Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The term “historiography” is used in a number of different ways. It can refer to writings that present the past as “history.” It can also refer to the way these writings are produced, focusing on the issues of method that are linked to the construction of history. Unlike historical novels, historiography is based on a systematic access to sources, and therefore often connected with a claim of truth. However, it should be considered that any evidence is revocable because new sources may be found and already known sources can be reassessed according to the present world's interests ( Jenkins 1995 ; Bentley 1999 ; Burke 2005 ). Historical research that is conducted in the framework of a social science is confronted with two problems . First, studies of this kind will only be perceived as being in their particular discipline if links are established between the historical perspective and a systematic scientific interest in new findings for the discipline. Second, the acceptance of historical research is complicated by the fact that historians and social scientists have different viewpoints on science. This has an impact on the criteria used when assessing the quality of scientific work. Whereas most researchers in the social sciences, just like natural scientists, want to discover objective relationships and general laws, and search for knowledge that can be used practically, historical ... log in or subscribe to read full text