The joke about historians as a seller's best or worst customer rests on how they handle unfamiliar information. Historians are used to researching a subject, analyzing what they find, and checking claims against other evidence. If they do not understand the material at first, they look for a way to learn enough to analyze it. When a supplier is candid and the proposal fits that research, the customer can understand the issues and work constructively with them. This habit does not make someone an expert in every product. It does give them a method for asking informed questions and noticing when a claim seems wrong.
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Research habits beyond the archive
The habits historians use to investigate sources can make them informed, cooperative customers when a seller's claims hold up.