Related Literature and Studies 1

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Chemical Engineering
Methods of Research
RELATED LITERATURE
AND STUDIES AND
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
SUBMITTED BY:
BS ChE 4 Group 2
Manzano, Mikaella Gail D.
Saligue, Mikho Yves M.
Sison, Bren A.
Yumul, Maria Lara Angela B.
SUBMITTED TO:
Engr. Milagros R. Cabangon
June 30, 2017
Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Objectives ....................................................................................................... 3
Related Literature and Studies ........................................................................ 4
Importance, Purposes, and Functions of Related Literature and Studies 5
Characteristics of Related Literature and Studies .................................. 6
Sources of Related Literature and Studies ............................................. 7
Where to Locate the Sources of Related Literature and Studies ............. 7
Historical Research ......................................................................................... 7
Definition of History............................................................................... 8
Meaning of Historical Research .............................................................. 9
Four Major Activities in Historical Research ........................................... 4
Internal Criticism .................................................................................. 5
Causative Interpretation of History ...................................................... 15
Synthesizing Historical Events ............................................................. 17
Guidelines to Effective Writing of Historical Research ........................... 18
Deficiencies in Historical Research ...................................................... 19
Characteristics of Historical Research .................................................. 20
Importance of Historical Research........................................................ 20
When to Historical Research ................................................................ 21
References .................................................................................................... 22

OBJECTIVES
General Objective
• To determine the nature of related literature and studies to make the study
of research methods and techniques easier, more practical and
understandable but comprehensive enough
• To define historical research and identify the guidelines to effective

writing of historical research
Specific Objectives
• To determine the importance, purposes, and functions of related literature

and studies
• To enumerate the characteristics of related literature and studies
• To identify the sources of related literature and studies
• To determine where to locate the sources of related literature and studies
• To identify four major activities done in making historical research;
• To identify different sources of historical data;
• To identify and differentiate two types of critical analysis of historical data,

and to identify the purposes of external criticism;
• To identify the synthesis of historical events
• To identify the guidelines to effective writing of historical research
• To identify the deficiencies in historical research
• To identify the characteristics of historical research
• To determine the importance of historical research and when to use

historical research

RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related literature is composed of discussions of facts and principles to
which the present study is related. For instance, if the present study deals with
drug addiction, literature to be reviewed or surveyed should be composed of
materials that deal with drug addiction. These materials are usually printed and
found in books, encyclopedias, professional journals, magazines, newspapers,
and other publications.
These materials are classified as
1. Local, if printed in the Philippines; and

2. Foreign, if printed in other lands.
Related studies, on the other hand, are studies, inquiries, or investigations

already conducted to which the present proposed study is related or has some
bearing or similarity. They are usually unpublished materials such as
manuscripts, these, and dissertations.
They may be classified as
1. Local, if the inquiry was conducted in the Philippines; and

2. Foreign, if conducted in foreign lands.
Importance, Purposes, and Functions of Related Literature and Studies
A survey or review of related literature and studies is important because

such reviewed literature and studies serve as a foundation of the proposed study.
This is because related literature and studies guide the researcher in pursuing
his research venture. Reviewed literature and studies help or guide the
researcher in the following ways:
1. They help or guide the researcher in searching for or selecting a better

research problem or topic. By reviewing related materials, a replication of
a similar problem may be found better than the problem already chose.
Replication is the study of a research problem already conducted but in
another place.
2. They help the investigator understand his topic for research better.
Reviewing related literature and studies may clarify vague points about his
problem.
3. They ensure that there will be no duplication of other studies. There is
duplication if an investigation already made is conducted again in the

same locale using practically the same respondents. This is avoided if a

survey of related literature and studies be made first.
4. They help and guide the researcher in locating more sources of related
information. This is because the bibliography of a study already conducted
indicate references about similar studies.
5. They help and guide the researcher in making his research design
especially in
a. The formulation of specific questions to be researched on;
b. The formulation of assumptions and hypotheses if there should be any;
c. The formulation of conceptual framework;
d. The selection and application of the methods of research;
e. The selection and application of sampling techniques;
f. The selection and/or preparation and validation of research
instruments for gathering data;
g. The selection and application of statistical procedures;
h. The analysis, organization, presentation, and interpretation of data;
i. The making of the summary of implications for the whole study; and
j. The formulation of the summary of findings, conclusions, and
recommendations.
6. They help and guide the researcher in making comparison between his
findings with the findings of other researchers on similar studies with the
end in view of formulating generalizations or principles which are the
contributions of the study to the fund of knowledge.
Characteristics of Related Literature and Studies
There are certain characteristics of related materials that make them of

true value. Among these characteristics are:
1. The surveyed materials must be as recent as possible. This is important

because of the rapid social, economic, scientific, and technological
changes. Findings several years ago may be of little value today because
of the fast changing life style of the people.
There are exceptions, however. Treatises that deal on universals or

things of more or less permanent nature may still be good today. There are
mathematical laws and formulas and statistical procedures that had been
formulated a long, long time ago which are being used today with very,

very little improvement. This is also true with natural and physical law.
Books on these, though written a long time ago, are still being cited today.
Another exception is when a comparison or contrast is to be made

between the conditions of today and those of a remote past, say ten or
twenty years ago. Naturally, literature and studies about that remote past
have to be surveyed and reviewed.
2. Materials reviewed must be objective and unbiased. Some materials are

extremely or subtly one-sided, either political, or religious, etc.
Comparison with these materials cannot be made logically and validly.
Distorted generalizations may result.
3. Materials surveyed must be relevant to the study. Only materials that have
some bearing or similarity to the research problem at hand should be
reviewed.
4. Surveyed materials must have been based upon genuinely original and true
facts or data to make them valid and reliable. There are cases where
fictitious data are supplied just to complete a research report (thesis or
dissertation). Of course, this kind of deception is hard to detect and to
prove. Thus, this is a real problem to honest researchers.
5. Reviewed materials must not be too few nor too many. They must only be
sufficient enough to give insight into the research problem or to indicate
the nature of the present investigation. The number may also depend upon
the availability of related materials. Sometimes there is a paucity of such
materials. Ordinarily, from ten or fifteen related materials are needed for
a master’s thesis and from fifteen to twenty-five for a doctoral dissertation
depending upon their availability, as well as their depth and length of
discussions. For an undergraduate thesis, from five to ten may do. The
numbers, however, are only suggestive and not imperative nor mandatory.
These are only the average numbers observed from theses and
dissertations surveyed by this author.
Sources of Related Literature and Studies
The sources of related literature and studies may include the following:
1. Books, encyclopedias, almanacs, and other similar references.

2. Articles published in professional journals, magazines, periodicals,
newspapers, and other publications.

3. Manuscripts, monographs, memoirs, speeches, letters, and diaries.

4. Unpublished theses and dissertations.
5. The Constitution, and laws and statures of the land.
6. Bulletins, circulars, and orders emanating from government offices and
departments, especially from the Office of the President of the Philippines
and the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
7. Records of schools, public and private, especially reports of their activities.
8. Report from seminars, educational or otherwise.
9. Official reports of all kinds, educational, social, economic, scientific,
technological, political, etc. from the government and other entities.
Where to Locate the Sources of Related Literature and Studies
Generally, the sources of related literature and studies are located in the
following places:
1. Libraries, either government, school, or private libraries.

2. Government and private offices.
3. The National Library
4. The Library of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
DEFINITION OF HISTORY
The origin of the word history means the search for knowledge and the
truth, a searching to find out. It is defined as any integrated narrative or
description of past events or facts written in a spirit of critical inquiry for the
whole truth (Good & Scates, 2003).
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Historical research or historical method of research is a process of

selecting the area or topic to write the history about, collecting data about events
that occurred in the area or about the topic, collating the idea, sifting the
authentic from non-authentic, and then making an interpretative narrative

about or critical inquiry into the whole truth of the events. Historical research
describes what occurred in the past and then makes a critical inquiry into the
truth of what occurred.
Historical research can also be defined as:
• The systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe, explain, and

understand actions or events that occurred sometime in the past.
• There is no manipulation or control of variables as in experimental

research.
• An attempt is made to reconstruct what happened during a certain period

of time as completely and accurately as possible.
Historical research must be interpretative, that is, it describes the present

situations in terms of past events. For example, why are we using English as a
medium of instruction in our schools today? The reason is that the Americans
imposed English as a medium of instruction in our schools when they colonized
the Philippines and the practice persisted up to this day.
There are four major activities in historical research:
a. Choosing and defining the problem

b. Collecting the data
c. Critically analyzing the data
d. Writing the research report
CHOOSING THE PROBLEM
A research problem is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis

of the research paper. The problem under investigation offers us an occasion for
writing and a focus that governs what we want to say. It represents the core

subject matter of scholarly communication, and the means by which we arrive

at other topics of conversations and the discovery of new knowledge and
understanding.
In choosing the historical research problem, the researcher must consider

the resources, availability of data, time constraint, and his professional
competence. The researcher must be able to finance the research project if no
outside funding is available. The data must also be adequate and accessible and
the researcher must be able to finish the project within a reasonable period of
time. Also, there must be enough competence and effort to carry the project into
completion.
COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL DATA
There are many sources from which historical data may be gathered. These
sources may be summarized as follows:
A. Primary Sources Of Information

Primary Sources of Information are direct outcomes of events or the records
of eyewitnesses.
 Original Documents
Written sources such as legislative acts, records of proceedings and
orders, circulars, bulletins, records of court trials, deliberations,
census, contracts, treaties, executive agreements, school records,
instructional materials, etc.
 Relics and Remains

a. Physical: historic sites, roads, aqueducts, pyramids, fortifications,
buildings, furniture, pottery, implements and tools, weapos or arms,
human remains, clothing, food, dwellings, utensils, machinery,
monuments, means of communication and transportation,
skeletons, fossils, etched stones, tablets, and walls, plans of
building, or pictures of all sorts.
b. Non-physical: language, social institutions, products of the mind,
business records, literature, manners, customs, and ceremonies.

 Artifacts
An artifact is an object made by a human being, typically an item of
cultural or historical interest. It can also be defined as something
observed in a scientific investigation or experiment that is not naturally
present but occurs as a result of the preparative or investigative
procedure.
B. Secondary Sources Of Information

Secondary Sources Of Information are information provided by a person who
did not directly observe the event, object, or condition.
 Textbooks
Historical textbooks are used as a standard work for the study of an
event that occurred in the past.
 Encyclopedias
An encyclopedia or encyclopaedia is a reference
work or compendium providing summaries of information from either
all branches of knowledge or from a particular field or discipline.
 Newspapers and Periodicals

Newspapers and periodicals with news items, news notices,articles,
advertisements, chronicles, and annals.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL DATA
All data in historical research have to be subjected to a critical analysis to

determine, first, their authenticity or genuineness and second, to determine the
truth of statements therein. There are two kinds of criticism employed in
analyzing historical documents: external and internal criticism.
External Criticism
External criticism is used to determine the authenticity or genuineness of a

historical document. Considered are the factors that may have influenced the
production of the document such as authorship, time, place, purpose, and
circumstances or composition, and what part of the document is true to the

original. The following questions illustrate the problems of external criticism,

which are also useful in internal criticism:
1. Who was the author, not merely what was his name but what were his
personality, character, position, and so forth?
2. What were his general qualifications as areporter- alertness, character,
bias?
3. What were his special qualifications and disqualifications as a reporter of
the matters here treated?
a. How was he interested in the events related?
b. How was he situated for observation of the events?
c. Had he the necessary general and technical knowledge for learning and
reporting the events?
4. How soon, after the events, was the document written? For one purpose, the
century of composition may be sufficient; for another the very hour may be
essential.
5. How was the document written, from memory, after consultation with
others, after checking the fact s, or by combining earlier trial drafts?
6. How is the document related to other documents?
a. Is it an original source; wholly or in part?
b. If the latter, what parts are original; what are borrowed; whence? How
credible are the borrowed materials?
c. How accurately is the borrowing done?
d. How is the borrowed material changed; how is it used?
Use of auxillary sciences. There are auxillary sciences that help in

determining the authenticity and genuineness of a document among which are:
1. Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions and the art of deciphering them.
2. Diplomatics is the science of charters and diplomas and includes a

knowledge of the practices of chanceries and of the forms used in them.
3. Paleography is the study of writing, which has a history all its own. The
writing of a given scriptorium is usually quite characteristic. Besides,

handwriting varies from age to age so that it alone is often quite competent
to locate a manuscript in time.
4. Philology in all its branches is of the greatest use in determining date and
authenticity. To give some elementary examples, the word choose was in the
eighteenth century frequently spelled chuse, clothes was spelled cloathes,
entire, intire, and so on.
5. Archaeology, anthropology, and prehistory in general have had the greatest

influence upon the study of history; and the first of these might almost be
called the science of remains.
6. Chemistry and the paper-maker’s art may be able to say, and have often
said, that a given document, written on woodpulp, for example, and with a
particular ink, cannot be older than the definite data when these materials
were first manufactured. Coins and medals are often of great historical
value. Indeed, there is no field or item of human knowledge that may not be
called upon to give evidence for or against the genuineness of some
particular document or remains.
Purposes of external criticism. The purpose of external criticism, utilizing the

above auxillary sciences is to detect the following:
1. Forgeries and hoaxes. Forgeries and hoaxes are done as follows:

a. A forger removes the name of the originator of an important document
by some means and places his name or other’s name instead. The forger
becomes the originator of the document or the person whose name he
places.
b. If the document speaks of great deeds attributed to a certain person,
the forger deletes the name of the person who accomplished the feat
and places his name or some other’s name.
c. A forger copies an important document, either on paper, baked clay, or
stone, and places his name or some other’s name to show that he or
his hero made the document or accomplished the deed mentioned.
d. A person with a certain motive writes a document which he attributes
to the important petition by signing the name of the latter in the

document. Certain letters have been attributed to persons who have

never made them.
2. Authorship, time, and filtation of documents. This problem of determining

authorship and time of a document usually occurs with persons who
employ ghost writers. For instances, speeches of heads of states are
usually written by their respective staffs and it is difficult to determine who
the real authors of such speeches are.
3. Incorrect borrowings. Incorrect borrowings occur as follows:

a. When one copies an original work without acknowledging the
originator of the work and passes that as his own;
b. When there are errors in copying the text of the original material; and
c. When the one borrowing misinterprets the ideas being portrayed by
the original material.
4. Inventions and distortions. Inventions and distortions are made in the

following ways:
a. A historian invents speeches or orations which are supposed to have
been delivered by great men of history just to project his own
philosophy or ideas.
b. Anecdotes are created to enhance the prestige of an adored hero.
c. Original works of great men are edited and corrected for poor grammar
but in so doing, distortions occur. The corrected copy may no longer
contain the original idea.
INTERNAL CRITICISM
Internal criticism is the process of determining the true meaning and value
of statements in a document. Internal criticism is positive if efforts are made to
discover the true meaning of the contents of a document; it is negative if efforts
are exerted to find reasons for disbelieving the contents of the document.
Principles of Internal Criticism
1. Do not read into earlier documents the conceptions of latter times.

2. Do not judge an author ignorant of certain events, necessarily because he
fails to mention them, or they did not occur for some reason.

3. Underestimating a source is no less an error than overestimating in the

same degree, and the is no more virtue in placing and event too late than
in placing it too early by the same number of years or centuries
4. A single true source may establish the existence of an idea but other direct,
competent, independent witnesses are required to prove the reality of
events or objective facts.
5. Identical errors prove the dependence of sources on each other, or a
common source.
6. If witnesses contradict each other on a certain point, one or the other may
be true, but both may be in error.
7. Direct, competent, independent witnesses who report the same central fact
and also many peripheral matters in a casual way may be accepted for the
points of their argument.
8. Official testimony, oral or written, must be compared with unofficial
testimony whenever possible, for neither one nor the other is sufficient.
9. A document may provide competent and dependable evidence on certain
points, yet carry now weight in respect to others it mentions.
Specific problems of internal criticism
1. What did the author mean by this particular statement? What is its real
meaning as distinguished from its mere literal meaning?
2. Was the statement made in good faith?
a. Had the author interest in deceiving the reader?
b. Was the author under pressure to tell the untruth?
c. Was he influenced by sympathy or antipathy to tell the untruth?
d. Did vanity influence him?
e. Was he influenced by public opinion?
f. Is there evidence of literary or dramatic motives to distort the truth
3. Was the statement accurate?
a. Was the author a poor observer because of mental defect or
abnormality?
b. Was the author badly situated in time and place to observe?
c. Was the author negligent or indifferent?
d. Was the fact of such a nature could not be directly observed?
e. Was the author a mere witness or a trained observer?
4. When it appears that the author was not the original observer, it is
necessary to determine the truth and accuracy of his sources of
information.

The competence of the observer must also be considered. The observations of

a competent observer should be given more credence than the observations of a
casual observer because the former can focus his attention to the more
significant aspects of the situation observed which the latter may not be able to
do.
Tests of truthfulness and honesty
A potentially competent witness may actually know the truth, but for some
reason may reveal it only in part or in a distorted form.
1. What is the personal or vested interest of the author?

2. To what race, nation, party, region, sect, social level, economic group or
profession does the observer belong which may introduce bias or
prejudice?
3. To what extent is the statement a conventional form where set formulas
rather than true sentiments are expressed?
4. Is there evidence of vanity or boasting?
5. Does the author want to please some particular individual, group, or even
the general public?
6. Are exaggerations or embellishments in the form of literary artifices and
rhetorical flourishes employed to produce the desired effect?
CAUSATIVE INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY
There are some factors that are believed to cause the happenings of
historical events
General Philosophies of History
General philosophies of history are broader in scope than specific schools

of historical interpretation and general philosophies do not lend themselves to
practical tests of workability.
1. The Greek and Roman historians viewed Fate as controlling human

destiny.
2. The Christian philosophy of history was based on the dominant ideas of
divine concern for mankind and of changes in history as slowly tending
toward the progress and universality of true religion.
3. According to Voltaire’s rationalistic theory, the events of history were
attributable not to design but to chance or occurrence.

4. Hegel’s doctrine was that every epoch in history was inspired and
dominated by some specific idea.
5. The Darwinian theory of evolution, as applied to history, means that in
social institutions, as well as in the animal kingdom, the rule of survival
of the fittest applies and that acquired characteristics of society are passed
on to succeeding generations.
6. The Marxian philosophy applied to history is that the mode of production
of economic life primarily determines the general character of the social,
political, and cultural processes of life, which shifts as the economic
foundation changes.
7. Since the World War of 1914-1918 a rhythm-philosophy explains history
as a series of pulsations, the swing and counter swing of the pendulum, a
series of summer-fall-winter-spring seasons with the present period
representing a very bleak season in civilization and world affairs.
Specific schools of historical interpretation
1. The personal, biographical, or “great-man” theory is the best known and

has been emphasized most by the conventional historians. It holds that
the great personalities of history are the main causative factors in
historical development, and that history is collective biography.
2. The spiritual or idealistic interpretation of history is found in the discovery
of spiritual forces cooperating with geographic and economic factors to
produce truly personal conditions and human activities, finding
expressions in social relations for the more complete subjection of physical
nature to human welfare.
3. The scientific and technological theory views human progress as directly
correlated with the advances in natural science and technology,
emphasizing that the prevailing state of scientific knowledge and its
technical interpretation will determine the existing modes of economic life
and activities.
4. The economic school of historical interpretation contends that the
prevailing type of economic institutions and processes in society will, in a
large measure, determine the nature of resulting social institutions and
culture.
5. The geographical theory holds that the actions of man cannot be fully
understood or adequately described when divorced from their physical
setting.

6. Sociological interpretation of history draws from sociology (the science of

the life and activities of men in groups) a knowledge of both the causes
and results of group life as the basis for a generalized view of the social
process and of social causation.
7. The relatively recent synthetic, eclectic, pluralistic, or “collective
psychological” theory is considered the most inclusive and most important
type of historical interpretation, holding that no single category of causes
is sufficient to explain all phases and periods of historical development
and that only the collective psychology of any period is strong enough to
dominate the attendant historical development.
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 why’s 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 Helmstadter. (Cited by
Treece and Treece, Jr., pp. 167-168)
 Observations in historical research cannot be repeated in the same

manner as in laboratory experiments and descriptive surveys.
 The researcher must find satisfaction in spending vast amounts of time in
the library and in pursuing minute details in relation to the topic under
study.
 A historical project is usually conducted by one person.
 A hypothesis is not always necessary in historical research; inferences are
made more often from the bits of information gathered to produce the
general description of the event or the situation.
 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. 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.
 People become more open to change if they are well informed about the
past, especially about tragic events.
 People are motivated to respect the contributors of the people of the past
to the present state of things, especially those of heroes.
WHEN TO USE HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Historical research may be utilized when it is desired to write a history of any of

the following:
 Any geographical area or place, say, a historical site, barangay, town,

province, region, country, or the world for that matter.
 Any institution, say, a school, a club or association, courtship and
marriage or any other custom, the army, Christmas, government,
communism, Christianity, etc.
 Any important historical event, say, the Battle of Bataan, the Leyte
Landing, the Liberation of manila, all of which occurred during the
occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese during the World War II,
etc.
REFERENCES
Ardales, V. B. (1992). Basic Concepts and Methods in Research.
Ariola, D. M. (2006). Principles and Methods of Research.
Gonzales, E. C., & Calderon, J. F. (1993). Methods of Research and Thesis

Writing. Mandaluyong City: National Book Store, Inc.


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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology

June 30, 2017

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 1

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 2

• To define historical research and identify the guidelines to effective

• To determine the importance, purposes, and functions of related literature

• To enumerate the characteristics of related literature and studies

• To identify the sources of related literature and studies

• To determine where to locate the sources of related literature and studies

• To identify four major activities done in making historical research;

• To identify different sources of historical data;

• To identify and differentiate two types of critical analysis of historical data,

• To identify the synthesis of historical events

• To identify the guidelines to effective writing of historical research

• To identify the deficiencies in historical research

• To identify the characteristics of historical research

• To determine the importance of historical research and when to use

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 3

RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

These materials are classified as

1. Local, if printed in the Philippines; and

Related studies, on the other hand, are studies, inquiries, or investigations

They may be classified as

1. Local, if the inquiry was conducted in the Philippines; and

Importance, Purposes, and Functions of Related Literature and Studies

A survey or review of related literature and studies is important because

1. They help or guide the researcher in searching for or selecting a better

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 4

same locale using practically the same respondents. This is avoided if a

Characteristics of Related Literature and Studies

There are certain characteristics of related materials that make them of

1. The surveyed materials must be as recent as possible. This is important

There are exceptions, however. Treatises that deal on universals or

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 5

Another exception is when a comparison or contrast is to be made

2. Materials reviewed must be objective and unbiased. Some materials are

Sources of Related Literature and Studies

1. Books, encyclopedias, almanacs, and other similar references.

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 6

3. Manuscripts, monographs, memoirs, speeches, letters, and diaries.

Where to Locate the Sources of Related Literature and Studies

1. Libraries, either government, school, or private libraries.

Historical research or historical method of research is a process of

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 7

Historical research can also be defined as:

• The systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe, explain, and

• There is no manipulation or control of variables as in experimental

• An attempt is made to reconstruct what happened during a certain period

Historical research must be interpretative, that is, it describes the present

There are four major activities in historical research:

a. Choosing and defining the problem

CHOOSING THE PROBLEM

A research problem is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 8

subject matter of scholarly communication, and the means by which we arrive

In choosing the historical research problem, the researcher must consider

COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL DATA

A. Primary Sources Of Information

 Relics and Remains

Related Literature and Studies and Historical Research 9

B. Secondary Sources Of Information

 Newspapers and Periodicals