When we conceptualize and undertake new research projects, a number of the associated activities require us to take on the role of an historian: there is historical research to do. Those activities include determining whether there is a compelling case for embarking on the project in the light of previous research, making design decisions that take into account those made in the past by other researchers and considering the contribution of our findings to existing knowledge. The extensiveness as well as depth of our knowledge of what has come before is a key determinant of the quality of these activities. In this article, I report on a self-study of this aspect of my own research, which I draw on to identify challenges to doing this historical work well and as a foundation for proposing initiatives that could both re-value and improve this aspect of our research. (Contains 1 note.)