3. The Methodology of Historical Research
• Historical research tends to be a rather holistic process in which there is considerable overlap of activities. For the purpose of enhancing understanding of the historical research process, it is useful to describe the methodology in four steps. It is important to keep in mind that the steps may have considerable overlap, and although they can be defined, the steps tend to run together when conducting historical research. • The four steps are diagrammed in Figure 8.1. The historical method of research is called historiography.
3.2 Collection and Evaluation of Source Materials
• The collection of source material does not consist of simply assembling all available documents that appear to have some relevance to the research problem. A basic rule of historical research is to use primary sources whenever it is possible to locate them. The researcher must decide which are primary and which are secondary sources. This requires an analysis of the sources. • External Criticism. Source materials must be subjected to external criticism, the tool for establishing the validity of the document. The question to be answered is: Is the document genuine, authentic, and what it seems to be?
Chapter 8
Historical Research
1. Introduction
• Historical research is a systematic process of describing, analyzing, and interpreting the past based on information from selected sources as they relate to the topic under study. Historical research is analytical in that logical induction is used by the researchers. For the most part, historical research is considered a type of qualitative research, although quantitative methods may be applied. • Historical research may have a variety of focuses. We may focus on issues, movements, and concepts in education. • The value of historical research covers a wide range, from providing an understanding of the past through accurate description to providing perspectives for decision making and policy formation.
• Internal Criticism. The second part of critical evaluation is internal criticism, which establishes the meaning of the material along with its trustworthiness. There may be some overlaБайду номын сангаас between external and internal criticism, but the shift in emphasis is from the actual material as a source to the content of the material.
• The purpose of this paper is to give some insights into educational reforms that have developed as a result of the change in climate. It does so through a discussion of the context in which reforms have been introduced; an appraisal of factors that led to the announcement of educational reforms; a summary of key features of these reforms; and a critical analysis of their impact on the school system, on higher education and on teachers. • There were no questions or hypotheses listed, but the statement of purpose implies several questions. 1. What were the reasons for the 1985 education reforms? 2. What were the education reforms? 3. What was the educational context at the time of the reforms? 4. What was the impact of the reforms on the school system?
2. Sources of Information in Historical Research
• Written: books, newspapers, periodicals, diaries, letters, minutes of organizational meetings, and so on.
3.1 Identification of the Research Problem
• The statement of the research problem may be such that hypotheses or questions are formulated along with the problem. If hypotheses are stated, they can be viewed as answers to implicit (or explicit) questions, or the problem may be stated as the purpose of the research without any explicitly stated hypotheses or questions. • When hypotheses are stated, they are not stated in a statistical sense. Rather, in historical research, hypotheses are conjectures about the characteristics, causes, or effects of the situation, issue, or phenomenon under study. • For example. • "Rethinking Revolution: Reflections on China's 1985 Educational Reforms." • This was a study of historical events in an attempt to enhance the understanding of the present educational scene. The purpose of the study is identified clearly in the first paragraph of the report:
• Physical: physical remains and objects (relics) of the past.
• Audiovisual: folk songs, legends, pictures, and records.
• Two kinds of sources: primary and secondary. • A primary source is an original or first-hand account of the event or experience, e.g. a court transcript of a desegregation hearing for a study involving a desegregation problem. • A secondary source is an account that is at least once removed from the event, e.g. a newspaper editorial concerning the desegregation problem.