HIS354 Modern Europe Research Guide

Here's a great definition provided by the National Council on Public History:

"Public history describes the many and diverse ways in which history is put to work in the world.  In this sense, it is history that is applied to real-world issues. In fact, applied history was a term used synonymously and interchangeably with public history for a number of years.  Although public history has gained ascendance in recent years as the preferred nomenclature especially in the academic world, applied history probably remains the more intuitive and self-defining term".

For additional information on who does public history,
how public history is used, how public history is different from "regular" history, etc., check out the full web page.

Journal

Public Historian

Professional Society

National Council on Public History

• Beck, P. J. (1984). Forward with history: Study the past for careers in the future. Public History, 6(4), 49-64.
• Champion, J. (2008). What are historians for? Historical Research, 81(211), 167-188.
• East Texas Historical Journal, Spring 2012. 
  (The entire issue is on the practice of public history)
• Sample article:
  Reynolds, L., Ainsworth, K., & Brancato, J. (2012). I found it in East Texas: The role of the East Texas Research Center in the public's history. East Texas Historical Journal, 50(1), 49-63.
• Hoock, H. (2010). Professional practices of public history in Britain. Public Historian, 32(3), 7-24.
• Hunner, J. (2011). Historic environment education: Using nearby history in classrooms and museums. Public Historian, 33(1), 33-43.
• Stevens, M. (2010). Public policy and the public historian: The changing place of historians in public life in France and the UK. Public Historian, 32(3), 120-138.

Image from: The British Museum