Introduction to the study of history

"Introduction to the Study of History" by Charles Victor Langlois is an academic handbook from the late 1800s that teaches how to study history in a scientific way. The book stresses the importance of using strict methods to find and understand old papers. It treats history like a science, where being able to think critically and using the right methods are needed to get correct information and a good understanding. The beginning of the book talks about “heuristic,” or how to look for papers that are important for historical information. The authors explain that historical papers hold the memory of older times, and they discuss the problems that can occur during cataloging and understanding historical details. Langlois and Seignobos state that historians need to carefully find and categorize the papers to create reliable historical stories, adding that not carefully looking at papers first can lead to inaccurate assumptions. The authors put in place a well-organized framework that highlights the importance of careful research in the study of history, setting the scene for a greater look into historical methods.