Main steps in Historical Research

1. Identification of the problem: As usual this is the first step. It involves selecting a 
2. problem which falls in the area of history or which has issues of historical significance. Specification of the population of data: There may be a lot of information about the  past available in most cases. You need to point out the types that are relevant to your study. 
3. Data Collection: The description of the required population of data will help you to develop an overview about the data and to assess whether all relevant information is available or not. You need to study the relevant literature and make efforts to discover new data in addition to what is available. To collect data:- 

• You should be aware of all the data known to exist. 
• You should know sources of data and be ready to explore new data from the existing sources. 
• You should be ready to exercise great care in exploring the sources and previously known data in the context of the problem under investigation. 
• Organization of Data: Here you arrange the data under different headings in order to show a holistic picture of the problem. This will enable you to scrutinize the data in hand to see if they are enough for the study or if there is need for more. 
• Interpretation of data: At this stage you have to show the events which give details of what happened to whom, in that place and at what time. This will lead you into being curious to know why something happened. It poses a great challenge because interpretation is based on forces which shaped event and determined policies. A sound knowledge of related fields like sociology, political science, economics, philosophy, geography, educational management and educational technology, will enable you to develop a holistic view about the situation and to deduce the implication for the present. 
• Report writing: This starts once the first round of data collection is over. There is the interaction between writing interpretations, selections of additional data and subsequent reached. The final touch will be given to the study by way of preparing a systematic and comprehensive report. 

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Identify a study topic about the history of your Alma matter?
State the main steps you will take in conducting this historical research?

CONCLUSION:-

You have added two more research methods which are qualitative researches in your repartuor
of knowledge. These are research options for your study when you need to do any  investigation. In the next unit you will also add more so hat you have varieties of choices when you are ready for your research project.

SUMMARY

In this unit you have learnt that philosophical research aims at the assessment of the status of
knowledge through analysis of meaning and relationships of different concepts and expositions of underlying assumptions. The main steps expositions of underlying assumptions. The main steps are

• Identification of appropriate topic 
• Collection of data 
• Classification of data and the interpretation 
• Reporting the study 

You also learnt that a historical research consists of the studies of what happened in the past in
order to reveal several interacting factors that contributed to a particular event within a specific content of time and space. The main features of Historical Research highlighted in this unit. You saw the two sources of historical data which are the primary sources and secondary sources. In evaluation of historical data which is called historical criticism, two types involve. These are external and internal criticism. The main steps in historical research are:

• Identification of the problem 
• Specification of the population of data 
• Data Collection 
• Organization of Data 
• Interpretation of data 
• Report writing 

TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT

• What are the main steps in Philosophical Research? 
• Explain the sources of Historical Research? 
• What are the two ways of evaluating Historical Research?