Historiography

[originally posted on my teaching blog, History Survey, on 5/27/07]

Historians try to avoid the jargon that is common in many disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, but sometimes special terminology is unavoidable. One example is periodization, which I cover elsewhere. Historiography is another term you will hear and read.

Historiography refers to the writing that historians do. Sometimes we refer to historiographical debates, that is, debates among historians about how to interpret something. For example, "The historiography offers many explanations for the widespread persecution of witchcraft in the West during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries." We also use "historiography" to refer to a body of research on a particular subject. For example: "The historiography on gender has grown significantly over the past three decades." Or: "The historiography of the First World War is too large for a single historian to master." Books that explore the subject of history per se also fall under the rubric of historiography. Two classics for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of historical thinking are Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft, and E.H. Carr, What is History?.