When doing research, especially with primary sources, I always get enthralled with the source I am reading.  I always try to understand the situation of the author/ creator and I put myself into his/her shoes.  This type of thinking, admittedly, is not appealing to many.  Far too many individuals have little interest or time to be concerned with history and what it means for the future.  Some find it frivolous and inefficient to finance this style of research; however, it is as important as any other discipline.

Historical research not only gives the reader interesting information, it gives him/her the tools and content to use this newly found information and tell others about it.  With the “nature of archives [varying] as widely as the world itself”, it is impossible to find nothing of value or intrigue.  Educating the populous about their own history is by far the best way to not repeat it.   Whether it’s local or international history, the populous can always learn from the mistakes and successes from our predecessors. From business strategies to engineering techniques, every facet of history, brought about by research, can help the modern world.  It is up to historians to bring forward this information to be made available to all.  It is also up to historical researchers to create the standard for intellectual thinking in history.

((Grafton, Anthony and Grossman, James “Habits of Mind: Why college students who do serious historical research become independent, analytical thinkers.” The American Scholar Winter 2015. ))