History is the study of past events, and it differs from natural science. In natural science, researchers prefer direct observations. In historical research, a researcher collects and analyzes information to understand, describe, and explain past events.
They aim to test the truthfulness of the observations made by others. Historical researchers strive to determine what exactly happened during a specific period of time as accurately and precisely as possible. It does not allow any manipulation or control of variables.
When to Use the Historical Research Method?
You can use the historical research method to:
- Uncover unknown facts.
- Answer questions.
- Identify the association between the past and present.
- Understand the culture based on past experiences.
- Record and evaluate the contributions of individuals, organisations, and institutes.
How to Conduct Historical Research?
Historical research methodology involves the following steps:
- Select the Research Topic
- Collect the Data
- Analyse the Data
- Criticism of Data
- Present your Findings
Step 1 – Select the Research Topic
If you want to conduct historical qualitative research, it’s essential to select a research topic before beginning your research. You can follow these tips while choosing a topic and developing a research question.
Tips for Selecting a Topic:
- Consider your previous study as background knowledge.
- List your interests and focus on current events.
- Take notes of personal experiences.
- Develop a question using your research topic.
- Explore your research question by asking When? Why? How?
Step 2 – Collect the Data
It is essential to collect data and facts about the research question to get reliable outcomes. You need to select an appropriate instrument for data collection. Historical research encompasses two primary sources of data collection: primary and secondary sources.
1. Primary Sources
Primary sources are the original, firsthand resources, such as documents, oral or written records, and witnesses to a fact. These are of two types:
Conscious Information: It’s a type of information recorded and restored consciously in the form of written, oral documents, or the actual witnesses of the incident that occurred in the past.
Example
- Records, Government documents, Images, Autobiographies, Letters
- Constitutions, Court decisions, Diaries, Audios, Videos
- Wills, Declarations, Licenses, Reports
- Unconscious Information: It’s a type of information restored in the form of remains or relics.
Example
- Fossils, Tools, Weapons
- Household articles, Clothes, Language literature
- Artifacts, Abandoned places, Monuments
2. Secondary Sources
Sometimes it’s impossible to access primary sources, and researchers rely on secondary sources to obtain information for their research.
Examples
- Newspapers
- Publications
- Periodicals
- Encyclopedias
- Books
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Step 3 – Analyse the Data
After collecting the information, you need to analyse it. You can use data analysis methods like
- Thematic analysis
- Coding system
- Theoretical model (Researchers use multiple theories to explain a specific phenomenon, situation, and behavior types.)
- Quantitative data to validate
Step 4 – Criticism of Data
Data criticism is a process used for identifying the validity and reliability of the collected data. It has two types:
- External Criticism: It identifies external features such as signatures, handwriting, language, spelling, or physical/chemical properties of collected materials.
- Internal Criticism: It aims to identify the meaning and reliability of data, detecting errors, omissions, or alterations.
Both are necessary to ensure accuracy.
Step 5 – Present your Findings
While presenting the findings of your research, you need to ensure that you have met the objectives of your study. Historical material can be organised based on the theme and topic, and it’s known as thematic and topical arrangement. You can follow these tips while writing your research paper:
Tips:
- Build strong arguments and a narrative.
- Organise arguments with a literature review.
- Proofread, revise, and edit before submission.
Tips to Collect Data
- In today’s digital world, many people rely on Google to find information. Simply enter a few keywords and sit back. You’ll find several relevant results onscreen.
- Visit historical places, conduct interviews, and review literature.
- You can visit historical places, conduct interviews, review literature, and access primary and secondary data sources, including books, newspapers, publications, and documents. You can take notes while collecting the information, as it helps to organise the data accurately.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Historical Research
Advantages
- Easy to calculate and understand.
- It can be applied to different time periods.
- Helps understand current practices and theories in the context of the past.
- Determines when and how events occurred.
Disadvantages
- Researchers cannot manipulate variables.
- Time-consuming process.
- Past events cannot be changed.
- Heavy reliance on secondary data.
- Surveys and experiments cannot be conducted in the past.
Frequently Asked Questions
Historical research examples include analyzing diaries, government records, or archives, such as those found at the Air Force Historical Research Agency or the Cagayan Museum.
The following are the main types of historical research: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches.
Organizations such as the Indian Council of Historical Research, the Institute of Historical Research, and The Princeton Guide to Historical Research support scholars.
