THE DEAD DONT ANSWER QUESTIONNAIRES - RESEARCHING AND WRITING HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

The focus of studies in historical geography upon some time or period in the past rather than in the present means that historical geography is constrained in ways that the practice of contemporary human geogra phy is not. This paper considers some of the general problems encounte red in researching and writing historical geography. In relation To re search, it examines the identification of a research topic, and discus ses the problems associated with making geographical interpretations f rom historical sources. It then addresses the issues which have to be resolved when writing historical geography. It concludes by affirming both the individual pleasure to be derived from work in historical geo graphy and the mutual benefits to be gained from a dialogue between hi storical geographers and contemporary human geographers in their commo n search for historical understanding.