Langtree, Tanya (2022) Doing History: Introducing historical research methods. In: [Presented webinar for the Autsralian College of Nursing]. From: Doing History: Introducing historical research methods, 28 June 2022, Online Webinar.

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Abstract

[Extract] Historical research is an area of research that remains elusive to many mainstream nursing researchers. Further complicating the matter is there a relative lack of literature explaining the how and why of this methodology. Put simply, historical research analyses a past event, concept, place or person in an attempt to address a knowledge gap in the literature. Historical research is guided by a research question, aim and objectives like all other forms of the inquiry.

Historical researchers believe that there is an interconnectedness of variables such as context, time and place and attempt to better understand how such interconnectedness effected or signified past change. Historical narratives, the outcome of the research process, explicate these connections to the reader to increase awareness about why the past event or phenomenon being studied may have occurred or transpired. The incorporation of temporal, spatial and contextual information moves the research beyond being a simple description to a sophisticated understanding of the research topic.

While historical research is primarily qualitative in nature, quantitative analysis approaches are becoming more common with technological advances including of course the advent of information technology. Examples include Erin Spinney’s , a Canadian historian, amazing work whereby she used spreadsheets to analyse the demographical data and wage rates amongst eighteenth and early nineteenth century British naval and military nurses but also more technologically driven initiatives such as using geographical information systems (GIS) to inform the historical researcher on the spatial considerations of their topic. Furthermore, the emergence of digital technologies and the progressive digitisation of historical sources means that researchers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to assist with quantifying their analysis. Finally, regardless of the type of inquiry, research topic or period being studied, historical research generally follows a set of methodological norms that go far beyond the use of footnotes and these will be addressed throughout this webinar.

Item ID:	75452
Item Type:	Conference Item (Presentation)
Keywords:	History of nursing; historical research methods
Date Deposited:	23 Feb 2023 02:51
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4205 Nursing > 420599 Nursing not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2099 Other health > 209999 Other health not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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