At the heart of the history of science as a subject and is a historical methodology.While in many other scientific disciplines, there are two main methods of knowledge - namely, observation and experiment, then history is only available for the first method.Even despite the fact that every true scientist tries to minimize the impact on the object of observation, it is still in its own way interprets what he saw.Depending on the methodological hikes applied scientists, the world gets different interpretations of the same events, various exercises, schools and so on.
are the following methods of historical research:
- logical,
- general science,
- special,
- interdisciplinary.
logical methods of historical research
In practice, historians have to use special methods of research, which are based on logic and scientific methods.By logical (philosophical) methods include analysis and synthesis, analogy and comparison, simulation and synthesis, and others.
synthesis involves the reunion of an event or object of Bole small components, that is, it uses the movement from simple to complex.The complete opposite of synthesis is analysis, which has to move from the complex to the simple.
No less important are research methods in history as induction and deduction.The latter allows you to develop a theory based on the systematization of the empirical knowledge about the object under study, displaying numerous investigations.Induction translates everything from private to general, often probabilistic, location.
also scientists use aponia and comparison.The first gives you the opportunity to see some similarity between different objects that have a large number of relationships, and other properties, and comparison - a judgment about the signs of the differences and similarities between objects.A comparison is essential for qualitative and quantitative characteristics, classification, evaluation and so on.
particularly methods of historical research isolated modeling, which allows only suggest a link between objects, to identify their location in the system, and generalization - a method that highlights common features that can make even more abstract version of the event or any other process.
scientific methods of historical research
In this case, the above methods are complemented by empirical ways of knowing, that is, experiments, observations and measurements, as well as theoretical methods of research, such as mathematical methods, the transition from the abstract to the concrete, and vice versa, and others.
Special methods of historical research
One of the most important in this area is the comparative-historical method, which not only highlights the deep-seated problems of the phenomena, but also points to similarities and especially in the historical process, points to the trend of certain events.
At one time special distribution received theory of Karl Marx and his historical and dialectical method, in contrast to which the method is performed civilization.
interdisciplinary research methods in history
Like any other science, history is interconnected with other disciplines that help to know the unknown in order to explain certain historical events.For example, using the technique of psychoanalysis, historians were able to interpret the behavior of historical figures.Very important is the interaction between geography and history, in which there was a cartographic method of research.Linguistics allowed to know much about the early history on the basis of the synthesis of the approaches of history and linguistics.It is also very close links between history and sociology, mathematics, etc.
cartographic method of research - a separate section of cartography, which is of great historical and economic importance.It can be used not only to determine the place of residence of certain tribes, to designate the movement of tribes, etc., but also to find out the location of minerals and other important facilities.
Clearly, history is intertwined with other sciences, which are much easier to study and provide an opportunity to obtain a more complete and comprehensive information about the object under study.
