The Nature of IB History (source: IB History Guide)
History is more than the study of the past. It is the process of recording, reconstructing and interpreting the past through the investigation of a variety of sources.
Historical study involves both selection and interpretation of data (primary historical sources and the work of historians) and its critical evaluation; it requires and develops an individual’s understanding of, and empathy for, people living in other periods and contexts
Thus Diploma Programme history requires to make comparisons between similar and dissimilar solutions to common human situations, whether they be political, economic or social. It invites comparisons between, but not judgments of, different cultures, political systems and national traditions.