How To Study History Like a Pro

1. Create a Database

   
   

• Keep a list of sources and authors for different topics

• Download PDFs and webpages--the internet isn’t forever

• Scour books and college syllabi for recommended sources

2. Utilize Free Sources

While studying history in-depth can be expensive, there are tons of places to get information without dropping a penny!

• Public library collections

• Public museum collections

• University & college collections

• Archive.org

• References on Wikipedia Pages 

• Pew Research Center

• Academia.edu

Get even more source recommendations here

3. Take Good Notes

When keeping track of who/what/when/where/why/how, it's a good idea to ask yourself the following:

• What are facts that I don't know? What are new interpretations of things I already know?

• What is the author explaining? What is their tone/bias?  Compare their coverage to other sources on the issue.

• Is there corroborating evidence from other sources? Is there conflicting evidence?

• Is there any interesting information about the date this article/chapter/book was published? Any interesting information about the author?

• Is there any information about the people quoted in the article/chapter/book? Do they pop up in future discourse/events?

• What is proving and disproving my thesis?

4. Create Historiography Timelines

Historiography is the study of historical writing. Knowing the history of historical study on your topics will help you better understand the material.

• When did the subject you’re interested in first become a topic of historical study? Who were the pioneers and what were their interpretations?

• How has that historical study changed over time?

  
  

• Who changed mainstream perceptions about the topic and when? What events were happening when this historian changed the field?

5. Look For Multiple Causes

Historians study causality-- we seek to understand why events happened. This is why its crucial to study a wide variety of topics, no matter how niche! Even when one cause seems to be the only motivation for an event, there are usually other factors:

-Class Woes

-Religious Tension

-Misogyny

-Disease

-Racism

-Birth Rates

-Trade and Commerce

-New Technology

-Etc

6. Limit Presentism

Presentism: Using modern ideas and values to interpret the past

Study the context of the era you’re studying. When it comes to race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc, instead of examining historical subjects with a modern point of view, think about the reality of their time period.  Why did people believe/act the way they did? This will improve your analysis and require you to move past “good” and “evil” binary labels.

7. Read About A Topic From Different Angles

   
   

Let go of your previous assumptions about a topic and dig deeper. Read about a topic from sources you disagree with to find new perspectives. Verify/disprove their opinions and analysis to make your own understanding of the material stronger. 

8. Investigate Sources & Authors

Every historian is biased, despite their attempts to be objective. We all have different blind spots due to culture, upbringing, and identity. This does not make their analysis malicious or wrong-- it just means your job is to investigate their sources and synthesize what you find into your own analysis.