What are the best ways to ensure transparency in historical research?

1 Use primary sources

Primary sources are the original records or artifacts that were created or used by people who witnessed or participated in the historical events or phenomena under study. Examples of primary sources include letters, diaries, newspapers, photographs, maps, paintings, interviews, and speeches. Primary sources can provide direct and authentic evidence of the past, as well as insights into the perspectives, motivations, and emotions of the historical actors. However, primary sources are not always accurate, complete, or representative of the whole picture, so historical researchers need to use them critically and carefully. To ensure transparency, historical researchers should cite their primary sources properly, explain how they obtained, selected, and analyzed them, and acknowledge any gaps, biases, or uncertainties in them.

2 Compare multiple sources

One of the challenges of historical research is that there is often more than one source of evidence for the same event or phenomenon, and these sources may contradict, complement, or complicate each other. For example, different eyewitnesses may have different accounts of the same battle, or different documents may have different dates or names for the same treaty. Therefore, historical researchers need to compare multiple sources of evidence and evaluate their consistency, reliability, and relevance. Comparing multiple sources can help historical researchers to cross-check facts, identify discrepancies, resolve conflicts, and synthesize information. To ensure transparency, historical researchers should show how they compared multiple sources, how they resolved any contradictions or gaps, and how they weighed the strengths and weaknesses of each source.

3 Provide context and interpretation

Historical research is not only about collecting and presenting facts, but also about providing context and interpretation. Context means the background information that helps to explain why, how, when, where, and by whom the historical events or phenomena occurred. Interpretation means the explanation or argument that helps to understand the meaning, significance, and implications of the historical events or phenomena. Historical researchers need to provide context and interpretation to make sense of the past and to connect it to the present and the future. However, context and interpretation are not always objective or neutral, as they may reflect the historical researcher's perspective, bias, or agenda. To ensure transparency, historical researchers should provide evidence and reasoning for their context and interpretation, acknowledge alternative or competing views, and invite feedback and criticism.

4 Follow ethical standards

Historical research is not only a scholarly activity, but also a social responsibility. Historical researchers have ethical obligations to respect the rights, dignity, and privacy of the people and communities involved in or affected by their research, as well as to protect the integrity and preservation of the sources and artifacts they use. Historical researchers also have ethical duties to avoid plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, or misrepresentation of their research, as well as to disclose any conflicts of interest, funding sources, or affiliations that may influence their research. To ensure transparency, historical researchers should follow the ethical standards and guidelines of their discipline, institution, and profession, as well as the laws and regulations of the countries and regions where they conduct their research.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?