自二十世紀以來，中國史學經歷了多次重大變遷。這些變遷的結果是，中國史家不斷分化組合，以意識型態和治史風格為分野，形成了不同的派別。大致說來，在二十世紀上半期，至少存在三大派別﹕科學史學派、傳統史學派和馬克思主義史學派。如果依治史的方法來看，又可分「史料」與「史觀」兩派。由於各種條件的變化，這些流派之間又不斷交叉融合、相互影響。本文以錢穆早期史學為例，探究錢穆與科學史學家，即「史料學派」之間的關係。作者指出，錢穆的早期學術生涯，受到科學史學家的影響，以「考史」成名。但由於抗戰的關係，則使他逐漸與科學史學分道揚鑣，改以「著史」為業，宣揚中華文化的傳統價值，使他以後成為一代「國史大師」。

Historical writings in 20th century China witnessed several major changes. These changes caused historians to form different schools in different time periods. In the first half of the 20th century, for instance, there appeared three schools: the scientists, the traditionalists, and the Marxists. Or, from a different perspective, one found the antithesis of the "Historical Source School" and the "Historical Explanation School." There were also a great deal of exchange and interactions among these schools. Focusing on the early career of Qian Mu, this article examines Qian's association with the scientific historians, or the leading figures of the "Historical Source School." The author contends that during the 1920s and the early 1930s, Qian basically adopted the "scientific" approach to the study of history, applying textual criticism to historical sources. It was largely due to the increasing threat of Japan's invasion in China in the late 1930s that he began to embark on a different career path, which was characterized by and well known for its emphasis on the spirit of Chinese culture and the value of historical narratives.