A historiography is a survey of the historical research conducted on a certain topic, for example the history of midwifery in the United States. Historiography is often called "the history of history," because they assess what research has been conducted on the topic, what was said and how primary sources were analyzed, and how certain arguments compare and contrast to one another within the broader context of the scholarly record.
To use our example above, a historiography of the history of midwifery in the United States would discuss which historians have researched midwifery in the US, what analytical lens did they use, what argument did they make, and how their argument sits against others' and in the scope of the research on the topic.
Historiographies will:
The purpose of a historiography is to discuss the research conducted by other historians on the topic, not to perform original research or commentary on the subject itself.
You are creating a survey of the research that has been conducted on a topic, so you will, of course, need to discover and become familiar with the notable scholars and arguments on that topic. There are a couple strategies you can use to find these figures and perspectives:
As you search for and collect resources related to your topic, make note of common themes or analyses that the scholar's are making. A historiography should not only identify the prominent scholars and arguments on a topic - they need to set those arguments in context with each other and with scholarly trends over time.
Once you have pinpointed the approach and type of history, you can then compare and contrast with your sources:
When you have found commonalities in perspective, approach, or type, then you can use these to help organize your paper.
Examples of Historiographies
The Oxford History of Historical Writing by
Volume III of The Oxford History of Historical Writing contains essays by leading scholars on the writing of history globally during the early modern era, from 1400 to 1800. The volume proceeds in geographic order from east to west, beginning in Asia and ending in the Americas. It aims at once to provide a selective but authoritative survey of the field and, where opportunity allows, to provoke cross-cultural comparisons. This is the third of five volumes in a series that explores representations of the past from the beginning of writing to the present day, and from all over the world.
The American Historical Association's Guide to Historical Literature by
This entirely new edition of a keystone reference is the place to start researching any topic in any field of history. Hundreds of historians from around the world have selected and provided commentary on the best and most useful works in their fields--almost 27,000 annotated citations--toprovide unprecedented bibliographic guidance of extraordinary breadth, from prehistory to the twentieth century.Presented in an accessible format, this completely new work has been ten years in planning and execution. It is divided into sections arranged by chronology and national and regional history, with each section introduced by a brief historiographical essay. And it also contains expanded coverage ofAfrica, Asia, and North and South America.Each bibliographic citation is identified by a unique reference number and includes all essential data, along with a brief critical annotation written by a specialist in the field. Also included are guides to the contributors of annotations and complete author and subject indexes.An indispensable work for scholars, students, librarians, and general readers, the AHA Guide to Historical Literature is essential for anyone who is serious about history.
