HISTORICAL RESEARCH

 Historical Research:

The systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe, explain, and understand actions or events that occurred sometime in the past. There is no manipulation or control of variables as in experimental research. An attempt is made to reconstruct what happened during a certain period of time as completely and accurately as possible.

Historical research is “the systematic collection and objective evaluation of data related to past occurrences in order to test hypotheses concerning causes, effects, or trends of those events which may help to explain present events and anticipate future events” (Gay, 1981).

According to Isaac and Michael, historical research involves reconstructing “the past systematically and objectively by collecting, evaluating, verifying, and synthesizing evidence to establish facts and reach defensible conclusions, often in relation to particular hypotheses” (1981)

The Purposes of Historical Research

 

◦ To make people aware of what has happened in the past in order to:

◦ Learn from past failures and successes

◦ Apply them to present-day problems

◦ Make predictions

◦ Test hypotheses concerning relationships or trends

◦ Understand present educational practices and policies more fully.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Historical Research

— Advantages

◦Permits investigation of topics and questions that can be studied in no other fashion.

◦Can make use of more categories of evidence than most other methods (with the exception of case studies and ethnographic studies).

 — Disadvantages

◦ Cannot control for threats to internal validity.

◦ Limitations are imposed due to the content analysis.

 ◦ Researchers cannot ensure the representation of the sample.