One who continually studies and writes about history is known as a historian. It is a professional occupation, and generally only those with graduate degrees are given the title of historian. Historians spend their careers researching history and the significance of various events in history. Often, they aim to make a cohesive narrative of given parts of history. Historians usually specialize in a specific time period, but command widespread knowledge in all time periods.

A historian generally must have a doctorate (PhD) degree in their chosen field of study. To be successful, historians must regularly publish works based on their research. A history student's doctoral thesis often develops into his or her first book. Many students get an undergraduate education in history as preparation for a different field, such as law or philosophy.

The job market for historians is relatively limited, as knowledge of history isn't seen as a great asset to most enterprises. A historian will usually find work at a library or university, where he can continue his work and research. Archival centers and government agencies also regularly employ historians. Many historians choose to teach so that they can be responsible for passing their views of history down to the rest of society. Finally, some historians choose to work as freelance consultants and, for a set fee, conduct research for their clients as needed.

Some historians are more active than others, and actually visit and explore the sites of historical events of interest in order to gain more information or insight. Others confine themselves to the depths of archives and libraries, searching for the elusive passages that will allow them to continue their work. Either way, their research into the past provides insight about how society advanced to its present state.

A historian usually chooses to specialize in the field that most interests him. This can be as broad as “medieval history” or as specific as “Civil War history.” Sometimes, historians even specialize in “pre-history,” the time before written history. Such specialist is known as a historian of pre-history.

One issue of debate for historians is neutrality. Traditionally, a historian is supposed to conduct his work as neutrally as possible to give an unbiased representation of historical events. However, some historians choose to allow personal opinion to influence their choices in recording the past. Some historians find this practice to be unacceptable, while others have no issue with it.