Chapter 11 Historical Research Method

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History and Historical Research History providing a way of knowing Historical research design requirements: Understanding what history is Having an understanding of social, political, and economic factors affecting events, ideas, and people Having interest in the subject Being creative in approaches
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Historical Research An art and science Need to formulate a thesis about the relationships among ideas, events, institutions, or people in the past Nursing research of late 20th century: reference to issues involving gender, class, race, and politics of professionalism Purpose: understanding of the past in order to explain present or future relationships
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Historical Research Traditions Positivistic/neo-positivistic school More quantitative Reduction of history to universal laws Cause-effect relationships Idealist school Understanding individuals thoughts considering time, place, and situations More closely qualitative
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Historical Research Selection Theoretical frameworks Biographical: persons life to understand values, expectations, tensions, and conflicts of the time and culture Social: specific period to understand prevailing values and beliefs; examination of everyday events of that period Intellectual: thinking as the event is analyzed (individuals ideas, ideas over time, attitudes and ideas of other people)
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Data Generation Focus: definition of study topic; statement of the subject No hypothesis Necessary working knowledge of the period studied Title selection Usually time frame and purpose included Possibly completed as the last step of the study
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Question Tell whether the following statement is True or False: Using the idealistic school of thought for historical research focuses on showing a cause-effect relationship.

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Answer False. The idealistic school of thought applied to historical research focuses on getting inside an event and trying to understand the thoughts of individuals involved in the event while considering the time, place, and situations. The positivistic or neo-positivistic school of thought analyzes data to verify or categorize information with a strong effort to show cause-effect relationships.
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Data Generation (cont.) Literature review Major works published Primary and secondary sources Question formulation: how, why, who, what Organizing strategy for data analysis; bibliographies Libraries; archives
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Libraries and Archives

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Data Treatment
Primary Sources Secondary Sources

Personal letters Diaries Reports Journals Government records Art Oral histories

Newspaper accounts Journal articles Textbooks from the period studied

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Question Which of the following would most likely be considered a secondary source of information? A.Diary B.Personal journal C.Newspaper article D.Oral history
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Answer C. A newspaper article would most likely be considered a secondary source of information because it would be a second-hand account of the events. A diary, personal journal, and oral history are examples of a primary source of information.

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Data Treatment (cont.) Genuineness Authenticity Validity External criticism (date of the source) Internal criticism (reflective of period when written)

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Data Analysis
Purpose data analysis Analysis dependent on: Thematic organization of conceptual frameworks Who researcher is Other issues: Tensions between conflicting truths Researcher bias Analysis occurring throughout data collection
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Question Tell whether the following statement is True or False: Internal criticism ensures that a document is what it claims to be.

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Answer False. Internal criticism is concerned with the authenticity or truthfulness of content, whereas external criticism questions the genuineness of primary sources and ensures that the document is what it claims to be.

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Ethical Considerations Right to privacy versus the right to know Confidentiality of source material

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Interpretation of Findings Historical narrative: final stage Telling of the story What happened How and why it happened Creative rendering of events; explanation of findings, supporting of ideas Use of direct quotations, paraphrasing
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End of Presentation

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins