Historical Methods in Social Science Research

This training has been organised by the Sustainable Growth, Management and Economic Productivity (SMP) Pathway and is open to all ESRC and non-ESRC funded PhD and MA Social Research students within the WRDTP’s seven partner universities. Whilst this workshop is aimed at SMP Pathway students, PGRs from all seven interdisciplinary Pathways are welcome to attend.

This training event will provide students with practical guide to the use of historical methods in the social sciences, with an emphasis on business and management studies. It will introduce students to the foundational techniques and procedures in historical research, as well as how historical perspectives can be integrated into PhD topics that are contemporary in focus. No prior experience is necessary. The training event will be divided into five workshops.

[1] History, historical debates and historical research in business and management studies. This workshop will explore the different meanings of history, how historiographical debate occurs in relation to business and management studies.

[2] Using historical sources. This workshop will look at how to use historical sources and the role of archives in historical research.

[3] Working across disciplinary boundaries. This workshop will discuss the ways in which the social sciences intersect with history to undertake interdisciplinary research.

[4] Historical context in a non-historical PhD. This workshop will examine the ways that history or historical approaches can be incorporated into a non-historical These can include, for example, fully historical research projects; historical case studies that form part of a wider research project; or using historical methods to provide context to a project PhD project to provide context and temporal perspective.

[5] History in your PhD. In this workshop students will discuss how they might use historical perspectives in their own research projects.

This workshop is delivered in association with the Centre for Contemporary Business History and Society, University of York.

Lunch and Refreshments will be provided. 

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