documentation
Any evidence tha supplies factual information about a subject. 2. The data that record the existing and prior condition of an existing building, structure, or site; typically includes measured drawings, earlier as-built and original working drawings, historic and contemporary photographs, historic references to the appearance and materials, and, sometimes, archaeological research. 3. The process of tracing the history and establishing the authenticity of a cultural artifact. See also historical research. 4. The National Register information that describes, locates, and explains the significance of a historic property. (Bucher, 1996)