What is historiography?

Historiography is simply the study of history itself. It's about looking at how historians have developed their ideas over time and what tools they have had at their disposal to best form an argument. Unlike history, historiography is based less on empirical fact on more on how a historian may write, what context they were working in and how the subject was viewed. Herodotus, the so called father of history wrote lengthy articles often merging mythical beasts with historically attested fact. Modern historians, such as Ian Kershaw, perhaps the most prolific scholar of Nazi Germany, choose to instead critically analyse data to present the most likely form of truth. As you can see, history adapts with society.

OR
Answered by Oscar R. History tutor

7098 Views

See similar History GCSE tutors

Related History GCSE answers

All answers ▸

The main reason the Nazi party gained popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s was due to Hitler as a charismatic and effective leader.


How should you structure a question worth 8 marks?


How do I view a historical source?


How do I analyse a source?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning