The historical analysis method that will make you more zen in the present

When studying history we examine sources to explore the past.

And there’s a simple three-tier approach to source analysis we can use to gain robust insights from the evidence.

I call it the PPP Method (I'm coining it as a term in regards to history, you read it here first!)

It involves studying sources at three levels – Product, Production and Perception.

But the template has value elsewhere in life, beyond examining historical evidence.

It lets you consider everyday interactions or pieces of information like news stories, work emails and advertising more mindfully.

By using the PPP Method you will not only enhance your historical research but also help you achieve a more mindful perspective on the present.

The following post is divided into four sections:

1. What are sources?
2. The simple PPP Method
3. How to deploy the PPP Method elsewhere in life
4. Conclusion and a small request

What are sources?

They are divided into primary and secondary resources. The distinction between them can get fuzzy but broadly speaking primary sources are made at the time and secondary sources analyse them.

For instance, examples of primary sources include photographs, diaries, newspaper reports, letters and speeches.

Secondary sources could be history books, academic articles or museum exhibits.

Historians typically spend most of their time studying primary sources with secondary sources to frame or guide their endeavours.

Sources serve as evidence that offer insights into the past and help us understand change over time – they are the foundations of historical work.

But how should we analyse them?

The PPP Method

As the name implies, the PPP Method considers evidence or sources on three levels. These are:

1. Product
2. Production
3. Perception

Simply put, you study the thing itself, how it was made and how people reacted to it.

The PPP Method is a strong analysis method because it goes deeper into the context of the source itself.

The best way to demonstrate the three levels of the PPP Method is with an example.

Let’s consider a cultural historian examining a television series.

Product

Here the historian would begin by examining the episodes and content of the television series itself.

They might consider the themes, plot, characters and other core components of the episodes.

Production

But next they would take a step back to consider the how, where, why, who and when of the TV series.

Who were the producers, directors and studio behind the show?

How did they influence the creation of the series? Why did they release it or choose to film it in a certain location?

When was the television series made and how did the events at the time frame the creation of the show?

A television series made in Britain during the Cold War compared to another in the Second World War would portray Russia very differently, to use one example.

Perception

Now here we reach one of the most overlooked levels of analysis: how people understood the source at the time and have interpreted it since.

For a robust, grassroots analysis of the television series the historian might dig deeper and try to understand how the public received the show.

They could trawl through magazine or newspaper reviews and gauge their critical reception.

If the themes or episodes were controversial for the time, people might have written letters of complaint or praise.

If the show was more modern and had an online presence – dedicated fan forums or social media pages perhaps – the historian could explore the comments found here.

The perception of sources might reflect contemporary thoughts and opinions, or it might yield completely unexpected insights. And these all might change over time as the show ages.

Remember, sources are not created in a vacuum: they are a product of their time and should be analysed as such.

The beauty of the PPP Method is that it is a comprehensive template that can be applied to any type of source – primary or secondary.

Yet it also has tremendous value as a mindset in the present as well.

How to deploy the PPP Method elsewhere in life

The PPP Method is a balanced, thoughtful approach to research.

Rather than taking something at face value, you are reflecting on the evidence comprehensively.

As mentioned earlier, you study the thing itself, how it was made and how people reacted to it.

And by applying the PPP Method to the present, you can embrace a more mindful and considered approach to life.

Every day we receive a barrage of information and interactions that can feel overwhelming – even if they are positive.

There’s juggling our personal and professional lives.

We have family gatherings and outings with friends, virtual or real meetings and endless to-do lists.

Our phones and social media yank our attention away from the present moment.

We are constantly bombarded by advertising and news stories.

Emails and messages flood our inboxes.

But each of these pieces of information and interactions can be treated like a piece of evidence, a source to be analysed.

By deploying the PPP Method we can take a mindful approach to our own interpretations of and responses to them.

Consider the following examples, one of an interaction and another of a piece of information.

Interaction

A colleague writes you an abrupt email that ruffles your feathers.

• Product: what does the email actually say? Is the content directly rude or does it just not meet your own standards of communication?
• Production: was it written in haste because they’re between meetings? Perhaps the sender has things going on at home or other pressures at work which are stressing them out? Maybe this is how they always write emails.
• Perception: is your immediate emotional reaction really stemming from the email or are other factors like tiredness or anxiety playing into your prickly response?

You might work through the PPP Method and still feel the email was rude – but you could also, in the process, have put enough distance between yourself and the interaction to let it go.

Information

You see a newspaper article and it captures your attention but it is from a publication you usually avoid so reading it leaves you frustrated.

• Product: how was the headline was crafted to get you to click on it? What is the content of the story – words, quotes, pictures etc? Is it sponsored or paid-for content?
• Production: who wrote the article? Who published it? Have they got political or social agendas behind their editorial strategy? How does the piece reflect the lived context – is it a hard news report on current affairs or an opinion piece covering a contentious contemporary issue?
• Perception: what is your response to the article and where might it stem from within your identity? Even if you avoid the publication, who might their target audience be and how are they serving them with this story? Even if you don’t like the article or publisher, what might you learn from the state of the world or their target audience by reading it?

These are only two examples but the potential uses for the PPP Method in the present are limitless.

Conclusion and a small request

History is the study of change over time and it hinges on analysing sources to provide evidence of what happened in days gone by.

The PPP Method is a historical research method where sources – primary or secondary – are examined as products but also in the context of their production and perception.

Yet this approach is not only good for looking back in time, we can use it to reflect on the here and now as well.

When we contemplate the interactions, information and other infinite experiences that make up our daily lives – we can step back, consider them mindfully and perhaps avoid getting caught up in the swell of emotions or thoughts that might erupt otherwise.

What are your thoughts on the PPP Method?

Scroll down to the Member discussion section below to start commenting and join the conversation.

A small request

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