A presentation on Historical Method of research by Dr. Keshava, Professor, Department of Studies and Research in Library and Information Science, Tumkur University, Karnataka, India.

1. Study of past records & other infn sources
with a view to reconstructing the origin and dvt
of an institution or a monument or a stystem &
discovering the trends in the past
HM► Descriptive in nature.
Difficult task. Depends upon
inferences & logical analysis of recorded data &
indirect evidences rather than upon direct
observation.

2. Objectives
-Draw explanations & generalizations
from the past trends in order to
understand the present & to anticipate
the future.
-Helps to grasp our relationship with the
past
-Helps to know steadily growing &
undergoing change & transformation

3. Cond…
1. Eyewitness a/cs narrated by an actual observer.
2. Oral testimony by elders.
3. Records & other documentary materials
4. Relics (object interesting because of its age &
association; surviving customer belief etc from a
past age; memento)

4. Steps in HM
i. Feasibility of the study- whether the selected problem lends itself
to historical analysis-in terms of research ability, time & cost.
ii. Formulation of problem & plan of study.
iii. Locate sources of data.
iv. Test genuineness of the sources & validity of the facts
contained in it.
v. Collect relevant facts & check & cross-check.
vi. Arrange the facts into a logical sequences.
vii. Adopt induction process meaningful interpretations &
generalizations should be made.

5. HH MM
Depends upon
Inferences
Drawn
By the
Researcher
Inferences
Drawn
By the
Researcher
Ingenuity of
The
Researcher
Ingenuity of
The
Researcher
Reliability of
Facts
collected
Reliability of
Facts
collected
Completeness
Of facts
Completeness
Of facts
Adequacy
Of facts
collected
Adequacy
Of facts
collected
Relevance
Of facts
Relevance
Of facts
HMHM

6. HM contd…
Difficult to test the genuineness &
authenticity of sources & data;
Difficult to establish the time order of
events;
Lack of method of keeping the record;
Researcher may not locate required
docnts.;
Precise measurements, verifications &
replication are not possible

7. >A fact finding investigation with adequate
interpretation.
> Simplest type of research.
 Focus on particular aspects or dimensions of the
problem studied.
 Designed to gather descriptive infn.
 Data collection method =Observation;
interview; questionnaire.

8. D.R. Contd…
Objectives
a. Aims at identifying the various
characteristics of a community or
institution or problem under study, but
it does not deal with the testing of
hypotheses.
b. Descriptive information should also be
useful for explanation, prediction &
awareness

9. D.R. Contd…
Usefulness
a. More adequate description, the greater is the
likelihood that the units derived from the description
will be useful in subsequent theory building.
b. The collection of factual data increases our awareness.
c. Descriptive infn. obtained in research may be useful for
prediction
d. Valuable in providing facts needed for planning social
action programmes.

10. Contd…
i. Research must lead to discovery of
facts.
ii. Not applicable to problems which
cannot satisfy the required criteria
(Criteria= describable,data should be
amenable to an accurate objective &
quantitative assemblage, data should
develop valid standards of comparison)

11. Case Study
In-depth comprehensive study of a person, a social group,
a process, a situation, a programme, a community an
institution or any social unit.
Purpose > understand the life cycle of the unit or interaction
between factors that explain the present status or the dvt
over a period of time.
Helps > secure a wealth of infn about the unit. Provides
clue for further research.
Aims > study everything about something. Gives total view
of a unit. Gives overall generic picture of a problem.
Develops ideas, sometimes leading to conclusion.

12. Case Study- Merits
i. All methods of data collection applicable;
ii. May be conducted in practically any kind
of social settings;
iii. Offer specific instance of tests of
theories;
iv. Wider range of insights into human life
which can not be gained through a
general survey.

13. Case Study- Demerits
a. Time consuming;
b. Not sufficient for making generalization
to larger social aggregates;
c. The danger of investigator’s over-
confidence is more.

14. Meaning» assess the effects of particular variables
on a phenomenon by keeping the other
variables constant or controlled. It aims at
determine whether and in what manner
variables are related to each other. The factors
which is influenced by other factors is called
dependent variable and the other factor which
influence it are known as independent
variables.

15. Eg. crop yield per hectare is dependent variable
& the factors such as soil fertility, irrigation,
quality of seed are independent variables.
Procedure= 2 identical groups are selected. These
should be identical in terms of the
characteristics of the phenomenon under study.
Eg. In a farm productivity experiment, two plots
of farm land with same soil composition, soil
fertility, same size, same climate & same
irrigation facility should be selected for the
study.

16. Contd…
Conditions
i. It should be possible for selecting
identical groups;
ii. Target groups should be amenable for
experiment;
iii. It should be possible to identify all the
independent variables that affect the
dependent variable under study.

17. Contd…
Evaluation
Use of this method in social science is
complicated. Difficult to establish
comparable experimental and control
groups. Experiment is difficult to design.
It is time consuming.

18. Contd…
• The Delphi method is based on structural
surveys and makes use of the intuitive
available information of the participants,
who are mainly experts. Therefore, it
delivers qualitative as well as
quantitative results and has beneath its
explorative, predictive even normative
elements. There is not the one Delphi
methodology but the applications are
diverse.

19. Contd…
There is agreement that Delphi is an expert
survey in two or more 'rounds‘ in which in the
second and later rounds of the survey the
results of the previous round are given as
feedback. Therefore, the experts answer from
the second round on under the influence of
their colleagues' opinions. Thus, the Delphi
method is a 'relatively strongly structured group
communication process, in which matters, on
which naturally unsure and incomplete
knowledge is available.

20. Contd…
Therefore,
A method of collecting ideas from a group of
experts, frequently geographically dispersed,
using a leader to prepare questions and collect
responses, they are received whether written,
by phone or by fax.
Useful technique to avoid having strong
personalities dominate.
Used to get a quick overview of the opinions of a
goup on some subject

21. Contd…
Steps
Select a panel of experts
Ask each expert to compile a list of value judgement
Collect the initial responses
Analyse the data statistically. Rearrange the statements. List them in another
Questionnaire to be used in second round.
Submit the second round to the same panel asking them to reconsider their
second responses
Repeat step 5 for the third round questionnaire interaction. Asked to
Explain why their feeling did not change.