proposes an analytical framework for integrating complementary documentary perspectives in qualitative research on complex educational phenomena. The approach develops a systematic procedure for articulating knowledge distributed across different documentary evidence domains and is illustrated through the case of educational concerts in primary education. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts integrative documentary analysis, a qualitative approach for examining multiple documentary domains. Evidence sources include theoretical research, experiential literature, curricular frameworks and national strategic policy documents. Analytical categories are developed through an iterative process combining deductive and inductive reasoning and are subsequently integrated through a master integration matrix, enabling the identification of convergences across documentary perspectives. Findings The procedure enables the articulation of epistemologically diverse documentary evidence and the reconstruction of conceptual criteria through their convergence. The framework demonstrates its potential to integrate heterogeneous documentary perspectives while preserving their epistemological specificity and generating a coherent set of conceptual criteria, as illustrated through its application to educational concerts in music education. Research limitations/implications The analysis depends on the selected documentary corpus and the Spanish curricular context used in the illustrative case; however, the methodological procedure is transferable to other educational phenomena requiring the integration of multiple documentary perspectives. Originality/value The study contributes to qualitative methodology by proposing integrative documentary analysis, expanding the possibilities of documentary research in education by offering a transparent procedure for integrating evidence from multiple documentary domains.