Scholars discuss historiography by topic—such as the historiography of the United Kingdom, of WWII, of the pre-Columbian Americas, of early Islam, and of China —and different approaches to the work and the genres of history, such as political history and social history.

Historiography can be categorized into different types based on the perspectives and methodologies applied by historians. Each type focuses on specific aspects of historical analysis. Political historiography centers on the study of political events, leaders, policies, and institutions.