Historians should make reliable information accessible wherever public discussions already take place. Online conversations connect researchers with wider audiences and colleagues outside their own institutions. Public mistakes are a genuine risk: Alex Clarke recalls correcting a numerical error after relying on someone else's figures, while the correction reached far fewer people than the original claim. That experience supports checking calculations and correcting errors openly. Restricting academics to university spaces would leave fewer informed voices available when unsupported claims attract public attention.
Chapter · 1:41-16:44
Why historians should engage with the public online
Accessible historical research can counter misinformation and reach people outside universities, while public mistakes require visible corrections.