One can do an economic history of say, the weaving industry, or tobacco production in Spanish times. A history of social movements would include group like pulahanes or colorums and other messianic or millenarian groups. Cultural historical would document the changes in the practices and traditions of a community, and ethnic history could deal with cultural communities such as the tingguians or Apayaos. There is women’s history, now increasingly popular, which focuses on women and their role in the society. Local primary sources are available for all those I have mentioned above. It is up to the researcher to use his creativity and insight in unearthing and retrieving data from local sources.
Some practical guidelines on data-gathering
Most of us are familiar with the process of research, which is basically data-gathering, so I will be brief on these guidelines.
1. Use notecards or notepaper because pieces of paper of a uniform size are easier to carry, to store and organize.
2. Take notes carefully, especially of direct quotes, to ensure accuracy.
3. Do not mix two or more topics or sources in one notecard. It you come across a new topic, start with a new notecard to avoid confusion later.
4. Do not alter data that you encounter just because it goes against what you believe is the correct information or your projected conclusion.
5. Always indicate the source of information, such as the title and data of a document, or the bibliographical data for printed materials such as books, pamphlets or magazines.
6. Organize your materials into primary and secondary sources or according to major topic, or chronologically.
7. Take proper care of primary materials such as old photographs, manuscripts or maps. Such materials are Extremely rare or are one-of-a-king and need special handling
There may be other practical steps which you have found useful, and which work best for you.
Making an outline
Before you begin to write, it would be helpful to prepare an outline as your guide in organizing your date and your narrative:
Introduction-this is a short essay on what topic is about, its scope and time frame, and possibly, what made you choose the topic for your research.
Chronology-this is optional but useful especially for complex narratives, and would help you identify possible conflicting dates of the events that occurred.
Text-the main part of your written account, which contains the bulk of your data, and must be organized and coherent. An outline for this section is also necessary.
Analysis-an explanation of the data you have provided, and cloud include the analytical framework or theory that you employed.
Conclusions and recommendation-based on the text and analysis, a summation of your findings.
Appendix and glossary-usually these are materials which could not be incorporated into the text but would add to the clarity and depth of your research.
Endnotes/footnotes-usually demanded in academic research, but may not always be applicable.
Bibliography-a listing of books and sources used, classified according to whether primary or secondary, published or unpublished, oral or written.
The outline above would usually undergo revision as you work on, but this is be expected, and improvement usually comes with revision.
Writing a historical account: perspectives and concepts
For many filipinos, one must decide first what language to use before writing down a single word, because most of us are bilingual or even trilingual, and have a language of preference when writing. I am not dogmatic about use of a foreign language, unlike some who regard themselves as nationalist historians and would condemn any historical work not written the vernacular (the language of the region), filipino, or English. If you, write in Ilocano, but if you want to reach a wider audience, use Filipino or English. A Filipino’s sense of nationalism is not determined by one’s linguistic preference alone.