Scholarly History Essentials
In academic history, this isn't just a list of facts, but a well-supported claim the historian wants to persuade you to accept.
What is an argument?
This type of history prioritizes accessibility and readability for a broad, general audience, often using engaging narratives.
What is popular history?
In museums, the history isn't just in an object itself, but in its placement within an exhibition and its relation to other objects, a process often called this.
What is curation / exhibition design?
When analyzing a historical work for the assessment, you must critically assess the historian's methods and perspective, and consider how these might influence their interpretation and this.
What is their agenda / bias / argument?
The study of physical objects to understand human history and culture.
What is Material Culture?
This rigorous review process by peers helps ensure the credibility and quality of academic historical publications.
What is peer-review?
Unlike scholarly works, popular history might sometimes simplify complex events or characters in favor of this engaging narrative quality.
What is storytelling / a compelling narrative?
Museums often face controversies, such as those at the British Museum, regarding these types of artifacts, which were often acquired during colonial periods.
What are indigenous artifacts / spoils of colonialism?
To determine whether a historical source successfully blends scholarly and popular traits, students must analyze if it maintains fidelity to evidence while also effectively engaging this.
What is a general audience / a compelling narrative?
This ethical consideration is crucial when collecting oral histories, ensuring participants understand how their stories will be used.
What is informed consent?
According to Jim Cullen, a strong essay requires these three elements: a core query, a not-obvious assertion, and a reason why the assertion matters to structure a compelling historical argument.
What are 'question, thesis, and motive'?
Prizes like the Wolfson History Prize recognize works that combine excellent research with this quality, making them enjoyable for a wider public.
What is accessibility / readability?
Academic historians often remain skeptical about the ability of film as a historical medium due to concerns about this, especially when 'artistic license' is used.
What is accuracy / veracity / historical truth?
Academic historians are increasingly being prompted to seek a wider audience for their work, blurring the line between scholarly output and this type of history.
What is public history / popular history?
The use of computational tools and digital sources to conduct historical research.
What is digital history?
Historians acknowledge that their interpretations are shaped by their own time and perspective, a concept that challenges the idea of absolute historical neutrality.
What is subjectivity / presentism / historical bias?
To assist the flow of the narrative, many popular histories in print often forgo this academic convention, a 'big no-no' in scholarly work.
What is referencing / citations?
While a film like Saving Private Ryan might be historically fictitious, it's applauded for being true to this, conveying the feel and atmosphere of the event.
What is the spirit and mood of the historical event?
Tom Griffiths states that history-making also happens 'at the dinner table' and 'in the streets,' highlighting that history is not confined to academia, but is also shaped by this broader, everyday engagement.
What is popular engagement / public interest?
Beyond major events, this type of historical inquiry often focuses on the daily lives and experiences of ordinary people.
What is social history / history from below?