What is historical research?
Historical research or historiography, "attempts to systematically recapture the complex nuances, the people,meanings,events,and even ideas of the past that have influenced and shaped the present". (Berg & Lure, 2012, p. 305 )
Historical research relies on a wide variety of sources, both primary & secondary including unpublished material.
Primary Sources
- Eyewitness accounts of events
- Can be oral or written testimony
- Found in public records & legal documents, minutes of meetings, corporate records, recordings, letters, diaries, journals, drawings.
- Located in university archives, libraries or privately run collections such as local historical society.
Secondary Sources
- Can be oral or written
- Secondhand accounts of events
- Found in textbooks, encyclopedias, journal articles, newspapers, biographies and other media such as films or tape recordings.
Steps in Historical Research
Historical research involves the following steps:
- Identify an idea, topic or research question
- Conduct a background literature review
- Refine the research idea and questions
- Determine that historical methods will be the method used
- Identify and locate primary and secondary data sources
- Evaluate the authenticity and accuracy of source materials
- Analyze the date and develop a narrative exposition of the findings.
(Berg & Lune, 2012, p.311)
Locating Information: Libraries
In addition to raw data and unpublished manuscripts, libraries also hold back copies of journals and newspapers.
Locating information - Archives
Websites
- Nursing History: Historical MethodologyProduced by the AAHN
Key Sources
- PandoraPANDORA, Australia's Web Archive was established by the National Library in 1996 and is a collection of historic online publications relating to Australia and Australians. Online publications and web sites are selected for inclusion in the collection with the purpose of providing long-term and persistent access to them.
- RSL Living HistoryThe Listening Post is the official organ of the RSL in Western Australia and was first published in December 1921. The first two decades of the Listening Post, are now available online for viewing with more scheduled releases throughout the year.
- Internet ArchiveDigital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public.
- National Technical Information Service (U.S.)Provides access to a large collection of historical and current government technical reports that exists in many academic, public, government, and corporate libraries.
- A history of nursingFour vols available online
- British Journal of NursingThe journal contains a wide range of information about hospitals, wards, staff, patients, illness and diseases, medicine and treatments, hospital equipment and events.
- Directory of history of medicine colectionsU.S. National Library of medicine. National Institutes of Health
- Nursing Studies IndexAn annotated guide to reported studies, research methods, and historical and biographical materials in periodicals, books, and pamphlets published in English. Prepared by Yale University.
- Early experieneces in Australasia: Primary sources and personal nattatives, 1788-1901Provides a unique and personal view of events in the region from the arrival of the first settlers through to Australian Federation at the close of the nineteenth century. Includes first-person accounts, including letters and diaries, narratives, and other primary source materials.
Locating Information: Museums
- Alfred ArchivesAlfred Hospital, Melbourne
- National Museum Australia. Research CentreNational Museum Australia
- Nursing MuseumRoyal Brisbane & Women's Hospital
- Virtual MuseumSouth Australian Medical Heritage Society
- W.A. Medical MuseumHarvey House, King Edward Memorial Hospital
Locating Information: Historical Societies
- Directory of Australian Historical Societies at Society hillExtensive list of historical societies throughout Australia
References
Basic Research Methods for Librarians (5th ed.). [e-version] by ISBN: 1591588685Publication Date: 2010Research and librarianship -- Developing the research study -- Selecting the research method -- Survey research and sampling -- Data collection techniques -- Experimental research -- Qualitative research methods -- Historical research -- Analysis of data -- Writing the research proposal -- Presentation of the research report.
Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (9th ed.). [e-version] by ISBN: 9781292164397Publication Date: 2016This book guides the reader through the process of research planning, carrying out one's projects, and making sense of the results. Each chapter provides examples of the best and worst approaches to the kinds of questions that.
