Why the AHA's Guidelines for Broadening the Definition of Historical Scholarship Is More Important Than You Might Imagine

It is highly important that professional historians inform public discourse. Although the internet allows us to connect with each other and with information in unprecedented ways, it is very difficult to filter information. There are also pay walls and algorithmically-driven searches that inhibit access to scholarly articles for the general public. At a time when trust in government and society's core institutions is at an all-time low, how may professional historians enter the discourse. The American Historical Association's "Guidelines for Broadening the Definition of Historical Scholarship (2023)" is a crucial document and holds a key to opening the door to the greater engagement of historians in the public discourse. That is if history departments are willing to take the key and open the door. The review or rank and status determinants in history departments rely on a narrow set of standards that can inhibit the engagement of their own historians at a time when their training and expertise are deeply needed in the public square. This paper will argue for the implementation of these guidelines and seek to promote discussion on why it is essential and how this can be done in thoughtful ways.