History Lab: Qualitative Research Methods

What does a historian’s craft consist of, and how do researchers address the debates around the issue of primary evidence? This video series examines a variety of historical sources employed by researchers in their academic and professional work. Victor Apryshchenko, a visiting scholar at the Gagarin Center at Bard College, conceptualized this project and conducted these compelling interviews. Maria Sonevytsky, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Music at Bard College, discusses the richness and challenges of using folklore in her research on post-Soviet Ukraine. Artur Markowski, Associate Professor of History at the University of Warsaw, describes his use of maps in examining anti-Jewish violence in the territories of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 19th and 20th centuries. Anastasia Valeeva explores how data can be used in various ways that contribute to historical research and news reportage in her capacity as a data reporter and trainer. These interviews offer a critical analysis of the different types of primary sources as a significant tool in the historian’s craft.