Not all historians work to publish their findings about history in books and articles. Some historians work to convey knowledge about history to the public in public spaces and in public ways. Listen to our interview with Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, on why it’s important for historians to reach multiple audiences with their work and how museums allow them to reach those audiences.

Karin Wulf, a Professor of History at William & Mary and the Executive Director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture, reveals why early Americans were interested in genealogy and how they practiced it; Early American and European institutions that encouraged early Americans’ interest in family history; And, why it’s important for both historians and genealogists to understand the history of genealogy.

In this episode of the “Doing History: How Historians Work” series, we investigate the world of genealogical research with Joshua Taylor, President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and a professional genealogist. During our investigation, Josh reveals information about professional genealogists and their research process; Where genealogists look for information and the digital resources they use; And, the role DNA plays in genealogical research.

During our conversation, William and Mary Quarterly Editor Joshua Piker reveals an overview of why historians view history as a process; Different publication opportunities for historians and how publication fits within the process of history; And a look at what it takes to publish in the premier journal of early American history and culture.

In this episode, we explore how historians write about history with John Demos, the Samuel Knight Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University and an award-winning historian. During our conversation, John reveals what the new social and new narrative schools of history are and what it’s like to write about history in those genres; How John decides whether he should write a book about his research topics; And, how John approaches writing and has developed his writing skills over time.

In this episode, Billy Smith, a Professor of History at Montana State University, leads us on an exploration of how historians organize and access their research. He uses his own research into the 70,000 people who lived in Philadelphia during the late 18th century and shares how he collected, organized, and accesses his research about those early Philadelphians. He also looks at how historians’ research organizational methods have changed over the last 30 years.

Sharon Block, a Professor of History at the University of California-Irvine, serves as our guide through how historians conduct historical research online. During our exploration, Sharon reveals how the digital age has changed and added to the ways historians research; How historians research history online; And, how we can locate historical information online.

In this episode, Michael McDonnell, an Associate Professor of History at the University of Sydney, takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of secondary historical sources and how historians use them to add to our knowledge about the past. Mike reveals who the Anishinaabeg peoples were and how they lived during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; And, what historians mean by historiography and how they use it to research and write new history books and articles.

What do historians do with historical sources when they find them? How do they read them for information about the past? Zara Anishanslin, an Assistant Professor of History at CUNY’s College of Staten Island, leads us on an exploration of how historians read historical sources by taking us through the documents and objects left behind by four everyday people.

Historians research the past through historical sources. But what are the materials that tell historians about past peoples, places, and events? Find out with James Horn, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation.

Historians research history in archives. But how do you gain access to one? And how do you use an archive once you find that it likely contains the information you seek? Find out with archives expert Peter Drummey.

How did enslaved African and African American women experience slavery? What were their daily lives like? And how do historians know as much as they do about enslaved women? Today, we explore the answers to these questions with Jennifer L. Morgan, a Professor of History and Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University and our guide for an investigation into how historians research history.

A look at how average, poor, and enslaved men and women lived their day-to-day lives in the early United States with historian Simon P. Newman.

History is about people, but what do we know about the people behind history’s scenes? Who are the people who tell us what we know about our past? And how do they come to know what they know? This is the first episode in the Doing History series.