Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the methodological foundations of historical science, the developmental stages of historical writing, and the scholarly methods used in analyzing historical sources. The first part of the course focuses on historiography: the formation of the discipline of history from ancient times to the modern era, major historical schools and theoretical approaches, the evolution of historical studies in Azerbaijan, and the scholarly contributions of key Azerbaijani historians.
The second part centers on source studies. Students learn about different types of historical sources—written, oral, archaeological, ethnographic, epigraphic, numismatic, and others—their classification, critical analysis, and interpretation. The course teaches students not simply to accept historical facts, but to analyze them through sources, compare differing perspectives, and arrive at objective conclusions. Additionally, the course develops essential skills for evaluating the reliability of sources, identifying falsified materials, and applying basic methodological tools for conducting historical research. Students gain practical experience working with primary materials used in the study of Azerbaijani history, such as ancient chronicles, travelers’ accounts, archival documents, and examples of folklore.
