This document outlines the key aspects of historical research. It defines historical research as the systematic collection of data to describe, explain and understand past events without manipulation of variables. The purposes of historical research include learning from past successes and failures, seeing if past approaches could apply to current problems, assisting in prediction, and testing hypotheses. The steps involve defining the problem, locating relevant historical sources like documents and oral statements, summarizing and evaluating these sources, and presenting interpretations of the information. Primary sources are created by direct witnesses, while secondary sources describe events through others. Historical research allows investigating unique topics but comes with difficulties controlling for threats to validity.

1. JOSEPH E. CAJOTE
Masters in Management
Engineering

2. WHAT IS HISTORICAL RESEARCH?
• The systematic collection of
data to describe, explain
and thereby understand
actions or events that
occurred sometimes in the
past.
• No manipulation or control
of variables - differ with
experimental research.
• Focuses primarily on the
PAST.

3. PURPOSES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH
1. To make people aware of
what has happened in the
past so they may learn from
past failures and successes.
2. To learn how things were
done in the past to see if
they might be applicable to
present-day problems and
concerns.
3. To assist in prediction.
4. To test hypothesis
concerns relationships or
trends.
5. To understand present
educational practices and
policies more fully.

4. STEPS INVOLVED IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH
1. Defining the problem or
question to be investigated.
2. Locating relevant resources
of historical information.
3. Summarizing and evaluating
the information obtained
from these sources.
4. Presenting and interpreting
this information.
Researcher aim to describe, clarify,
explain or correct what has been
conducted before.
Researcher searching for relevant source
materials.(Documents, Numerical
Records, Oral Statements, Relics)
Researcher will summarize and evaluate
the sources that they able to locate.
Researcher interprate the evidence
obtained and then drawing the conclusions
about the problem or hypothesis.

5. STEPS INVOLVED IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH
1. Defining the problem
or question to be
investigated.
Researcher claim to describe, clarify, explain or correct what has been
conducted before.
Problems should be clearly and concisely stated, be manageable, have a
defensible rationale, and investigate a hypothesized relationship among
variables.
It is better to study in depth a well-defined problem that is perhaps more
narrow than one would like than to pursue a more broadly stated problem
that cannot be sharply defined or fully resolved.

6. 2. Locating relevant
resources of historical
information.
Categories of Sources:
a) Documents
-Written or printed materials that
have been produced in one form or
another sometime in the past.
Examples: Annual Reports, Artwork,
Books, Diaries, Newspaper,
Notebook.
c) Oral statements
-Include any form of statement
spoken by someone.
Examples: Stories, Myths, Tales,
Legends, Songs.
b) Numerical records
-Include any type of numerical data
in printed or handwritten form.
Examples: Test Scores, Attendance
Figures, Census Reports, School
Budgets.
d) Relics
-Any object whose physical or visual
characteristics can provide some
information about the past.
Examples: Furniture, Artwork,
Clothing, Buildings, Monuments,
Equipment.

7. Primary vs
Secondary Sources:
a) Primary Sources
 A sources prepared by an
individual who was participant in or
a direct witness to the event that is
being described.
b) Secondary Sources
 A document prepared by an
individual who want a direct witness
to an event but obtained description
of the event from someone else.
Examples of Primary Sources
A photograph of convocation
ceremony of 1984.
Minutes of a school board meeting
in 1980, taken by secretary of the
board.
An essay written during World War
2 by students.
Examples of Secondary Sources
A magazine article summarizing
Aristotle's views on education.
A book describing schooling in
England during 1700s.
A textbook on educational
research.

8. 3. Summarizing and evaluating
the information obtained from
these sources.
Determining the relevancy of the
particular material to the question or
problem being investigated.
Recording the full bibliographic data of
the source.
Organizing the data collected under
categories related to the problem being
studied.
Summarizing pertinent information
(important facts, quotations, and
questions).

9. 4. Presenting and interpreting
this information.
is a primary method of data analysis in
External Criticism
 Refers to the geniuses of the
Content Analysis
historical research.
documents a researcher uses in a
historical study.
 Has to do with the authenticity of a
document
Internal Criticism
 Refer to the accuracy of the contents of
a document.
 Internal criticism has to do with what
the document says.
 Who wrote this document?
 For what purpose was the document written?
 When was the document written?
 Is the date on the document accurate?
 Where was the document written?
 Do different forms or versions of the
document exist?
• Was the author present at the event he or
she is describing?
• Was the author a participant in or an
observer of the event?
• Was the author competent to describe the
event?
• Does the language of the document suggest
a bias of any sort?
• Do other version of the event exist?

10. ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF HISTORICAL
RESEARCH
Advantages
Permits the investigation of topics
that could be studies in no other
way.
The only research method that can
study evidence from the past.
Disadvantages
Controlling for many of the threats to
internal validity is not possible in
historical research.
Many of the treats to internal validity
are likely to exist in historicla studies.

11. Reference:
• How to Design and Evaluate
Research in Education 7th
Edition(2009)
– Jack R. Fraenkel
• San Francisco State
University
– Norman E. Wallen
• San Francisco State
University