Historical research

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WELCOME
Presented by B. Kalpana Asso. Prof Dept of
Community health Nursing Sree Narayana Nursing
College Nellore
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Historical Research
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What is Historical Research?

• It is the procedure in which a researcher
  collects and evaluates data to understand reports
  or observation made by others.
• It test hypotheses concerning causes, effects
  that may help to explain present events and
  anticipate future events.

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Purpose of Historical Research

• To learn from past successes and failures.
• Learn how things were done in the past and apply
  them to current or future events.
• To assist in prediction.
• Understand the present practices and policies by
  understanding the history surrounding them.

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Value of Historical Research

• It throws light on present and future trends.
• It enables understanding of and solutions to
  contemporary problems to be sought in the past.
• It can illuminate the effects of key interactions
  within a culture or sub-culture.
• It allows for the revaluation of data in relation
  to selected hypotheses, theories and
  generalizations that are presently held about the
  past and the present.

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Steps in a Historical Research

• Conceptualization of an idea, topic, or research
  question
• Definition of the problem
• Formulation of questions to be answered or
  hypotheses to be tested
• Locate evidence and do background literature
  review

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• Systematic collection of data.
• Primary Research
• Secondary Research
• Evaluate evidence and Organize evidence
• Synthesize evidence and develop general
  explanatory model Presenting and interpreting the
  information as it relates to the hypotheses
• Develop a narrative exposition of the findings

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Sources of Information

• Primary
• Eye or ear witnesses
• Original documents such as
• Relics
• Remains
• Artifacts

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• Secondary
• Copies of objects
• Second hand information
• Textbooks
• Periodicals
• Newspapers
• Encyclopedias
• Review of research and other references

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Print sources

• Books
• Periodicals
• Academic
• professional journals
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Bibliographies
• Indexes
• Encyclopedias

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Non-print sources

• Internet
• Search engines
• Computer databases
• CD-ROMS
• Electronic databases
• Interviewing

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Principles for determining reliability in
historical research

• The following core principles of source criticism
  were formulated by two Scandinavian historians,
  Olden-Jørgensen (1998) and Thurén (1997)
• Human sources may be relics such as a
  fingerprint or narratives such as a statement or
  a letter.
• Relics are more credible sources than
  narratives.

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• Any given source may be forged or corrupted.
  Strong indications of the originality of the
  source increase its reliability.
• The closer a source is to the event which it
  purports to describe, the more one can trust it
  to give an accurate historical description of
  what actually happened.
• An eyewitness is more reliable than testimony at
  second hand, which is more reliable than hearsay
  at further remove, and so on.

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• If a number of independent sources contain the
  same message, the credibility of the message is
  strongly increased.
• The tendency of a source is its motivation for
  providing some kind of bias. Tendencies should be
  minimized or supplemented with opposite
  motivations.
• If it can be demonstrated that the witness or
  source has no direct interest in creating bias
  then the credibility of the message is increased.

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Evaluating Historical Sources

• External Criticism
• Authentic?
• Genuine?
• Internal Criticism
• Accurate?
• Meaning?

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criticism

• Garraghan divides source criticism into six
  inquiries
• When was the source, written or unwritten,
  produced (date)?
• Where was it produced (localization)?
• By whom was it produced (authorship)?
• From what pre-existing material was it produced
  (analysis)?
• In what original form was it produced
  (integrity)?
• What is the evidential value of its contents
  (credibility)?

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External Criticism
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• Who wrote the document?
• For what purpose was the document written?
• When was the document written?
• Where was the document written?
• Under what conditions was the document written?
• Do different forms or versions of the document
  exist?

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Internal Criticism
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• What was meant by the author?
• How much credibility can be given to the author?
• What was the author trying to say?
• How could the authors word be interpreted?
• Does the document contain bias of any sort?

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Data Analysis in Historical Research

• Methodology to synthesize a very large amount of
  data into a meaningful narrative
• Organize information into categories
• Locate patterns or themes
• Develop a coding system

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Types Of Historical Research

• A. Historical Events Research
• examines particular events or processes that
  occurred over short spans of time
• Methodological problems
• Meanings may have changed
• Information may not be complete

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Types (cont.)

• B. Historical Process Research
• focus on how and why a series of events unfolded
  over some period of time
• Methodological problems
• May place too much emphasis on the actions and
  decisions of particular actors
• Not always clear which example represents general
  pattern
• definitions may change over time
• relies on long-term records and archives

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Types (cont.)

• C. Cross-Sectional Comparative Research
• comparing two or more social settings or groups
  (usually countries) at one particular point in
  time
• Methodological problems
• comparability of measures across countries

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Types (cont.)

• D. Comparative Historical Research
• combines historical process research
• and cross-sectional comparative research
• To understand causal processes at work within
  particular groups and to identify general
  historical patterns across groups
• Methodological problems
• history has not been recorded accurately or
  reliably
• difficult to know how to deal with exceptions
• difficult to conclude that one factor (and not
  others) is what causes some outcome
• groups being compared may not be independent
  (Galtons Problem)

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Ethical Issues

• Right to Privacy
• Right to Know
• Infringement on Historical Reputation

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Advantages of Historical Research

• Allows investigation of topics and questions that
  can be studied in no other way.
• Study evidence from the past.
• Make use of different kinds of evidence.
• Provide a rich source of information.

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Strengths of Historical Method

• 1. The historical method is unobtrusive
• 2. The historical method is well suited for trend
  analysis.
• 3. There is no possibility of researcher-subject
  interaction.

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Disadvantages of Historical Research

• Threats to internal validity
• Limitations of the sample and instrumentation
• Can not ensure representativeness of the sample
• Unable to check the reliability and validity
• Bias of the researcher

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Weaknesses of Historical Method

• 1. Bias in interpreting historical sources.
• 2. Interpreting sources is very time consuming.
• 3. Sources of historical materials may be
  problematic
• 4. Lack of control over external variables

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An Example of Historical Research

• This study compared the similarities
  between inquiry-based and problem-solving methods
  and their potential for improving student
  performance. The data was collected by collating
  research reported by both science and
  agricultural educators who had investigated and
  applied both the inquiry-based and
  problem-solving methods to increase student
  success. The literature reviewed included
  dissertations, national reports, articles from
  professional journals and magazines, books,
  on-line Internet and other related resources.
• Parr, Brian Edwards, Craig M. (2004).
  Inquiry-Based Instruction in Secondary
  Agricultural Education Problem-Solving An Old
  Friend Revisited. Journal of Agricultural
  Education, 45,106-116. Retrieved November 10,
  2006 from the World Wide Web http//pubs.aged.tam
  u.edu.

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• Hewitt LC1.
• 1Home Nursing Association of Westchester, USA.
• Abstract
• Historical research, a method of inquiry that
  combines science and literature, often supports a
  common thesis that an informed understanding of
  nursing history provides insights that can
  contribute effective approaches to current
  professional issues. Historical research was
  formally recognized by the American Nurses
  Association (ANA) in 1965. A review of 11 recent
  historical research studies supports the concept
  that adherence to established standards of
  research and presentation contributes to the
  value of historical research. While relating an
  interesting story is an intrinsic element of
  historical research, the research gains purpose
  and meaning when the presentation of data
  includes a statement of purpose utilizing a
  research question, a review of literature
  establishing a relation to the greater nursing
  community, and a concluding analysis relating the
  research to current and future professional
  issues.

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• Lusk B1.
• 1Northern Illinois University, School of Nursing,
  DeKalb 60115, USA.
• Abstract
• PURPOSE
• To describe the basic tenets of historical
  research methodology, with emphasis on
  researching nursing history.
• AIMS
• To introduce students and researchers to
  historical research, through substantive
  guidelines for library and archival research, and
  definitions of primary and secondary sources. To
  discuss ethical considerations--particularly
  those provoked by recent scholarly interest in
  the history of ordinary people. To explore issues
  of external and internal criticism. To discuss
  analysis, synthesis, and presentation of
  historical findings.
• CONCLUSIONS
• Historical research, as a type of scholarly
  inquiry, requires attention to methodology to
  uncover and interpret findings for nursing.

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Refferance

• Fraenkel, J.R. Wallen, N.E. (2006). Internal
  Validity. How to design and evaluate research in
  education (6th ed.,pp.168-186). New York
  McGraw Hill.
• Parr, Brian Edwards, Craig M. (2004).
  Inquiry-Based Instruction in Secondary
  Agricultural Education Problem-Solving An Old
  Friend Revisited. Journal of Agricultural
  Education, 45,106-116. Retrieved November 10,
  2006 from the World Wide Web http//pubs.aged.tam
  u.edu.

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Interesting Internet Sites on Historical Research

• Library and Archives Canada
• http//www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx
• Where To Do Historical Research (Links)
  http//www.wheretodoresearch.com/History.htm
• Oral History Digital Collection Youngstown State
  http//www.maag.ysu.edu/oralhistory/oral_hist.html
  
• Oral History Project List Columbia University
  http//www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/oral/project
  s.html

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