Synthesizing Historical Events
generalization could be: The Filipino armed forces could not
In writing a history, there are certain problems or processes
involved among which are the following:
IDENTIFICATION AND DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM
History writing involves identifying and defining the
problem. Then, the problem must be delimited to a
reasonable scope. Perhaps, it is wise for the researcher to
select a problem which his professional competence may
enable him to tackle. There re historical research problems
that are very complex, even incapable of solution, and the
researcher should be able to determine a kind of problem
which he is capable of solving.
FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS
After identifying and defining the problem, the historical
researcher should formulate hypothesis or hypotheses to
be guided in the investigation. Without any hypothesis,
searching for facts would be aimless. The hypothesis should
state exactly what
historical data must be found. It should be noted that in
historical research, the hypothesis need not be expressly
stated. The specific questions raised at the beginning of the
inquiry serve as the hypotheses. For example, if one makes
a research on and writes a history about the Fil-American
war, one hypothesis may be the following: Why were the
Filipino forces defeated by the American forces? This
question or hypothesis points out exactly what data have to
be found: the data showing why the Filipino forces were
defeated by the American forces.
INDUCTIVE DEDUCTIVE REASONING
In inductive reasoning, related particulars are given first,
that lead to a formulation of a generalization but, in
deductive reasoning the generalization is given first before
giving the particulars. Example: In the hypothesis Why
were the Filipino forces defeated by the American Forces
during the Fil-American war? Generally, one historical
event is not made to happen by the only one cause, there
must be several causes. So, in determining why the Filipino
forces were overwhelmed by the American forces, several
points have to be considered. Had the Filipino soldiers
inferior arms? Did they lack adequate military training? Did
they lack efficient military organization? Did they lack an
effective unified command? Was there enmity ( a very deep
unfriendly feeling) between President Aguinaldo and his
military generals? If the answer to all these questions is yes,
the inductive generalization would be: During the Fil-
American war, the Filipino soldiers had inferior arms, lacked
adequate military training, lacked efficient military
organizations, lacked effective unified command, and there
was enmity between President Aguinaldo and his generals
and hence, they were defeated by the Philippine Army at
that time was only barely one year old and not much could
be expected from such an army in the face of a well-
organized, well-armed force like the American Army.
If the deductive method of reasoning is used, the
stem the advance of the American armed forces due to the
formers inferior arms, lack of adequate military traini
SYNTHESIZING HISTORICAL EVENTS
In writing a history, there are certain problems or processes
involved among which are:
1. Identification and definition of the problem
The problem must be delimited to a reasonable
scope.
The researcher must select a problem which is
within his professional competence to tackle.
2. Formulation of hypothesis
To guide him in his investigation
Without any hypothesis, he would be searching
for facts aimlessly.
The hypotheses should state exactly what
historical data must be found.
The specific questions raised at the beginning of
the inquiry serve as the hypotheses
3. Inductive-deductive reasoning
In inductive reasoning, related particulars are
given first, that lead to the formulation of a
generalization
In deductive reasoning, the generalization is
given first before giving the particulars.
4. Historical perspective
There are two ways in evaluating historical
events.
First one is to evaluate historical event or
practice in terms of contemporaneous events,
conditions, practices, and traditions existing as
the time the event occurred and in the same
environment.
Second one is to judge the event in terms of
present day events, conditions, practices and
traditions in terms of those existing in other
places which are better known.
5. Central theme or principle of synthesis
In writing the history of some events, institutions,
or regions, there must be a central theme around
which the history is woven.

GUIDELINES TO EFFECTIVE WRITING OF HISTORICAL
RESEARCH
There are certain guidelines to an effective writing of
historical research among which are:
Mastery of materials
o Effective modern historical writing
shows evidence of scholarship,
research, and mastery of materials,
presented without ostentation.
Historians have a good mastery of their
materials before writing their historical
report, not necessarily memorizing the
facts but a full knowledge of the events
they are writing about. May it be added
that the materials must be authentic,
genuine and adequate
Working Outline
o Before note-taking has gone far, a
preliminary outline is necessary to guide
the selection and arrangement of notes;
then, as accumulated material is
digested, the outline can be revised
radically as necessary. Like any other
writing activity, a historian must have a
good working outline before starting to
write. A working outline shows the
direction toward which the writing is
heading to. A good working outline
gives continuity to the writing of the
historical report.
Progression
o Good history has progression; that is, it
moves forward, although it does not
show in mechanical fashion the original
condition, the action, and the results.
This movement of progression should
employ a thesis or principle of synthesis
as a theory of causation to explain the
cause-effect relationships. In writing
history, there must be logical
sequences of events. The causes and
their effects; the effects and their
causes must be given due emphasis.
The whys of events must be stressed.
Emphasis on Major Elements
o The major elements in any place of
effective writing, historical or
otherwise, stand out in bold relief like
the large cities, rivers, bodies of water,
and mountain ranges on a map. A good
working outline, a guiding thesis, and
more detailed generalizations for the
major sections of the work are essential
to the accomplishment of this purpose
and the subordination of the details.
This frequently means that
painstakingly gathered data must be
discarded to promote condensation off
the scene, the main actors and events
of the narrative.
Art of narration
o While the purpose of history is not
primarily to entertain or to please, there
is no reason why good history should
not possess literary excellence. Both the
science of research and the literary art
of narration are essential for effective
historical work. The concept of history
as an art, however, should not be
pushed to the point of filling in missing
details through sheer play of the
imagination, merely for the sake of
completeness and symmetry, as does
the painter or the poet; therefore,
certain gaps or missing links may be a
characteristic of authentic history.
Dramatization, rhetoric and style
o A historical composition can be written
simply and clearly, without excessive
dramatization, exaggerated rhetorical
flourishes, or undue appeal to the
emotions. In other words, historical
writing should possess the
characteristic of a good story.
Dramatization and rhetoric are
frequently overdone when narrating
the splendor of kings and the noise of
battle in political and military history.
DEFICIENCIES IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Borg has pointed out some typical errors found in historical
research conducted by graduate students in education:
(Cited by Manuel and Medel, p.31)
A research area is selected in which
sufficient evidence is not available to
conduct a worthwhile study or test the
hypothesis adequately.
Excessive use of secondary sources of
information is frequently found in
studies not dealing with recent events.
Attempts to work on a broad and poorly
defined problem.
Historical data are poorly and
inadequate evaluated.
Personal biased tends to influence the
research procedures.
The facts are not synthesized or
integrated into meaningful
generalization.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Historical research has five characteristics according to People become more open to change if they are
Helmstadter. (Cited by well informed about the past, especially about
tragic events.
Treece and Treece, Jr., pp. 167-168) People are motivated to respect the contributors
of the people of the past to the present state of
Observations in historical research cannot be
things, especially those of heroes.
repeated in the same manner as in laboratory
experiments and descriptive surveys. It is not a WHEN TO USE HISTORICAL RESEARCH
mere accumulation of facts and data or even a
portrayal of past events. Historical research may be utilized when it is desired to
The researcher must find satisfaction in spending write a history of any of the following:
vast amounts of time in the library and in pursuing
minute details in relation to the topic under Any geographical area or place, say, a historical
study. Involves the process of collecting and site, barangay, town, province, region, country, or
reading the research material collected and the world for that matter.
writing the manuscript from the data collected Any institution, say, a school, a club or
A historical project is usually conducted by one association, courtship and marriage or any other
person. No two investigators would reach the custom, the army, Christmas, government,
same conclusions in a given instance communism, Christianity, etc.
Any important historical event, say, the Battle of
A hypothesis is not always necessary in historical Bataan, the Leyte Landing, the Liberation of
research; inferences are made more often from manila, all of which occurred during the
the bits of information gathered to produce the occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese
general description of the event or the situation. during the World War II, etc.
It deals with discovery of data that already exists
and does not involve creation of data using
structured tools.
The writing style of the written report tends to be
more flexible because the researcher wishes to
present the facts and information in an
interesting manner.
In addition, data are often ideas, concepts, and
opinions and hence, conclusions, generalizations,
and inferences become subjective.
. It is analytical in that it uses logical induction.

No two investigators would reach the same

conclusions in a given instance

IMPORTANCE OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

Historical research is important due to the following:

A study of the past makes people understand the

present better, especially the factors affecting the
present. For instance, the Philippines is a Catholic
nation because for more than three centuries she
was occupied by Spain, a zealous Catholic
propagator, and she will remain Catholic for a
long, long time to come. History has a three-fold
purpose: giving us a knowledge of the past, a
better understanding of the present, and a means
of predicting the future. (Lacuesta, etal, p. vii)
Historical information serves as a preliminary to
reform. Mistakes of the past may be avoided if we
have a knowledge of them.