Historiography of Intelligence Organizations: from Strengthening National Identity to a Source for Narrating History

This study deals with the reasons of historiography of intelligence organization in political systems, a history in which much of it has been hidden from view either because of covert secrecy in intelligence activities or because of political considerations or neglect. In this study, we seek to answer the question, "How does writing and recording the history of intelligence services help national security?" The purpose of this study is to clarify the dimensions of historiography of intelligence organizations and its impact on national security. The required data were collected through secondary sources and then interviews with six experts on the subject were conducted. Data were also analyzed by thematic analysis using open coding, axial coding and selective coding. For this purpose, first the role of intelligence organizations in state craft is discussed and then the seven reasons for the historiography of intelligence organizations that are the result of research are introduced under three main dimensions.