Historical research

A record of pastany integrated
History is events, usually a
written account of description of
narrative or the
DEVELOPMENT of HUMAN
past events or facts written
civilization…
in a spirit of critical inquiry
And an explanation of HOW
for the WHOLE occurred.
and WHY the events TRUTH.

The Greek andideas of divine
dominant Roman
historians viewed FATE as
concern for mankind and of
controlling history as slowly
changes in human destiny.
tending toward the progress
and universality of true religion.

The events of history were attributable
not to the design but to the chance or
fortuity.
Every epoch in history was
inspired and dominated by some
specific idea.

As applied to history, means that in social
institutions, as well as in the animal
kingdom, the rule of the survival of the
fittest applies and that acquired
characteristics of society are passed on to
succeeding generations.

The mode of production in
economic life primarily determines
the general character of the..

History swings back and forth like a
pendulum between periods of growth and
periods of destruction.
“History repeats itself…”
“History does not repeats itself…We
repeat HISTORY” – Ambeth Ocampo

that form
the background without which
there can be nohero interpretation of
Great man theory or meaningful
history…. Is of leadership.
exercise closely related to political on,
The main as most heroes inthe hero
inasmuch weaknesses of world history are
interpretationchosen from great kings, the role
conventionally is that it overstresses
of individuals
emperors, generals, legislators, and so on and so
forth…
at the expense of larger cultural, religious,
social and economic circumstances…

“Although it is undoubtedly
true that leaders mold
events…

…it is no less true that
events mold leaders.”

Views human progress as directly
correlated with the advances in natural
science and technology. Emphasizing that
the prevailing state of scientific
knowledge and its technical
interpretation will determine the existing
modes of economic life and activities.

Contends that the prevailing type
of economic institutions and
processes in society will, in larger
measure, determine the nature o f
the resulting social institutions and
culture.

Holds that action of man cannot be fully
understood or adequately described
when divorced from their physical
setting.
Other driving Where you
forces of History live

Draws from sociology (the science of
the life and activities of men in groups)
a knowledge of both the causes and
results of group life as its basis for a
generalized view of the sociological
process and social causation.

Holding that no single category of causes is
But the most adequate is the synthetic
sufficient to explain all phases and periods of
approach because surely, many factors
historical development… making historical
play important roles in
event.
In writing the history of any institution,
One factor may be dominant but other
factors contribute their share in any
region, or whatever may use making an
event occur. the most inclusive and most that
theories and specificaccurate to say
Considered
It is more schools of
the specifictype of historical …
school of historical
historical Interpretation interpretation.
important
interpretation “are not mutually exclusive
but in large measure supplementary”

A process of selecting the area or topic
It describes what occurred in
to write the history about, collecting
the about eventsthenoccurred inathe
data past and that makes
area or about the topic, collating the of
critical inquiry into the truth
data, sifting the authentic from non-
what occurred.
authentic and then making an
interpretation narrative about or critical
inquiry into the whole truth of the
events.

Why are we using English as a medium
of instruction in our schools today?

It must also be interpretative,
that is present situations in
terms of past events.

A historical project usually conducted by one
Historical research has five characteristics
person. to Helmstadter: (cited Treece and
according
Treece, Jr., pp. 167-168)
Observations in historical research cannot be
repeated in the same manner as in laboratory
experiments and descriptive surveys.
The researcher must find satisfaction in
spending vast amount of time in the library and
in pursuing minute details in relation to the
topic understudy.

In addition, data are often ideas,
concepts, and opinions and hence,
conclusions, generalizations, and
A hypothesis is not always necessary in
inferencesresearch; subjective. are two
historical become inferences No made
investigatorsfrom the bits of information
more often would reach the same
conclusions in aof thethe general
In writing style given written report tends
gathered to produce instance.
to be more flexible because the
description of the event or situation
researcher wishes to present the facts
and information in an interesting manner

5. Personal bias tends to influence the research
procedures.
6. The facts are not synthesized or integrated into
1. A research area is selected which sufficient
meaningful generalizations.
evidence is not available to conduct worthwhile
study or test the hypothesis.
2. Excessive use of secondary sources of
information is frequently found in studies not
dealing with the events
3. Attempts to work on a broad and poorly
defined problem.
4. Historical data are poorly and inadequately
evaluated.

Historical research may be utilized when it is desired
to write a history of the following;
Any historical event, say,area Battle of Bataan,
Any geographical the or place, say a,
the Leyte landing, Liberation of Manila, all of
historical site, barangay ,town, province,
which occurred during the occupation of the
region, country, or the world for that
Philippines by the Japanese during WW2, etc.,
matter.
Any institution, say, a school, a club or
association, courtship and marriage or
any other custom, the army, Christmas,
government, communism, Christianity

In choosing historical research
problem, the researcher must consider
his resources, availability of data, time
constraint and his professional
competence.
The researcher must be able to finance
his research project if no outside
funding is available.

WRITTEN SOURCE

Records of court trials, constitutions,
Records of proceedingsdeliberations,
Legislative treaties, as and orders, and
Contracts, act such executive
School records such as registration, grades,
and decision;and other foreign
agreements resolution, charters
circular, bulletins, students, orders and and
laws, statutes, the decisions, reports
the graduation of
and otherexchange; decisions of
relations communications of
records, decisions, letters of
reports of school’s officials,
Registrationdecrees as school loweror
executive bodiespopulation (census),
of such (presidential
deliberative departments and board or
instruction,
board trustees, school andsuch as boards,
birth, deaths, cars surveys, courses of study
administrative bodies otherof cabinet
royal) speeches and records vehicles,
and other instructionalcattle; textbooks,
and materials,
land, buildingand commission;
Committees,
deliberations;
lecture notes, catalogs, etc.,

Autobiographies, memoirs, reminiscences,
biographies, diaries, genealogies, and
notes.
Legal instruments
executed by individuals
in personal capacity,
contracts, wills and
deeds.

Language, social institutions,
products of the mind,
Historic sites, roads, fortifications,
business records, literature,
furniture, pottery, utensils, walls,
machinery etc.,
manners, customs and
ceremonies

As much as solid bases of historical
The only possible, historical information
must come fromoriginalor first hand
work are the primary documents
sources. This is not always possible,
or remains, the first witness to
however, and the historical researcher may
theand heavily at that, upon data
rely, act.
gathered from secondary sources.

All physical objects, including their
(excerpts or translations
photographs…
acceptable): Diaries, speeches,
Why do you think this is an
manuscripts, letters, interviews,
example of primary source of data
news film footage,
autobiographies, official records

All writing by people who have
never experienced nor observed
personally the objects and have
based their writings upon
information gathered from those
who have knowledge of the
events.

Data supplied by respondents
all the data supplied by the
based on hearsay are secondary
respondents who have actually
data. It follows that the theses
experienced and observed the
and dissertations based on those
events…
data become secondary sources.

Is used to determined the
authenticity or genuiness
of a historical document.
Considered the following factors
that may have influenced the
production of the documents such
as;

4. How soon, questions illustrate wasproblems
The following after the events, the the
of external criticism, which are also useful in
document written? For one purpose, the
internal criticism: (Good, cited by Good and
centurypp 189-190
Scales, of composition may be sufficient; for
another the very hour may be essential? his
a. How
1. Who was theinterested inmerely what was
he author, not the events related
name but what were his personality, character,
b. How was he situated for observation of the
position, and so forth?
events?
2. What were his general qualifications as a
c. Had he the necessary general and technical
knowledgealertness, character, bias? the events?
reporter – for learning and reporting
3. What were his special qualifications and
disqualifications as a reporter of the matters here
treated?

William H. Scott, an American missionary who made study of
pre-Hispanic materials for his doctoral dissertation.
(1968)
Jose E. Marco
He is involved in the sale of other fake
historical documents.

This historical document was presented to
Robertson by Marco in 1914. The code itself
was contained in an ancient story of the
legends of Negros by a so called parish priest
of Himamaylan in 1838-1839 named Fr. Jose
Maria Pavon.
There is no Pavon in the Philippines in 1838,
or a parish priest of that town in 1839, the
dates of the manuscript

The contents nothe original manuscript
Spain had of king between
1833 and 1878
are of dubious value
The author prays for the
preservation of the King of Spain in
1838 and dedicates a book to him in
1839…

“A bad month, for it brought
air laden with purified
microbes of evil fevers…
It was only in the 1850’s that Louis
Pasteur discovered the theory of
infectious germs, and the word
itself was 1 st proposed

in 1878…

5. How was the document written, from the
memory , after consultation with others,
after checking the facts, or by combining
a. Is it an original source; wholly or in part?
earlier trial drafts?
b. If the latter, what part are original; what are
borrowed; whence? How credible are the
borrowed materials?
c. How accurate is the borrowing done?
d. How is borrowed material changed; how is it
used?

6. How is the document related to other
documents?

is the study of inscriptions and the
art of deciphering them.

is the science of charters and
diplomas and includes a knowledge
of the practices of chanceries and of
the forms used in them.

Is the study ofelementary examples;
To give some writing, which has a
history allchoose was in the 18th a
the word its own. The writing of
given scriptorium is usuallychuse,
century frequently spelled quite
characteristic. Besides, handwriting
clothes was spelled cloathes, entire,
variesand so on to age so that it alone
intire from age
is often quite component to locate a
In all its branches is of the greatest use
manuscript in time and authenticity.
in determining date

May be able to say and have often
said, that a given document, written
on general have the greatest influence
in wood pulp, for example;
With a particular ink, cannot bethe
upon the study of history; and older
than of these might almost be called
first the definite data when these
materials wereremains.
the science of first manufactured.

“Evidence speaks for itself…”

The purpose of external criticism, utilizing the above
auxiliary sciences, is to detect the following… (Good
and Scale)

My Last Farewell
Farewell, dear Father land, clime
If theforger removes the name of the originator
A. A document attributed to a certain person,
of the sun caressed
the an important document by some means and
of forger deletes the name of the person who
Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden
accomplished the feat and other’s his name or
places his name or some places name
lost!
other’s name.forger becomes the originator of
instead. The
Gladly now I go to give thee this
the document or the person whose name to be
faded life’s best,
places.A splendour of chivalry over
And were it brighter, fresher, or
Charlemagne’s
Wena Santilan’s our God hath
poured. more blest.
Still would I-Songit thee, nor count
give of Roland
the cost.
Lawrence Plabol
JOSE RIZAL

The retraction document is a forgery. As
pointed copies an important document, either
A forger out by Pascual (1950), the
person with certain motives writes a
handwriting is questionable,and if only or
document which clay or stone, as important
on paper, baked is attributes to the places one
man prepared it.the show that helatterby the
some other’s name The point stressed in
person by signing to name of the or his hero
Pascual was corroborated by the confession
document. Certain letters have been attributed
made the documents or accomplished the
madementionedhave never made them. on
to persons who in the documents.
deed by the forger to Antonio Abad
August 13, 1901, employed by the friars
earlier that same year to make several
copies of the retraction document. (Rune &
Buenafe, 1962)

This problem of determining authorship
and time of a document usually occurs
with persons who employ ghost writers.
For instances, speeches of head of states
are usually written by their respective
staffs and it is difficult to determine who
the real authors of such speeches are.

Incorrect borrowing occurs as follows;
When one copies an original work without
acknowledging the originator of the work
When there are errors in as his own. text of
and passes that copying the
the original material.

When the one borrowing misinterprets the
ideas being portrayed by the original
material.

Inventions and
distortions are
made in the
Original works of great men are edited and
following ways.
corrected for poor grammar but in so doing,
distortions occur. The corrected copy may no
A historian invents speeches or orations
longer contain the original delivered
which are supposed to have been idea.
Anecdotes are created to
by great men of history just to project his
enhance the prestige of an
own philosophy or ideas
adored hero

is the process of determining the true
meaning and value of statements contained in
a document.

is positive, if efforts are made to discover the
true meaning of the contents of the document.
is negative, if effort are exerted in finding
reasons for disbelieving the contents of the
documents.

1. What did the author mean by this particular
statement? What is its real meaning as
distinguished from its mere literal meaning?
2. Was the statement made in good faith?
g. Is there author interest in deceiving the motives
a. Had the evidence of literary or dramatic reader? to
distort the truth? under pressure to tell the untruth?
b. Was the author
c. Was he influenced by sympathy or antipathy to tell
the untruth
d. Did vanity influence him?
f. Was he influenced by public opinion?

4. When it statement accurate? Or was
3. Was the appears that the authormorenot the
original observer, it is necessary to determine the
particularly;
truth Was the author such aobservercouldinformation
a. and accuracy poor nature because of mental
d. fact of of his sources of not be directly
observed?
defect or abnormality?
e.
b. Was the author a mere witnessin time and place to
badly situated or a trained
observer?
observe?
c. Was the author negligent or indifferent?

6. To what extent is the statement a
3. Are exaggerations or embellishments in the
form of Test form where setrhetoric flourishes
conventional of Truthfulness and rather
literary artifices and formulas
employedsentiments are expressed.
than true to produced the desired effects.
Honesty (Hocett, cited
by Sanchez)
4. What is the personal or vested
1. Is there any evidence of vanity
or boasting author?
interest of the
5. To what race, nation, party, region, sect,
2. Does the author want to please some
particular individual, group or even the general
social level, economic group or profession
public. observer belong, which may
does the
introduced bias and prejudice.

In writing history, there are certain problems or processed
History writing involves identifying and
involved among which are the following;
There are historical problems that are very
defining the problem. Then, the problem
complex, even incapable of solution, and the
must be delimited to a reasonable scope.
researcher should be able to determine a kind
It is wise for the researcher to select a
of problem which he is capable of solving.
problem from which his professional
competence may enable him to tackle

If one makes a research on and writes a
After identifying and defining the problem, the historical
history about thehypothesis or would be searching
Fil-American war, one
research any hypothesis, the researcher hypothesis to
Without should formulate
hypothesis may be the following
guide him in his research.
for facts aimlessly. The hypothesis should state exactly
what historical data have to be found. It should be noted
that in historical research, the hypothesis need not be
expressly stated. << This question or
Why were the Filipino
The specific question raised at the beginning of the
INQUIRY serve as the hypothesis. hypothesis points out
forces defeated by
exactly what data
the Americans?
have to be found;
The data showing why the Filipino forces
defeated by the American forces…

General to specific

Generally, one
historical event is Why were the Filipinos forces
defeated by the American Forces
not made to
during the Fil-American War?
happen by only one
cause, there must
be several causes…

For Example:

Why were the Filipinos forces defeated by the
American Forces during the Fil-American War?
Deductive
Reasoning adequate military
Generalization:
Filipinos soldier’sFilipino American War, the
During the inferior Lack of
The Filipino armedstill, itcould not stem the advance
Going deeper forces may be asserted that
of the American Forces due toinferior arms,
Filipino soldiers had the former’s inferior
arms training
the lacked adequateat that time lack of an
Philippine Forces training, lacked
General to Specific
arms, lack of adequate military training, was only
barely onemilitary all at nottime was could be
If the answer old organization,barelythe
efficientmilitary to and that lack of effective
Besides, then Philippine army these is YES, one
effective year organization, much lacked
expectednot much couldthereLack ofwassuch an be
year oldof effective unified ant army efficient military
unified command, and anexpected from enmity of
Lack and command be here in the face
unified from such
inductive well organized, well armed force like the
generalization would army
was enmity between
command organization
in the face of a Pres. Aguinaldo and his
between Aguinaldo and his generals.
a well President Americanarmed force like the
organized, well Army.
generals and hence they were defeated
American Army.
(Specific)
by the American forces. generals.
Enmity between President Aguinaldo and his

Assassination of
Antonio Luna and
the death sentence
of Andres Bonifacio

To judge the events in terms of present day
To evaluate a historical event or practice in terms
events, conditions, practices, and traditions and
of contemporaneous events, conditions,
in terms of those existing in other places which
practices, and traditions existing at the time the
are better known.
event occurred and in the same environment.
Remember that this evaluation should not make us
Egyptian
despise the people on the past. The point is by
French Revolution
pictorial arts and
and the reign ofhow much weInquisition
understanding Spanish have progress socially,
Greeks classical
politically and educationally not to mention morally.
terror
arts

In writing history of some events,
institutions, or regions, there must be a
central theme around which the history is
woven. For example; in writing the history
of Filipino revolts against Spain, the
central theme may be nationalism or love
of freedom.

“History has three fold purpose: giving us a knowledge of the
A study become morethe present and a meansifis
People of the For of open the change of
past, a better understanding
instance, to Philippines
makespredicting the future.” because for
a Catholic nation
past are well informed about the past,
they
people (Laucuesta, etthan three centuries she
more al, p. vii)
especially about tragic events. a
was occupied by Spain,
understand Next topic…
zealous propagator, and she
the present will remain Catholic for ais
Historical research long,
Content Analysisto come.
important due to the
long time
better,
People are motivated to respect the contributions of
following;
the people of the past to the present state of things,
especially the
Historical information serves as a preliminary
especially those of heroes.
factors
to reform. Mistakes of the past may be
affectingif we have a knowledge of them.
avoided the
present

Historical research

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