ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on three categories of historians: those who work under temporary contracts as consultants, those who are part of the staff and work as in-house advisors, and historians as policymakers. The professionalization of historical practices in the late 19th and early 20th centuries encouraged historians to look for scientific objectivity in their work. The American Historical Association's (AHA) review of historians as consultants and contractors gives a good overview of the different activities such as preservation, museums, archives, media, anniversaries, environmental issues, and litigation. While codes of ethics had already been established for oral history and for museums, historical consultants approached the National Council on Public History (NCPH) in 1982 to design a new Code of Ethics. To conclude, historians who intend to become consultants should be prepared for the specific practices of their job. Public history students especially if public funding keeps declining should be prepared to consider working with clients and private actors.
