Heuristics, criticism and synthesis

Historical research proceeds in three linked stages: heuristics, the discovery and collection of sources; criticism, the testing of their authenticity and reliability; and synthesis, the building of a coherent interpretation from what survives testing. A concrete example is a forged or misdated inscription: heuristics finds it in an archive or museum, external criticism checks its script and material, internal criticism tests whether its claims fit what is known, and only then can synthesis use it. This chapter explains each stage and how they guard against error.