History 100

What exactly do historians do?

Sometimes we are not even sure ourselves, but a pretty good summary that most historians could agree with is that we investigate the past, asking questions about what happened, why it happened, who was involved and what their roles were, and what the results of those events were over time. When we think we've arrived at some pretty clear answers to those questions, we try to formulate our conclusions in writing, either as journal articles, conference papers, or books, which then makes those conclusions available to our colleagues.

Our colleagues read or listen to what we have to say with various levels of attentiveness and then let us know what they think about whatever it is we've said. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they disagree, and sometimes they feel the need to elaborate on some question or point of evidence that we've presented. Often their responses to our work are in writing as well...they write reviews of our books, they are asked by journal editors to comment on whether an article we've submitted should be published, and so on.

Delivering the beer in Bohemia c. 1930
	Historical Method
	Blog
	Section 021 Section 024
What exactly do historians do? Sometimes we are not even sure ourselves, but a pretty good summary that most historians could agree with is that we investigate the past, asking questions about what happened, why it happened, who was involved and what their roles were, and what the results of those events were over time. When we think we've arrived at some pretty clear answers to those questions, we try to formulate our conclusions in writing, either as journal articles, conference papers, or books, which then makes those conclusions available to our colleagues. Our colleagues read or listen to what we have to say with various levels of attentiveness and then let us know what they think about whatever it is we've said. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they disagree, and sometimes they feel the need to elaborate on some question or point of evidence that we've presented. Often their responses to our work are in writing as well...they write reviews of our books, they are asked by journal editors to comment on whether an article we've submitted should be published, and so on.	Then we respond to their responses. This conversation about the past is the real substance of professional history because the (usually positive) exchange of ideas that takes place helps to advance our common understanding of the past in ways that solitary scholarship never could. This course is designed to give you a feel for how it is that historians do what they do. Over the next fourteen weeks you will investigate the history of Western civilization in many of the same ways that professional historians do, asking many of the same questions historians ask. Like professional historians, you will formulate your ideas in writing, and will submit them to reviewers (me and your colleagues in class) for comment, and will then have the opportunity to refine what you've done based upon the feedback you get. During the first two weeks of the semester we will focus our efforts on historical methods...that is, how it is historians do what they do.
Last modified August 30, 2006