Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
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Preliminary Research
Formulating a working hypothesis
Research evidence to support/reject hypothesis
Formulate a thesis statement
Writing a historical account
Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
1. Preliminary Research- The first step of the Historical Method is to
decide which issue to study and conduct research for evidence to provide
information about what happened.
Questions to ask during this step:
1.
Where would I go to research this?
1.
5 W’s (who, what where, why, when)
Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
2. Formulating a working hypothesis
-Based on the preliminary research a tentative hypothesis is created
on what one may believe happened.
Ex. This is a map of Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge
Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
3. Research for evidence to support or reject
the working hypothesis.
-Continue to study primary documents. While examining these
sources the historian must ask questions about the event and the
evidence
Found in
Reading 4
Is it primary/secondary
Chronological order to examine cause/effect
Is it authentic?
Is it reliable?
Is it objective/subjective
Does it Corroborate?
Does it support/refute?
Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
Primary
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Secondary
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
Diaries
speeches
manuscripts
letters
Interviews
Poetry, music, art
Clothing, pottery
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Textbooks
magazine articles
Histories
Commentaries
encyclopedias
Internet
Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
4. Formulate a thesis statement
-Once the evidence has been carefully examined then the
hypothesis can now become a thesis statement.
This map was created by a French Engineer, docketed by Louis
DuPortail, and used early on at Valley Forge as a working
fortification map.
Historical Method:
5 step process historians use to write history
5. Writing a historical account
The essay usually begins with the thesis statement and
followed by the evidence.