History is written by people with perspectives. Historiography is the study of how history has been written, the methods and assumptions historians have used, and the ways interpretations change over time.

It examines classic works, national traditions, and shifting fashions—political narrative, social history, cultural history, global history. Questions of evidence, causation, and narrative structure recur. Historiography also considers the institutional settings in which history is produced: universities, archives, public commemorations.

Understanding historiography helps readers recognize that any historical account is constructed rather than simply found. It encourages critical reading of both older and newer works. The field itself evolves as new sources, methods, and social concerns reshape the questions historians ask.

• Study of historical writing and interpretation
• Examines methods, assumptions, and change over time
• Includes national and thematic traditions
• Encourages critical reading of historical accounts