Historical
Theory and
Methods
The origin of the word “History” is associated with the Greek word “Historia”
which means “information” or an “enquiry designed to elicit truth.
History is a narration of the events which have happened among mankind,
including an account of the rise and fall of nations, as well as of other great
changes which have affected the political and social condition of human race.
John J. Anderson (1876).
The growth of history has accompanied with the growth of human race. Thus
history and man are inter-related or that history is a story of human race from
beginning up to the present day.
The most commonly recognized historical
methodologies include: Paleography (study of
historical writing), diplomatics, the study of
documents, records and archives, chronology
(establishing the dates of past events), Genealogy
(study of individuals and families), epigraphy (the
study of ancient inscriptions), Heraldry (study of
weapons).
Refers to the systematic approaches historians use to research, interpret and construct
narratives about past events.
Characteristics of Historical Methodology
Diverse Sources- utilize a variety of sources, including primary sources and secondary
sources.
Critical Analysis and Interpretation- critically assess and interpret historical data, after
contending with incomplete biased information.
Verification and Corroboration- to ascertain the reliability and accuracy of information,
historians often cross-verify facts across multiple sources.
Contextual Understanding- understanding the social, political, cultural and economic
context of the time period being studied is crucial.
Primary Sources of Information
Secondary Sources of Information- information
Direct Outcomes of events or the provided by a person who did not directly
records of eyewitness. observe the event, object or condition.
a. Original Documents
b. Remains Tertiary/Other Sources
c. Artifacts
a. Textbooks
b. Encyclopedias
c. Newspapers
Scope of History
As the society developed the scope of history has
been undergoing constant change. The scope of
history is now comprehensive, because every
aspect of human activities is covered.
In this way its scope is very wide and varied-in-
fact as wide as the world and as long as the
existence of man on earth.
● It enables solutions to contemporary problems
to be sought in the past.
● Permits investigation of topics and questions
that can be studied in no other fashion.
● It allows for the reevaluation of data in
relation to selected hypotheses, theories and
generalizations that are presently held about
the past.
Why Study History?
History helps us understand people and societies
History contributes to moral understanding
History provides identity
Studying history is essential for Good Citizenship
History is useful in the world of work
◊ Political History- is the narrative and analysis of political events, ideas,
movements and leaders.
◊ Economic History- branch of historiography concerned with the history
and development of economic systems and more broadly, with the
.
investigation of economic .
aspects of historical societies. .
◊ Technological History- history of invention , development and
innovation, as well as history of engineering and applied science.
◊ Social History- it is a branch of history that deals with the traditions, values and
cultural practices of the people.
● Source Criticism- can be defined as a
method used in historical and textual
analysis. It involves reviewing the
origins, authorship, date of creation and
circumstances surrounding a source’s
creation.
Oral Traditions- is a form of human communication
wherein knowledge, preserved and transmitted orally
from one generation to another.
◊ History of Art- the study of art from across the world, and from
the ancient to the present day-covers virtually every aspect of
human history and experience.
◊ History of Ideas- intellectual history is an inquiry that focuses
on the role that explicitly articulated concepts and theories
whether legal, scientific, political, play in the thinking and action
of human beings.
◊ History of Mentality- considers the attitudes of ordinary people
to everyday life. The approach is closely identified with the work
of Annales school.
◄ In the beginning was the spoken word. Oral history is still important in all
parts of the world, and successful transmission of stories over many
generations suggests that people without writing can have a sophisticated
historical sense.
◄ The historical record, however, must start with a system of writing and a
suitable writing technology. The earliest forms of writing
included cuneiform and pictographs, which were inscribed on stone and
clay tablets in Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as Chinese ideograms, which
were incised in bronze and on oracle bones (baked oxen bones whose cracks
and fissures were thought to foretell the future). People in Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and China were the first to make records of their
contemporaries, which took the form of lists of kings and ancestors.
Cuneiform and Chinese
Pictographs Ideograms
● Historiography is the study of history and methodology of history
as a discipline. Briefly it is the history of history. Studying the
changing interpretations of past events through historian’s eyes.
● The writing of history based on the critical examination of
sources, the selection of particular details from the authentic
materials in those sources, and the synthesis of those details into
a narrative that stands the test of critical examination.
It helps us understand why historical events have been interpreted
differently over time.
It helps us examine not only history itself, but also the broader
overlying characteristics that shape the recording of history itself.
It helps us understand that societal, political, economic and other
issues may alter the recording of history over time.
It is the study of history and methodology of history as a discipline. Briefly it is the
history of history.
Historiography
Branch of historiography concerned with the history and development of economic
systems and more broadly, with the investigation of economic aspects of historical
societies. Economic History
It is a branch of history that deals with the traditions, values and cultural practices of
the people. Social History
The process of critically examining and analyzing the records and survivals of the
past. Historical Method
The origin of the word “History” is associated with the Greek word “Historia”
which means_____. information
It is the narrative and analysis of political events, ideas, movements and leaders.
Political History
Earliest form of writing in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Cuneiform and Pictographs
People in ___________were the first to make records of their contemporaries,
which took the form of lists of kings and ancestors China, Mesopotamia and Egypt
It is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, preserved and transmitted
orally from one generation to another. Oral Traditions
Branch of history that narrates the history of invention , development and
innovation, as well as history of engineering and applied science .
Technological History
