One way to study agreement-making and its actors, processes, sites, and how they shape global order is through texts produced along the way. In any given multilateral environmental negotiation, there are implementation reports, decisions, resolutions, statements, newsletters, and other technical reports that are often written in a language all of their own. They contain phrases that have a long history and may indicate more than they appear at face value. Choices of words, phrases, and qualifying language often tell part of the story of how governments and other delegates at conferences compromised and reached agreement. This chapter examines the importance of understanding documents at multilateral environmental negotiations in context and what they can and cannot tell you. First we explain why studying negotiations through the documentation is important. We then give a brief overview of the different types of documents you encounter at a COP or other negotiating session, then turn to the question of context, and show how social norms and institutional settings can influence the creation of texts, which in turn could influence research that relies on those texts. Finally, we utilize a case study to show how to consider context when using documents for research.