II. A.

HISTORICAL REASEARCH

 Historical research is a systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe,

explain, and thereby understand actions or events that occurred sometime in the
past.

The Purpose of Historical Research

1. To make people aware of what has happened in the past so they may learn from
past failure and successes.
2. To learn how things were done in the past to see if they might be applicable to
present- day problems and concerns.
3. To assist in prediction.
4. To test hypothesis concerning relationships or trends
5. To understand present educational practices and policies more fully.

Four Steps involved in Historical Research

1. Defining the problem
The recognition of a historical problem or the identification of a need for certain
historical knowledge
2. Locating (searching for) relevant source material
Historical source material can be grouped into four basic categories: documents,
numerical records, oral statement, and records, and relics.
a. Documents are written or printed materials that been produced in one form or
another sometime in the past.
b. Numerical records include any type of numerical data in printed or hands-
written form.
c. Oral statements include any form of statement spoken by someone.
d. Relics are any objects whose physical or visual characteristics can provide
some information about the past.

A primarily source is one prepared by an individual who was a participant in or a direct

witness to the event being described and includes the following:
- Original documents -Remains
- Relics - Antifacts
A secondary source is a document prepared by an individual who was not a directly
witness to the event but obtained his or her description of the event from someone else.
It includes the following:
- Textbooks -Newspapers
- Encyclopedias -Periodicals
- Review of Research and Other references
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3. Summarizing and evaluating information obtained, from historical sources
The vigorous collection and organization of evidence and the verification of the
authenticity and veracity of information and its successes
4. Evaluating historical sources and interpreting the evidence obtained and drawing
conclusions about the problem or hypothesis.

The selection, organization and analysis of the most pertinent collected evidence,
and the drawing of conclusions in a meaningful narrative.

EXTERNAL CRITICISM – Ask if the evidence under consideration is authentic. The

researcher checks the genuineness or validity of any and all documents the researcher
uses in a historical study.

INTERNAL CRITICISM –Whereas external criticism has to do with the authenticity of a

document, internal criticism has to do with what the document says.

Establishing the Genuineness of a Document of Relic

Does the language and writing style conform to the period in question and is it typical
of other work done by the author?
Is there evidence that the author exhibits ignorance of things or events that man of
his training and time should have known?
Did he report about things, events, or places that could not have been known during
that period?
Has the original manuscript been altered either intentionally or unintentionally by
copying?
Is the document an original draft or a copy? If it is a copy, was it reproduced in the
exact words of the original?
If manuscript is undated or the author unknown, are there any clues internally as to
its origin?

Checking the Content of a Source of Information

What was meant by the author by each word and statement?

How much credibility can the author’s statements be given?

Advantages

The research is not physically involved in the situation under study.

No danger of experimenter-subject interaction.
Documents are located by the researcher, data is gathered, and conclusions are
drawn out of sight.

Disadvantage of Historical Research

- A disadvantage is that controlling for many of the threats to internal validity are
- likely to exist in historical studies.
Importance of Historical Research
1. A study of the past makes people understand the present better especially the
factors affecting the present
2. Historical information serves as a preliminary to reform
3. People become more open to change.
4. People are motivated to respect the contributions of the people of the past to the
present state of things.

Four Major Activities

1. Choosing and Defining the Problem
2. Collection of Historical Data
a. Primary Source – best evidence, come from testimony of able eye and ear
witnesses of the past events
b. Secondary Sources – Information supplied by a person who was not a direct
observer or participant of the event
c. Written sources – official or public document
d. Orally transmitted materials – folklore, legend
e. Artistic Production – Historical paintings
f. Tape recordings – radio and television
g. Relics and remains – physical ( historical roads), non-physical (languages,
business records)

3. Critical analysis of Historical Data – To determine the authenticity or genuineness of

a historical document and to determine truth of the statements
4. Writing the Research report – Focuses the concern of the historical researcher to all
the mechanical problems of documentation, the logical problem of selection and
arrangement of topics and the philosophical problem of interpretation..

Guidelines to Effective Writing of Historical Research

1. Mastery of materials
2. Working outline
3. Progression – emphasis on major events
4. Art of narration
5. Dramatization, rhetoric and style

Deficiencies in Historical Research

1. A research area is selected in which sufficient evidence is not available to conduct a
worthwhile study.
2. Excessive use of secondary sources of information.
3. Attempt to work on a broad and poorly defined problem.
4. Historical data are poorly and inadequately evaluated.
5. Personal bias tends to influence the research procedures.
6. The facts are not synthesized into meaningful generalizations.