Chapter 10 Historical Research

Historical Research Study of the meaning of events Accumulation and interpretation of facts Factually supported rationale to explain how and why events happened

Data Sources Primary sources Original data that appear at the time of or soon after the event under study Letters, diaries, sermons, laws, census reports, etc. Narrative/oral histories and interview data

Data Sources Secondary sources Works of historians who have interpreted and written about primary sources Newspaper accounts Books and pamphlets Government records

Finding and Handling Historical Records Have a specific plan for acquisition, organization, storage, and retrieval of data Archival collections may allow some form of reproduction (camera, photocopies) Online databases are often accessible

Evaluating and Interpreting Historical Data Review the data sources for: External evidence: Is an artifact or document authentic Carbon dating, handwriting analysis, identification of the type of ink and paper, vocabulary usage Internal evidence: Does the source contain some clue to its creator’s intent

Other Forms of Historical Research Psychological and conceptual research Concerned with the origin, development, and influence of ideas and concepts Searching for roots Focused backwards, looking for potential causal factors

Writing a Historical Research Report State your own argument early Provide examples to support any assertion that you make Give the fairest possible treatment of any perspectives that differ from your own Point out the weaknesses of your own argument