McGraw-Hill © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Historical ResearchHistorical Research

Chapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-Two

McGraw-Hill © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Historical ResearchHistorical ResearchChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-Two

McGraw-Hill © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is Historical Research?What is Historical Research?

The systematic collection and evaluation of The systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe, explain, and understand data to describe, explain, and understand actions or events that occurred sometime in actions or events that occurred sometime in the past.the past.

There is no manipulation or control of variables There is no manipulation or control of variables as in experimental research.as in experimental research.

An attempt is made to reconstruct what An attempt is made to reconstruct what happened during a certain period of time as happened during a certain period of time as completely and accurately as possible.completely and accurately as possible.

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The Purposes The Purposes of Historical Researchof Historical Research

To make people aware of what has To make people aware of what has happened in the past in order to: happened in the past in order to: Learn from past failures and successesLearn from past failures and successes Apply them to present-day problemsApply them to present-day problems Make predictionsMake predictions Test hypotheses concerning relationships or Test hypotheses concerning relationships or

trendstrends Understand present educational practices and Understand present educational practices and

policies more fullypolicies more fully

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Steps Involved Steps Involved in Historical Researchin Historical Research

Defining the ProblemDefining the Problem Locating relevant sourcesLocating relevant sources

DocumentsDocuments Numerical recordsNumerical records Oral statementsOral statements RelicsRelics

Summarizing information obtained Summarizing information obtained from historical sourcesfrom historical sources

Evaluation of historical sourcesEvaluation of historical sources Internal criticismInternal criticism External criticismExternal criticism

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What Really Happened? What Really Happened? (Fig. 22.1)(Fig. 22.1)

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Categories of SourcesCategories of Sources Documents are written or printed materials that

have been produced in some form or another. Numerical records can be considered as a

separate type of source in and of themselves or as a subcategory of documents.

Oral Statements are stories or other forms of oral expression that leave a record for future generations.

Relics are any objects whose physical or visual characteristics can provide some information about the past.

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Primary vs. Secondary SourcesPrimary vs. Secondary Sources

A primary source is one prepared by an individual who was a participant in or a direct witness to the event being described.

A secondary source is a document prepared by an individual who was not a direct witness to an event, but who obtained a description of the event from someone else.

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Data Analysis Data Analysis in Historical Researchin Historical Research

Historical researchers use the following Historical researchers use the following methods to make sense out of large methods to make sense out of large amounts of data: amounts of data: Theoretical model leading to a content Theoretical model leading to a content

analysisanalysis Use of patterns or themesUse of patterns or themes Coding systemCoding system Quantitative data to validate interpretationsQuantitative data to validate interpretations

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Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages and Disadvantages of Historical Researchof Historical Research

AdvantagesAdvantages Permits investigation

of topics and questions that can be studied in no other fashion

Can make use of more categories of evidence than most other methods (with the exception of case studies and ethnographic studies)

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Cannot control for

threats to internal validity

Limitations are imposed due to the content analysis

Researchers cannot ensure representation of the sample

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Historical Research is Not as Easy as You Think (Fig. 22.2)