Microhistory is the name for a kind of historiography that arose in the 1970s in Italy. Still today it is prominently used by historians and historians of psychology. It pursues an in-depth study of a small unit, be this an event or the way of thinking or the work of an individual. Characteristically, it is based on a thorough analysis of primary sources, gathered through an extensive archival research. For many historians of psychology, this style of research became by the end of the twentieth century considered a golden (quality) standard.