Sources in Nursing Historical Research: A Thorny Methodological Problem

Authors

  • Diana Mansell

Abstract

Professionally trained nurse historians of Canadian nursing have intensified the interest in primary sources and the limitations associated with those sources of Canadian nursing history. These documents often pertain to the activities associated with a professional organization, hospital, or school of nursing. These sources shed light on developments in nursing but only from one perspective, that of leadership. Therefore, the picture of nursing that emerges is one-sided. This situation is not unique to nursing history research. It presents a methodological problem for all areas of historical research. In order to gain a more complete picture, the researcher requires evidence from the rank and file, or from those nurses who carried on with the practice of nursing.

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Published

1999-04-13

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Section

Articles