By taking statistics as an object of study (rather than a means of analysis) and taking a historical perspective from within the theoretical framework of the sociology of statistics, topics and sources are put forward for possible historical research. The topics and sources suggested here are a development of the approach adopted in the four-volume collection História das Estatísticas Brasileiras: 1822-2002 brought out by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Ultimately, the aim is to write a history of Brazil from the perspective of the purpose and practice of statistics, or in other words, their use in the practice of government.
statistical information; sociology of statistics; history of statistics; political and social history; history of institutions
