Historical Research : a Guide for Writers of Dissertations, Theses, Articles and Books.

286 Pages·2013·8.33 MB·English

by  Bill McDowell

Historical Research
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Historical Research
A Guide
W.H. McDowell
f j Routledge
Taylor &. Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2002 by Pearson Education Limited
Published 2013 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon 0X14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© W.H. McDowell 2002
The right of W.H. McDowell to be identified as Author
of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publishers.
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience
broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical
treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in
evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In
using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of
others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors,
assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products
liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products,
instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.
ISBN 978-0-582-29459^2 (pbk)
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A CIP catalog record for this book can be obtained from the Library of Congress
Typeset in 9.5/15pt Stone Roman by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
Contents
Preface vii
Part 1 The study of history 1
1 The nature and value of history 3
2 History and the social sciences 15
3 History and the natural sciences 27
Part II Research methods 39
4 Research tools 41
5 Historical sources 54
6 Planning a research project 77
7 Locating and indexing source material 93
8 Evaluating source material 109
9 Research notes 126
10 The preparation of drafts 133
11 Illustrative material 144
12 Research for a higher degree 155
13 Publication of articles and books 170
vi Contents
Part III Stylistic conventions 183
14 Abbreviations, numbers and punctuation 185
15 Typescript format 195
16 Footnote and bibliographical references 209
17 Proofreading 232
18 Indexing 238
Glossary 253
Guide to further reading 257
Index 266
Preface
This book is intended as a guide to the study, research and writing of
history. The concept for such a book emerged some time ago, and my
ideas about the purpose and content of this publication have been re­
fined as a result of my own historical research over the years, which has
included the writing of projects and reports, a dissertation and a thesis,
involvement in research techniques courses and the preparation of mate­
rial for publication. The book provides suitable guidance on the prepara­
tion of a wide range of historical work, regardless of subject specialism.
This book is subdivided into three parts: Part I focuses on the study of
history; Part II provides guidance on the practical aspects of historical
research, with detailed advice on research methods; and Part III includes
comprehensive information and guidance on stylistic conventions ap­
propriate to the writing of dissertations, theses, articles and books.
The book aims to be an informative and hopefully indispensable
research tool for historians, yet also of considerable practical value to re­
searchers working in other disciplines within the humanities and social
sciences. For example, the book includes material on interviewing which
is used in an increasing number of oral history projects. This publication
highlights the qualities expected in historical researchers and is intended
to assist them in planning, organising and completing better quality pro­
jects more efficiently. The book will be invaluable for history students
who are engaged in writing an extended essay and simple project, or in
the transition from essay writing to the research and writing of a major
project, a dissertation or a thesis. The appearance of the book is perhaps
timely for two important reasons: firstly, the greater attempts by Research
Councils to ensure that publicly funded researchers complete their work
within an acceptable timescale; and secondly, the increasing interest in
recent years on the research and writing of history. No other book on
research methods has been written specifically to cater for the needs of
viii Preface
historians. There are a number of publications on historiography, but
none which focus on research methods and stylistic conventions for
historical researchers. Most research methods books are strongly influ­
enced by theory, are written primarily for social scientists and sometimes
give inadequate and conflicting advice on the subject of stylistic con­
ventions. Also, study skills texts and style manuals tend not to address
specifically the needs and interests of historians. This book attempts to
demonstrate that the successful completion of any historical research
project relies to a significant extent on a combination of the craft of
writing, experience of basic research techniques and knowledge of
stylistic conventions.
The book has been written with a number of readers in mind: under­
graduate and postgraduate research students; practising historians, re­
gardless of their subject specialism; and general readers who are interested
in writing about history, or who are faced with the task of researching
and writing a project on a historically related topic or theme. Even in
secondary schools there is increased emphasis on project work and the
use of primary sources, and so the book will also be of practical use for
teachers of history, modern studies or related subjects. Until recently,
history graduates and undergraduates were offered few formal training
courses in the nature of the discipline of history, on the range of re­
search methods, or on stylistic conventions of use in the presentation of
written work. Lecturers often prepared their own research guidance notes,
or expected their students to model their footnote or bibliographical
references on standard history texts. Most students in the humanities
traditionally learned about research techniques 'on the job' as their work
progressed. But now most universities have developed research methods
courses in the humanities, some of which focus specifically on the needs
of historical researchers. These introductory courses for graduates com­
plement those which have been available for several years in the social
sciences. Even at undergraduate level there is evidence of a much greater
emphasis on opportunities for project work using documentary sources.
This book is ideally suitable for use on any course covering historical
research, as well as general research methods courses within the arts
and social sciences. It will be useful for students who have experience of
preparing research projects, as well as those who are about to embark on
Preface ix
such a project. For practising historians it can be used in the planning
and development of research methods courses, or perhaps in the provi­
sion of useful guidance on matters such as the format for citing refer­
ences in footnotes and in a bibliography. Finally, for general readers the
book will serve as an introduction to history as an academic discipline,
as well as providing specific advice on the writing, editing and publication
of historical work.
The book covers each stage of research, from the selection of a topic
for a history project and the organisation and interpretation of source
material, through to the completion of a typescript for a dissertation,
thesis, article or book. It is possible to dip into the book at any point if
you seek advice on a specific topic, such as compiling an index for a
book. The book also surveys the range of source material available to
historians, and offers improved methods for the preparation of a topic
outline, research notes and written drafts, as well as giving helpful advice
on the citation of footnote and bibliographical references. A distinctive
feature of the book is that it adopts a threefold approach by covering
historiography, research methods and advice on stylistic conventions,
although the primary focus is on the latter two aspects. The potential of
computing for the retrieval, analysis and presentation of information is
covered in several of the sections, such as in the discussion of locating
and listing source material, the preparation of research notes and drafts,
and in the preparation of an index. It is also covered more specifically in
chapter 4 on research tools, which explores the use of computers in
historical research.
Part I of this book covers the study of history and begins by focusing
on a number of matters of interest to historians: the nature, value and
function of history; the tasks of the historian; the development of the
historical profession; and the techniques of historical scholarship. Chap­
ters 2 and 3 contrast the discipline of history with that of the social and
natural sciences. Part II covers research methods, and begins in chapter 4
by looking at research tools, particularly the potential of computers for
historical research. Chapter 5 considers the range, purpose, value, loca­
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tion and use of various types of source material which are available to
historians. It also comments on the distinction between primary and
secondary sources, as well as contrasting the strengths and limitations of