Conference papers are read at professional conferences before an audience of other scholars. They are the first form in which historians present their research findings for critical review. They are often difficult to get because many are never published. J ournal articles are the main way that historians launch brand new interpretations or research findings. Articles are accepted for publication in scholarly journals only after they have been favorably reviewed by other scholars.
Monographs are books on fairly narrow or specialized history topics.
They are usually the result of extensive inquiry into original research materials and are the building blocks that other historians use to write broader, more general histories. General histories are works of synthesis that bring together current research for a given geographical region, time period, or subject. History books that appeal to a mass audience, not just scholars, tend to be general histories that have incorporated the research labors of many other historians.