HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND ITS TYPES:

HISTORICAL RESEARCH:

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DEFINITIONS: Historical research is the process of investigating and studying past events, people, and societies using a variety of sources and methods. This type of research aims to reconstruct and interpret the past based on the available evidence.

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TYPES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH:

Descriptive Research

This type of historical research focuses on describing events, people, or cultures in detail. It can involve examining artifacts, documents, or other sources of information to create a detailed account of what happened or existed.

Analytical Research

This type of historical research aims to explain why events, people, or cultures occurred in a certain way. It involves analyzing data to identify patterns, causes, and effects, and making interpretations based on this analysis.

Comparative Research

This type of historical research involves comparing two or more events, people, or cultures to identify similarities and differences. This can help researchers understand the unique characteristics of each and how they interacted with each other.

Interpretive Research

This type of historical research focuses on interpreting the meaning of past events, people, or cultures. It can involve analyzing cultural symbols, beliefs, and practices to understand their significance in a particular historical context.

Quantitative Research

This type of historical research involves using statistical methods to analyze historical data. It can involve examining demographic information, economic indicators, or other quantitative data to identify patterns and trends.

Qualitative Research

This type of historical research involves examining non-numerical data such as personal accounts, letters, or diaries. It can provide insights into the experiences and perspectives of individuals during a particular historical period.

Historical research relies on a wide variety of sources, both primary & secondary?including?unpublished material.?

Primary Sources

• Eyewitness accounts of events
• Can be oral or written testimony
• Found in?public records & legal documents, minutes of meetings, corporate records, recordings, letters, diaries, journals, drawings.
• Located in university archives, libraries or privately run collections such as local historical society.

Secondary Sources

• Can be oral or written
• Secondhand accounts of events
• Found in textbooks, encyclopedias,?journal articles, newspapers, biographies and other media such as films or tape recordings.

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STEPS IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH:

Historical research involves the following steps:

1. Identify an idea, topic or research question
2. Conduct a background literature review
3. Refine the research idea and questions
4. Determine that historical methods will be the method used
5. Identify and locate primary and secondary data sources
6. Evaluate the authenticity and accuracy of source materials
7. Analyze the date and develop a narrative exposition of the findings.

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IMPORTANCE OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH:

Current global politics has its roots in the past. Historical research offers an essential context for understanding our modern society. It can inform global concepts, such as foreign policy development or international relations. The study of historical events can help leaders make informed decisions that impact society, culture, and the economy.

Take, for example, the Industrial Revolution. Studying the history of the rise of industry in the West helps to put the current world order in perspective. The recorded events of that age reveal that the first designers of the systems of industry, including the United States, dominated the global landscape in the following decades and centuries. Similarly, the digital revolution is creating massive shifts in international politics and society. Historians play a pivotal role in using historical research methods to record and analyze information about these trends to provide future generations with insightful historical perspectives.

In addition to creating meaningful knowledge of global and economic affairs, studying history highlights the perspectives of people and groups who triumphed over adversity. For example, the historical fights for freedom and equality, such as the struggle for women’s voting rights or ending the Jim Crow era in the South, offer relevant context for current events, such as efforts at criminal justice reform.

History also is the story of the collective identity of people and regions. Historical research can help promote a sense of community and highlight the vibrancy of different cultures, creating opportunities for people to become more culturally aware and empowered

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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

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Advantages:

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·???????? The main advantage of historical research is that is permits the investigation of topics that could be?studied in no other way.

·???????? It is the only research method that can study evidence from the past.

·???????? The historical method is well suited for trend analysis.

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Disadvantages:

·???????? Cannot?control?for?threats?to?internal?validity

·???????? Limitations?are?imposed?due?to?the?content?analysis

·???????? Researchers?cannot?ensure?representation?of?the?sample.

·???????? Bias?in?interpreting?historical?sources.

·???????? Interpreting?sources?is?very?time?consuming.

·???????? Sources?of?historical?materials?may?be?problematic

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