METHODS OF HISTORICAL

RESEARCH
BHU 4114
 Definitions.
• Research.
 Systematic and refined technique of thinking,
employing specialized tools, instruments &
procedures in order to obtain a more
adequate solution of a problem than would be
impossible under ordinary means.
 Definitions.
• Social Research.
 Scientific undertaking which by means of
logical methods, aim to discover new facts or
old facts and to analyze their sequences,
interrelationships, casual explanations and
natural laws which govern them.
 Determines the relationship between one or
more variables.
 Characteristics of social research.
• Directed towards the solution of problems.
• Development of generalizations, principles or
theories that will be helpful in predicting
future occurrences.
• Based upon observable experience or
empirical evidence.
• Demands accurate observations and
description.
 Characteristics of social research.
• Involves gathering new data from primary sources
or using existence data for new purpose.
• Involves carefully designed procedure that applies
rigorous analysis.
• It requires expertise.
• strives to the objective and logical applying every
possible test to validate the procedure employed,
data collected and conclusion reached.
 Characteristics of social research.
• Involves assumptions for answer to unsolved
problems.
• Characterized by patient and unhurried
activities.
Importance of conducting research
• To solve a problem
• Knowledge’s sake
• Promotion’s sake
 TYPES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH
• Biographies
• Social/cultural research
• Political history
• Medical history
• Environmental history
• Economic history
Causes of a social researcher being biased.

• Lack of objectivity.
• Cooking data- writing a report without going
to the field
• Preconceived bias
• Limited data collection tools
 Sources of Research.
• Primary sources.
 Provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence
concerning a topic under investigation.
 Created by witnesses or recorders who
experienced the events or conditions being
documented.
 Examples: personal memoirs, government
documents such as births, deaths, marriages
certificates.
 Sources of Research.
• Primary sources.
 Four basic methods of collecting primary data:
field research, content analysis, observation,
and experiments.
 Sources of Research.
• Secondary sources.
 Materials that have been analyzed evaluated
and interpreted from the primary sources or
other secondary sources.
 Examples: Books, biographies, textbooks,
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks
Articles, commentaries, research articles and
journals in all subject disciplines e.t.c.
 Revision
• What are the traits of social science research?
• What is the Importance of research?
• Differentiate with specific examples between
primary and secondary sources of data.
 Conducting historical research
• The topic can be sourced using the following
strategies:
• Current issue in a country
• Attendance in a seminar and identifying a gap
• Library search
• Personal experience/passion/hobby
• A title should not e more than 19 words
 Preliminaries of the proposal
• Title page
• Declaration and Approval
• Abstract.
• Table of content
• List of Figures
• List of Tables.
• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Glossary of Terms
 Procedures of conducting social science
research.
Abstract
• This is an executive summary of the whole
document
• It is written in a continuous prose
• It should not be more than 500 words (3/4
page)
 Background to the study
• This section introduces the research. It gives a
head start on what the study entails, current
proposals, discussions concerning the problem
• The section tries to convince the leader why
the study is worth
 Statement of the Problem
• It is a paragraph without citations. It outlines
the issue at hand
 Objectives of the Study
• Should be SMART
• S-specific
• M-Measurable
• A-Achievable
• R-Realist
• T-Time Bound
 Research Questions
• The objectives are turned into questions. Each
question matches a corresponding objective.
Eg
• To Describe the early life of Uhuru Kenyatta
• How was the early life of Uhuru Kenyatta?
 Significance of the Study
• Explains the beneficiaries of the
study and how each stands to benefit
 Justification of the Study
• Provides viable reasons why the study is
worth. Why the period, why the area or
people under study
 Definition of terms or operational
Definition of Terms
• The section defines key terms or terms that
the researcher has used in relation to context.
eg’
• Performance
• Goal
• development
What are the key components of chapter
one
• Background to the study
• Statement of the problem
• Research objectives
• Research questions
• Significance of the Study
• Justification of the study
• Limitations and Delimitations
• Scope
• Assumptions of the study
• Definition of terms/operational definition of terms
 Revision.
• What is a research problem and how is it
different from a problem.
• What are objectives and what purpose do
they serve?.
• What are the key components of an abstract.
• Describe the key components of chapter one
of a research proposal
 Chapter Two
• Chapter Two consists of
• Literature Review
• Theoretical Framework
Review of Literature
OR
Literature Review
 Review of Literature.
• Literature involves the systematic
identification, location and analysis of
documents containing information related to
the research problem being investigated.
• Should be extensive and thorough.
• Its main purpose is to determine what has
been done already related to the research
problem being studied.
Importance of review of Literature.
 Reveals what strategies, procedures and
measuring instruments have been found
useful in investigating the problem in
question.
 It helps determine new approaches and
stimulates new ideas.
 provides you with information leading to new
knowledge in your area of study.
Importance of review of Literature.
• Helps you form a clearer mental picture of the
problem and gain insight into the problem
being investigated.
• Helps you evaluate the problem.
• Helps you delimit the size and scope of your
research problem.
• Helps you make better intelligent hypotheses
for your study.
Guidelines for review of literature.
• It must be selective but not necessarily
exhaustive.
• Making many number of references and cite
all in your research.
• It helps you to delimit the size and scope of
your research problem.
• Should not be more than 5 years old
 How Do you review different sources?

A book
• Not more than 5 years old
• Read the introduction, conclusion and
recommendation
• Check the references (most recent)
• Reach out to those sources
 A thesis/project
• Read the abstract
• Check on the statement of the problem and
objectives
• Read the conclusion and recommendations
• Check on the most recent references and
reach out
 A research paper
• Can read all of it since it only a few pages 15-
20
• Scholars are encouraged to cite secondary
sources because such sources are authentic
 How do you avoid cut and paste?
• Read and re-read the stated document
• Narrate to a panel/friend/workshop
• Rewrite in a different mode/rephrase the
statements but acknowledge the sources
• Keep reading to the last day
 Revision
• What is review of literature and what are the
guidelines for review of literature.
• what are some of the ethical issues considered
while undertaking literature review
 Theoretical framework.
• Its the structure that can hold or support a
theory of a research study.
• It introduces and describes the theory that
explains why the research problem under
study exists.
 Importance of theoretical framework.
• It is the structure that holds or supports a theory by
introducing and describing it as to what research
problem it exists.
• It demonstrates an understanding of theories and
concepts relevant to the topic of the research.
• The explicit statement of the theoretical
assumptions enables its reader to evaluate it
critically.
• It connects the researcher to the existing knowledge
through guidance by relevant theory.
 Importance of theoretical framework.
• It helps researchers to generalize the various
aspects of an observed phenomenon.
• It specifies the key variables that influence a
phenomenon of interest and highlights the
necessity to examine them for what
circumstances they might differ
• It limits the scope of the relevant data by
focusing on a specific variable.
 Importance of theoretical framework.
• It facilitates the understanding of concepts
and variables as per the given definitions and
builds new knowledge.
• It helps to address the questions of ‘how’ and
‘why’ by articulating the theoretical
assumptions of a research
 Historical frameworks.
• The Great Man theory
• Subaltern studies theory
• Feminism theory
• Cultural theory of history
 GREAT MAN THEORY
• By Thomas Carlyle
• In the community there exists men/women
that rise in times of adversities.
• The history and success of the community is
studied through them
• i.e Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo
Kenyatta, Wangari Maathai
 SUBALTERN STUDIES THEORY
• By Antonio Gramsci
• His focus is on the mutual relationship
between the ruling class and the citizens
• Local citizens play a big role in providing a
ground for the hero. They mobilize resources,
provide the platform for the hero to flourish
 FEMINIST THEORY
• By Galie and Burton
• Rose from 1970s when women started seeking
for representation in politics and other spaces
confined for men
• The theory calls for equal rights and is best
used while studying the role of a woman in
state formation and nationalism
 Revision
• What is theoretical framework and why is it of
importance.
• Discuss the historical frameworks
 Chapter three components
• Research Methodology
• Research Design
• Location of the Study
• Target Population
• Sampling procedure and techniques
• Data collection methods and tools
• Data analysis
• Ethical Considerations
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• Systematic way of solving a problem. The
researcher should identify how he/she will
collect the data and analyse it depending the
kind of study he/she is conducting
• It is a way of explaining how a
researcher intends to carry out their
research.
 Qualitative research
• Non statistical
• Focuses on perceptions, narratives, ideas,
• It is in-depth
• Why?
• It deals with subjective judgement
• Small sample which is picked at discretion of
the researcher
• Good for arts subjects
 Quantitative research
• Deals with formulars , calculations and
percentages, statistics
• How many, How much?
• Objective
• Large samples

• A researcher who uses both, refers to Mixed

Method
 Research designs.
• It is the framework of research methods and
techniques chosen by a researcher
• It allows researchers to choose the research
methods that are suitable for the subject
matter and set up their studies up for success.
• The design of a research topic explains the
type of research and also its sub-type
 Research designs.
• The type of research problem will determine
the research design and not vice-versa
• The design phase of a study determines which
tools to use and how they are used.
• A design that produces the least margin of
error in experimental research is generally
considered the desired outcome.
 Definitions.
• Accessible population is the population that
researchers can draw their samples and apply
their conclusions.
• The sampling frame is the list from which the
potential respondents are drawn.
 Types of research design.
• Descriptive design
• Ex-post facto design
• Exploratory design.
• Experimental research design.
• Cross-sectional research design.
• Longitudinal research design.
.
Sampling and sampling methods in social
science.
 Definitions.
• Sampling is the process of selecting units from
a population of interest.
• By studying the sample we may fairly
generalize our results back to the population
from which they were chosen.
• Population/Target population/Universe refers
to the entire group of individuals or objects to
which researchers are interested in
generalizing the conclusions.
 Importance of sampling.
• To save time and money
• To enable more accurate measurements
• Sampling is the only way when a population is
infinite
• To enable us estimate the sampling errors and
assist in obtaining information concerning
some traits of the population.
 Factors that influence sample
representativeness
• Sampling procedure
• Sample size
• Participation (responses)
 Stages of sampling.
• Defining the population of concern
• Specifying a sampling frame, a set of items or
events possible to measure
• Specifying a sampling method for selecting
items or events from the frame
• Determining the sample size
• Implementing the sampling plan
TWO BROAD TYPES OF SAMPLING
• NON -PROBABILITY
• PROBABILITY
 Non-probability samples.
• Convenience/Accidental sampling
• Judgmental/purposive sampling
• Snowball/Network sampling
• Homogeneous sampling
• A voluntary sampling
• Quota sampling
 Probability samples.
• Simple random sampling
• Systematic Sampling
• Stratified Random Sampling
• Cluster sampling
Ethical issues in Research.
 Ethical issues in Research
• Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with
one’s conduct and serves as a guide to one’s
behavior.
Ethical issues concerning research subjects.

• Confidentiality and Privacy

• Anonymity
• Physical and Psychological harm
• Voluntary and Informed Consent
• use of Vulnerable and/or special populations
• Dissemination of Findings
• Academic Freedom
 GROUP DISCUSSION
• DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING TOOLS OF DATA
COLLECTION
• QUESTIONAIRE
• INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
• FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
• OBSERVATION CHECKLIST
• CONTENT ANALYSIS
 Ethical issues relating to individual
reseachers.
• Research Plagiarism and Fraud
• Misuse of Privileges
 Revision
• What is ethics and why is it important to have
ethics in social research.
 Characteristics of research design.
• Neutrality
• Reliability
• Validity
• Generalization.
 Revision.
• What is research design and what are some of
its importance.
• Discuss the different types of research design.
 Stages of sampling
• Sampling and data collecting
• Reviewing the sampling process
 Sampling methods.
• Classified as either:-
 Probability
 Non-probability/purposive
 Revision.
• By giving examples and a detailed explanation,
differentiate between non-probability and
probability sampling methods.
• What is sampling and what are the various
methods of sampling in social science research
Data collection.
 Sources of data collection.
• Secondary sources includes: books, journals
articles, seminar/conference papers as well as
published theses and dissertations.
• Primary includes The District Annual and
Quarterly reports, photographs, maps,
material culture like weapons, tools, utensils,
shells E.T.C.
 Useful questions when deciding between
types of data collection
• Are the methods of data collection suitable for the
target groups and the issues being assessed?
• Can the type of data collection chosen identify
significant issues as well as the outputs and outcomes?
• How reliable is the measuring instrument, i.e. will it
provide the same answers to the same questions if
administered at different times or in different places?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
one of the available types of data collection?
 Research Instruments.
• An instrument or a tool is a device used to
collect data.
• The type of instrument used by the
researcher depends on the data collection
method selected.
Ways of searching for Research Instruments

• Read professional books and journals to learn the

kind of instruments used for similar studies, their
formats, styles and why they were used by the
writers.
• Talk with other researchers who may know of
certain tools they have used or that others have
used.
• Combine/adopt more than one tool
• Develop your own tool to fulfill your specific
concerns
 Guidelines for Developing a Research Tool

• The tool must be suitable for its function

• The tool must be based on a theoretical
framework selected for the study
• The researcher must be competent to use the
tool
• The instrument should be valid and reliable
• Should be constructed in a way that subjectivity
and cheating is minimized
• Should not give hints for the desired responses
 Data collection techniques.
• Allow us to systematically collect information
about our objects of study and about the
settings in which they occur.
 Types of data collection techniques.
• Using available information
• Observing
• Interviewing (face-to-face)
• Administering written questionnaires
• Focus Group Discussions
 Observation.
• It is a technique that involves systematically
selecting, watching and recording behavior and
characteristics of living beings, objects or
phenomena.
• It can be undertaken in different ways:
 Participant observation: The observer takes part in
the situation he or she observes
 Non-participant observation: The observer watches
the situation, openly or concealed, but does not
participate.
 Characteristics of a good observation.
• Observation is carefully
• Observers are aware of the wholeness of what
is observed.
• Observers are objective.
• Observers separate the facts from the
interpretation of facts.
• Observations are expertly recorded
 Categories of things to be observed and
recorded.
• Group Behaviours
• Individual Behaviour
• The People
• The Setting
 Questionnaire.
• Is a data collection tool in which written
questions are presented that are to be
answered by the respondents in written form.
 Ways of administering a questionnaire
• Sending questionnaires by mail with clear
instructions on how to answer the questions and
asking for mailed responses
• Gathering all or part of the respondents in one
place at one time.
• Giving oral or written instructions.
• Letting the respondents fill out the questionnaires.
• Hand-delivering questionnaires to respondents
and collecting them later.
Characteristics of a good questionnaire
• Deals with a significant topic
• Seeks only such information which cannot be
obtained from other sources
• Short as possible, and only long enough to get
the essential data.
• Attractive in appearance.
• Instructions are clear and complete
 Types of questionnaires.
• Closed ended questions
• Open-ended questions
 Interviewing.
• Involves oral questioning of respondents,
either individually or as a group.
• Answers to the questions posed during an
interview can be recorded by writing them
down (either during the interview itself or
immediately after the interview), by tape-
recording the responses or by a combination
of both.
 Types of interviewing.
• Unstructured interviews.
• Structured interviews.
 Revision.
• What is data collection and what are some of
the questions that are helpful when deciding
the type of data to be collected.
• Describe the various data collection
techniques used in social techniques.
• What is observation as a data collection
technique and what are the characteristics of
a good observation.
Types of Research.
 Types of Research.
• Fundamental or Basic Research
• Applied Research
• Exploratory research
• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
 Types of Qualitative Research

• Case study
• Grounded theory
• Phenomenology
• Historical
• Ethnography
 Revision
• What are the types of qualitative and
quantitative research?
Referencing styles.
 Referencing styles
• Harvard Referencing
• APA Referencing
• MLA Referencing
• Vancouver Referencing
• AGPS Referencing
 WORK PLAN
• Indicates the activities and the month
 Budget
• Provides the items and the costs
 Appendices
• Contains
• Questionnaires
• Interview schedules
• Photographs
• List of informants