One way to test a historical paper is to reach a conclusion and then set out the arguments against it, at least in bullet form. Attempting to disprove the paper makes weaknesses easier to find before defending it publicly. Surviving that exercise can justify confidence, but another reader may still know something the author has missed. Reading many books does not mean having read all the relevant evidence. If the objections cannot disprove the argument, it may be sufficiently defensible to present.
Notable Point · 1:09:58-1:10:46
Testing a historical argument against its strongest objections
A practical historical method builds the case against a conclusion before deciding how confidently to defend it.