Excerpted from my book History Lab To Go!, published in 2002 by the Washington State Historical Society.
The last three “tools” in the “seven concepts, seven tools” of historical inquiry scheme are People, Books & Periodicals, and Electronic Media. Here’s the lowdown.
People—Oral histories, letters, memoirs, diaries, journals, and expert advice all fall within the people tool. These items, and the people they represent, may provide an eyewitness account or an expert opinion. Many times, the initial investigation of an object, event, or time period begins by asking someone you know who might have special knowledge about a particular subject.
Books & Periodicals—Perhaps one of the most commonly used sources of historical evidence, books and periodicals lead us on a journey through the printed word. As bibliography bloodhounds, we can follow a trail from a book’s list of resources to magazine and newspaper articles and on to primary source documents such as letters or journals. While a book may cover a topic in a more permanent and definitive way, magazines and newspapers provide immediate and focused glimpses of current and historic issues and events.
Electronic Media—Encompassing audio recordings, film, video, and the Internet, electronic media provides a unique view into the past. Film, video, and audio recordings allow “instant replays” of past events, the viewing of which would otherwise be impossible. The Internet has become an important research tool for investigating everything from manufacturers to trademarks, and place names to people. Museum collections around the world are getting digitized, too, making objects more accessible than ever (even if nothing beats seeing the real thing). I’ll be writing about some of my favorite online collections in upcoming posts, so stay tuned.
This post concludes the “tools” list. The concepts will follow soon.
