Historical Methods

Researchers in childhood studies often find it valuable to use a diversity of methodologies in their work; it is not uncommon for scholars in the social sciences or literature to turn to historical methods to flesh out their projects. This entry provides an overview of the most commonly used methodologies in historical research involving children and youth, and briefly discusses their benefits and limitations. Scholars who focus on the history of childhood and youth employ methods similar to their colleagues in other historical specialties but encounter particular methodological challenges in working with historical source materials created by, for, or about young people.

Broadly speaking, it is reasonable to understand the origins of the history of childhood and youth as another branch of the new social history ...