Community College of Denver: History 

Doing History

The Detective Process

Like a good detective, a good historian is concerned first and foremost with facts.  Any explanation of what happened must be supported by evidence, otherwise it is pure opinion.  While there is certainly a place for opinion in the writing of history, opinions not supported by the facts get shot down very quickly and have little or no influence. So it is best to think of historical evidence rather than historical facts.

Your first task as you begin to think like an historian is to learn how to think like a detective.  Although he is a creation of the novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes remains the model for the modern criminal detective.  His devotion to evidence, his belief that one cannot form theories until one is in full command of the evidence, and his creativity when faced with a lack of evidence, would make any historian proud.

The best way to get a feel for how Holmes worked, and therefore, how historians work, is to read an account of his efforts.  Although there are many dozen chapters in Holmes' casebook, you should read Silver Blaze.  As you read, take careful note of the process Holmes follows...that is, how he acquires various pieces of evidence and what he does with them, how he tests various theories, and so on.  In particular, note the passage that I have highlighted in bold type about the dog that did not bark.

When you are done, take a few minutes to reflect on what lessons you can learn from this story that you will be able to apply to your study of history in the coming semester.  Write them down in an organized fashion.  Be sure to bring whatever you write with you to class, because we will be discussing your ideas there.

From Mills Kelly