Formulating a Historical Research Question
Switzerland and the Council of Europe
Overview and Didactic Goal
This exercise teaches transferable methodological competencies for developing historical research questions. The goal is not to generate a “correct” question, but rather the controlled, reflective interplay between independent historical thinking and AI-assisted exploration.
At the center is a shared case study: Switzerland and the Council of Europe.
The exercise follows a circular understanding of research: results from individual steps can – and should – be revised.
Despite advancing digitization, historical research cannot be conducted entirely online. In particular, out-of-print secondary literature and sources not yet catalogued often require physical research in libraries and archives. Plan for access (library, interlibrary loan, archive) and note that platforms/catalogs structure visibility (cataloging logic) and do not guarantee completeness.(Putnam 2016) Digital source criticism requires special attention to the creation and curation of online collections.(Fickers and Tatarinov 2022)
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of historical research methods
- Basic knowledge of working with generative AI (especially prompting)
If you are not yet familiar with prompting, we recommend completing the Prompt Engineering exercise first.
You can complete this exercise with LLMs from different providers. For this exercise, it is helpful if the LLM has internet access and allows file uploads.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the exercise, you will be able to:
- distinguish between topic, problem statement, and analytical historical research question,
- formulate a precise and workable historical research question,
- use AI systems critically and methodologically controlled for literature and context exploration,
- reflectively assess the source situation and feasibility of a historical research project.
Structure of the Exercise
The exercise is modular in design. Each step contains:
- a clear objective,
- one or more concrete tasks (prompts),
- a work and reflection assignment.
- Conceptual Clarification: What is a historical research question?
- Topic Determination and Historical Overview
- State of Research and Research Gaps
- Source Situation and Feasibility
- Narrowing Down and Formulating the Research Question
- Iterative Revision and Reflection on AI Use
1. Conceptual Clarification: Historical Research Question
Goal
Understanding the differences between topic, problem statement, and analytical historical research question.
Task (AI Exploration)
What is a historical research question?
What elements are contained in a historical research question?If no process description is included:
What steps are necessary to develop a historical research question?Work Assignment (Critical Comparison)
Compare the AI response systematically with:
- History Toolkit (University of Basel)
- Compass for History Studies (University of Zurich) (GERMAN only)
- Guide to Historical Studies (University of Bremen) (GERMAN only)
- Study Guide History Department (University of Hamburg) (GERMAN only)
Identify:
- Agreements,
- Omissions,
- Conceptual shifts or simplifications.
Targeted follow-up questions to the AI:
Why is element X missing?What scientific or didactic sources does your definition rely on?2. Topic Determination and Historical Overview
Goal
Separation of topic and analytical question as well as building solid historical background knowledge.
Topic Framework (Given)
Switzerland and the Council of Europe
(Optional: Dialogic Topic Finding)
You are a historian and help me in dialogue to find a historical topic for a student paper.How does this AI dialogue differ from a conversation with an instructor or a fellow student?
Task (Historical Overview)
Give me a historical overview of the relationship between Switzerland and the Council of Europe.Comparison and Critique
Compare the overview with:
- Dodis: Switzerland and the Council of Europe
- Dodis: Accession to the Council of Europe 1963
- Wikipedia: Council of Europe (use with caution, check the discussion page)
Targeted follow-up questions:
Why is aspect X missing (e.g., neutrality, ECHR, ECtHR)?What sources does this presentation rely on?3. State of Research and Research Gaps
Goal
Distinguishing between descriptive overview and analytical state of research.
Task (Secondary Literature)
Name key historical secondary literature on the relationship between Switzerland and the Council of Europe.Task (Research Gaps)
What open questions or research gaps exist in previous research?Work Assignment
Verify the titles mentioned via https://swisscovery.slsp.ch.
Compare the results with:
- Altermatt and Casasus (2013)
- Historical Dictionary of Switzerland: Council of Europe
Targeted follow-up questions:
Why is work X missing?Why is question Y described as a research gap when it is addressed in work Z?4. Source Situation and Feasibility
Goal
Assessment of whether a research question is workable based on sources.
Task (Primary Sources)
What primary sources are suitable for investigating research question X?If necessary:
Name specific archives, collections, and document types on Switzerland and the Council of Europe.Comparison with Actual Resources
Compare the response with, among others:
- Dodis: Switzerland and the Council of Europe
- Dodis: Accession to the Council of Europe 1963
- Swiss Political Yearbook: Council of Europe
- Official Publications of Switzerland (Federal Archives)
- chgov.bar.admin.ch (Federal Archives)
- e-newspaperarchives.ch (ETH Library Zurich)
- Archives Online (State Archives of Switzerland)
- e-periodica.ch (ETH Library Zurich)
- IMPRESSO Project
- Memobase
- swisscollections.ch
5. Narrowing Down and Formulating the Research Question
Goal
Transformation of an open question into a precise analytical historical research question.
Possible Dimensions of Narrowing
- Temporal: e.g., 1949–1963, Cold War, Post-1971
- Spatial: Switzerland in transnational-European context
- Thematic: Neutrality, Human Rights, Jurisprudence, Foreign Policy, Parliamentarism
Task (Narrowing)
Suggest possible temporal, spatial, and thematic delimitations for research question X.Task (Formulation)
Based on this, formulate an analytical historical research question.Quality Check
The research question should:
- be open and analytical (“How”, “Why”, “To what extent”),
- be historically contextualized,
- appear workable with available sources.
6. Iterative Revision and Reflection
Goal
Conscious separation between AI assistance and one’s own research decision.
Final Task
Briefly note:
- What did AI facilitate?
- Where was it misleading, imprecise, or reductive?
- Which decisions could only you make yourself?
Learning Outcome
At the end of the exercise, you will have:
- a clearly formulated analytical historical research question,
- a reflected understanding of the potentials and limits of AI in research design,
- a methodologically grounded assessment of the feasibility of your project.
Further Resources
- Ranke.2: Wikipedia as Historical Source – Provenance, revision histories, and digital source criticism.
- AI Pedagogy Project: What is AI? – Conceptual introduction for non-technical audiences.
Bibliography
This exercise was automatically translated from German using AI and may contain errors or inaccuracies. Please refer to the original German version for the authoritative text. If you notice any translation issues, please report them.
Citation
@inreference{mähr2025,
author = {Mähr, Moritz},
title = {Formulating a {Historical} {Research} {Question}},
booktitle = {Critical AI Literacy for Historians},
date = {2025-12-29},
url = {https://maehr.github.io/critical-ai-literacy-for-historians/en/exercises/formulating-historical-research-question-switzerland-council-of-europe.html},
langid = {en}
}