Historian

Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Collections Specialist; County Historian; Historian; Historic Architectural Resources Curator; Historic Interpreter; Historic Preservation Coordinator; Historic Sites Registrar; Historical Interpreter; Research Historian; Researcher

Tasks

• Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
• Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance.
• Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy.
• Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet.
• Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials.
• Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts.
• Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings.
• Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period.
• Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories.
• Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
• Recommend actions related to historical art, such as which items to add to a collection or which items to display in an exhibit.
• Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives.
• Speak to various groups, organizations, and clubs to promote the aims and activities of historical societies.
• Advise or consult with individuals and institutions regarding issues such as the historical authenticity of materials or the customs of a specific historical period.
• Interview people to gather information about historical events and to record oral histories.

Knowledge

• History and Archeology
• English Language
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Administrative
• Geography
• Education and Training
• Communications and Media

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Writing
• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Active Learning
• Learning Strategies
• Monitoring

Abilities

• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Near Vision
• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Speech Clarity
• Speech Recognition
• Information Ordering
• Fluency of Ideas
• Category Flexibility
• Problem Sensitivity
• Selective Attention