In this blog series I will explore and explain the role of a historian. I want to be quite general because the work of a historian is wide and varied, but I’d like to discuss the skill set of historians, the sources we use and why it is important. I plan on making the blog monthly and each month I will try and give some insight into an aspect of what it is to be a historian.
A historian is not someone who knows everything about what has happened in the history of the world. They may be someone you want on your pub quiz team, but they do not know everything. A historian will have a specialty and their own area of interest. This area might be quite niche, but this does not limit them. It is their skill set that is important and the way that they are able to research and distill large amounts of information down to the essential essence and have it make sense to a broad audience. Though a historian may have a personal connection to the subject matter through experience or interest, they are generally able to separate their personal emotions from the topic and concentrate on the evidence that exists.
The role of a historian is to seek answers. The questions may include: what happened, who was involved, why? These questions serve as a starting point and will help to focus the research.
Research is the historian’s main superpower. This is not just the process of gathering information. A historian is objective. They avoid bias and opinions. They are not trying to answer a question with a predetermined idea in mind based on their own point of view. They will gather all available resources and compare them. The historian will undertake a systematic investigation that involves determining the validity of the source of information and deciding whether it’s trustworthy or not based on the origin of that source. They think about who created the source and why. All the information will be filtered through the historian’s thought process where they will compare sources in order to develop an argument.
The historian will then try and interpret this information. History is a conversation between the past, the present and the future. It is this dynamic explanation of the past that contributes to our knowledge of previous cultures and events. The information helps us to understand the world we live in today and see the consequences of past actions, with the hope that it will lead to a better understanding in the future. The role of historical interpretation is to make meaning from the past. History is not simply the accumulation of dates and facts or even just a description of past happenings but a continuing dialogue to help us make sense of the world around us.
A historian will place their findings into a broader political, social or economic context. Historical context is the details that surround the event or topic. This includes an understanding of the conditions that existed at that particular time and place. This helps to avoid judging actions by our contemporary understanding of them and our current standards. This help us to understand what motivated people at that point in time and what other factors contributed to the event. Historical context is not the cause of the event or the action that produced a particular outcome. Instead, historical context helps to explain the environment in which that action or outcome occurred.
Historians will communicate their findings in various ways. This may include presenting a paper at a conference or public talk, writing a book or an article for a magazine or newspaper, assisting with an exhibition at a museum or producing content for walking tours. A historian will try and share information with as many people as possible. The role of the historian is to provide an understanding of the past based on the sources and evidence that have been left behind.
This is installment one of the blog series The Role of a Historian. This blog series will include 12 posts, posted monthly to explore and explain the role of the historian. The series will discuss the skill set of historians, the sources we use and why it is important.