A HISTORY OF IFA IKOT OKPON, ETOI ( FROM EARLIEST TIME TO 2015.)
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
Historical research, sometimes referred to as historiography, means according to Berg (2012) investigation of elements from history. It is a specific type of scientific research work. According to Hendl (2005) is one of the basic approaches of qualitative research. Kerlinger (1972: 673) defines historical research as critical investigation of events, development and experiences of the past, careful consideration of past testimonies from the perspective of information sources validity and subsequent interpretation of the concerned testimonies. It differs from other scientific activities only by the subject matter which is hard to capture – the past – and especially by a difficult task of interpretation influenced by the nature of the unique subject matter. The term historiography comprises a description of methods which we need to do historical research. Collecting historical data is only one part of historiography. Historical research finds its use in various areas.
The past is a source of experience. Ignorance of the past or forgetting it means a loss of an inexpressible value. The folk wisdom say us: “The nation which forgets its history is forced to repeat the same mistakes.” Preceding generations have tried a lot of things. Through a historical research we have the chance to learn from their lives. However, we must keep in mind that not everything from preceding past can be used. If we keep historical memory, we can consider each new phenomenon, whether it has existed before and how it was solved. If we do not have this memory, then we are really doomed to repeat history. Following history of anything is informative, interesting as well as important and reasoned.
