Critical realism in historical research

Starting with the injunction from Margaret Archer that we construct ‘analytical narratives of emergence’, this chapter considers the implications of critical realism for the conduct of historical research. Three areas are identified: concept formation, the status of evidence and the unique nature of historical events. The light that critical realism might shed in each area is outlined before they are illustrated through a concrete account of one particular historical investigation: the development and evolution of management and associated practices in the UK brewing industry from the middle of the nineteenth century until the close of the twentieth. The importance of contrastive explanation is discussed, together with the limitations posed by record survival. The importance of interpretation and the historical imagination are stressed, and critical realism is argued to help here with its emphasis on three core commitments: ontological boldness, epistemological relativism and judgemental rationality.