What is it?

The historical method focuses on the origin and evolution of the subject of study, and is specified in a chronology of times and milestones.

The method in a flash

Knowledge is something cultural and historical, which is linked to the space and time in which we find ourselves. We integrate to our knowledge the things that are accessible to us, and this changes over time.

It is important that everything is documented. The big problem, for knowledge, is that there is no data. This often happens, for example, when studying the Paleolithic, Neolithic, or ancient civilizations. Another example is the fact that there is no canonical recipe for Spanish omelette.

It is important to know the history beyond the subject of study. Having a general culture and knowing the history of humanity, at a minimum level, is important to understand anything, since things are always in relation to their context.

What purposes does it serve us for?

To know the origin and evolution of the study topic.
For deepen in the analysis of each of the elements identified in the rest of the methods from a historical perspective, with their evolution over time.

What results does it generate?

A historical map, with a chronology of the times and the milestones that have caused a paradigm shift.

THE HISTORICAL METHOD, STEP BY STEP

1

Collect the possible documentary sources relevant in relation to the origins and historical evolution of the subject of study.

2

Apply the analysis or criticism of sources, starting with the so-called external criticism, and more specifically with the so-called major criticism: location in time or dating, location in space, authorship and origin of each documentary source.

3

Here is the so-called minor criticism: assess the integrity of each source documentary in its original form.

4

And to complete the source critique, the so-called internal critique: study and evaluate credibility and value evidence of the content of each documentary source.

5

Formulate the so-called historiographic synthesis, through historical reasoning. Namely: formulate and establish interpretive hypotheses.

6

Translate the interpretive hypotheses into a milestone timeline that have caused paradigm shifts, starting with the identification of these milestones, which do not necessarily have to be the ones considered most important, but rather it is necessary to make your own selection according to the paradigm shift approach.

7

From the identification of milestones that have caused paradigm shifts, these are identified paradigm shifts and paradigms, and its temporal stage and its defining characteristics have to be identified.

8

Finally, develop a formal document with classification, and represent the elements and their relationships between them on a concept map.

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN METHODS