Doctor
of Historical science, Professor
Mukhatova Orazgul Khasenovna
Kazakh
State University after Al Farabi
Historiography source
It’s very important to search
and find out historiography fact and historiography source at the same time.
There are many historical monuments, manuscripts, folklore materials, statistic editions,
archive documents which serve as sources. They are very important for science
researches in history. K.M. Atabayev
stated: “there are so many historical sources on their quantity and volume but
their contests and types are very different. That’s why to find a right way in
historical researches and using them properly demands its classification
problem”. On other hand, it is dividing sources on their common qualifications
and special sign categories.
There are not many discussions
about peculiarity of historiography sources. However this conception appeared
more than two centuries ago. But there were not special researches, any works
on it types, names and explanations.
But some ideas and opinions about historiography sources were mentioned
in works of M.V.Nechkina, I.D.Koval’chenko, L.N.Pushkarev, E.I.Gorodetski,
S.O.Shmidt, B.P.Naumov, M.S.Volin, B.B.Ivanov, M.A.Varshavchik [2].They
amplified the concept of historiography sources.
L.N. Pushkarev in the beginning
of the research stage gave the following definition on the above mentioned
concept:
“… We can classify to historiography source any historical source which
contains any historical information” [3].
In comparison with
L.N.Pushkarev S.O. Shmidt gave more acceptable definition of historiography
source. Scientist declared that “historiography source is any source which can
help to find out historical phenomenon” [4].
Basing his opinion N.Pushkarev
showed that manuscripts are the main type of historiography sources. He
indicated that without folklore materials, ethnography information, designs and
sound recording documents impossible to do any research. Further to above he
concluded: “Any historical source which has relation to historiography science
can be a historiography source” [5].
This kind of conception
generated disagreement from E.N. Gorodetski and he had to ask next question:
“is it possible to consider sources that can not make any influence to history
development and do not content direct information about the Science History as
historiography sources?”.
Giving some examples from the history of science a scientist makes
upon conclusion: “conception of the historiography source demands extended
definition, it can include itself only important materials that will help to
understand evolution of history science” [6]. In fact, to refer to
historiography sources only direct sources don’t give an opportunity to predict
past and future of the History of Science.
To historiography sources we
need to refer all sources and materials related to research whole history. Only
in this way it’s possible to develop main theories, phenomenons, problems, and
historical opinions, their theoretical and methodical sides.
L.N.Pushkarev could give the
definition of historiography sources and at the same time he put the problem of
their classification. Scientist said that classification diagram of
historiography sources, their types depend on the aim of n historian [7]. But
other scientists were disagreeing with him. For example, E.N.Gorodetski pointed
out that in this case classification we can lose its real base. S.O Shmidt
stated from his side that to put mechanically the concept of the historiography
source no need to divide them to types and criteria’s.
M.A. Varshavchik considering
the sources frame on historiography discovered the new point saying that it is
needed to regard to historiography sources that sources which consider the
evolution of historical knowledge and its progress, future tendencies.
N.N.Maslow gave his different opinion and defines historiography sources as an
article, a monograph, a research, a manuscript, a stenogram and etc. of a historian [8].
There’s not any special
research on the historiography science, its methodological ways, that’s why
it’s difficult to say anything on opinions about sources in Kazakhstan.
Because of it in historical
works researching of this kind of materials were shown as sources by mistake.
Concluding above mentioned we
can give following definition of the historiography sources: it’s regularity of
finding sources in historiography, their processing and system of knowledge
about using. According to this historiography source defines by historiography subject
and processes in History of Science, information on its status.
They use historiography facts at the same time to define historical
regularity and the determination of development.
This kind of discourse bases
on three concepts: subject of the historiography, scope of the historical fact
and practical using of the historiography source explanation. This kind of
integrated historical concepts must discover the contest of the historiography
sources.
The subject of the
historiography is finding out forthcoming of history and developing of
regularity. It dominates regarding to the historiography sources and determines
frames of used sources.
Academic N.M.Druzhinin paid attention to this question as the
historiography source and he wrote: “ Needed sources…were considered for
science using and they designate exact chosen theme problems” [9] .
This hypothesis explains many sides of historiography source but not all
of them. For a historiographer as for a historian the source is an original
document which gives us a fact.
Historiography regularities define through creative work of the subject
or a historiographer and it doesn’t influence to explanation of sources.
M.B. Nechkina also observed
this problem and gave her own opinion as:
“... demanding only
historiography information which uncover conceptions of sources as a basic requirement
is not enough, because in this case conception of historiography source mixes
with chosen criterias of facts [10]. We
can consider this opinion as a rightful and science-based.
In research historiography sources frame doesn’t unit historiography
scope but at the same time it can be sources which connected conditions that realizing
social function of historiography.
One of the main tasks of methodological analysis of the historiography
source is its raising to the level of historiography facts and its using in the
historical works. To reach it we need to keep a balance between the
historiography source and the historiography fact.
The historiography source and
historiography fact are historical and spiritual phenomenon, they exist out of a
researcher.
However historiography source must accord to all signs of historical
source and their using accept itself main links that set in source discovering
and historiography experience.
If historical source in S.O.Shmidt’s opinion interests historians as
only information keeping tool on historical fact, the historiography source
interests as information about historiography fact.
In source discovering and explanation of dialectic a scientist bases on
common methodical and historical also social principals and on verity of
sources and facts.
On base of historiography sources and facts establish present and past
of History and predict its future. Information that contests in source and fact
is a link which connects them.
Postulate of historiography work considers as its source able status,
source and fact level of research is main sign for historical and
historiography opinion, ideas, science conceptions for their definition of
developing.
There are also distinctions
between them. Historiography fact is wider on its service function than
historiography source.
It explains by several historiography and source studying circumstances.
Any historiography fact can not transfer to a
wide researching source. For example, not whole
dissertations, manuscripts, science discussions, conference materials,
unpublished stenogramms and etc. will be available for all researchers.
Sometimes well known historiography facts will create a new stage
research for incomplete historiography sources. Historiography fact recreates on
the base of sources. Scientific
historiography researches always more complete and full than base of sources
because it concludes not only source information and also bears on theoretical
knowledge.
Among many
historiography sources an historian works are the main of them.
We can consider
dissertations as a historiography source.
Texts of study courses, unpublished originals of manuscripts, diaries,
time letters, biographies, questionnaires, letters and etc. are very important
for a historian. We can also refer study programs and records on historiography
courses to historiography sources.
Periodical and unperiodical
editions are valuable historiography sources.
Bibliographical reviews or published list of literature are also
specific directories on the beginning stage of an historiographer work.
Also very important historiography conferences, symposiums, and other
kind of meeting works on developing of the History of Science methodology.
Among them separates out sources which show the formation of the History
of Science centers, revival, training of scientists and retraining, and materials
based on it.
Also we can consider statistic
materials and books of reference as historiography sources.
Common methodical, historical, social principals are leading criteria’s
to analyze and appreciate historiography sources. They serve to establish
historical regularities.
The list of used literature:
1.
Atabayev K. Source studying base of Kazakhstan
History. Study textbook.-Almaty: Kazakh University.2002. P.31-32.
2.
Methodological and theoretical problems of
History in historical science. Kalinin, 1980; Varshavchik M.A. Study source of
historiography of KPSS history// KPSS History matters.1973.¹11;
3.
Pushkarev L.N.Definition, optimization, and
using of historiography sources//Methodological and theoretical problems of History in historical science. M, 1985. P.102-103.
4.
In the same place. P.112.
5.
Methodological and theoretical problems of History in historical science. P.120.
6.
In the same place. P.120.
7.
In the same place.
8.
Maslov N.N. Several actual issues of
historiography methodology of KPSS History.M., 1983. P.11.
9.
Methodological and theoretical problems.
P.136-137.
10. Nechkina M.V. Methodological and theoretical problems of History in historical science. P.171.