顧頡剛對〈堯典〉的研究，主要集中在成書時間的考辨上。他從1908年（16 歲）開始接觸《尚書》，漸漸懷疑今文，認為〈堯典〉晚出。在經過長時間的思考與累積，到1931 年在燕京大學開設「《尚書》研究」課程時，寫出〈《堯典》著作時代考〉，認定今本〈堯典〉成於漢武帝時。這是顧頡剛〈堯典〉研究最重要的成果，一直到他過世，皆未改變此一論斷。本文從顧頡剛所留下的大量筆記，說明他對〈堯典〉著作時代考證的思考過程，並指出〈《堯典》著作時代考〉與一般的文獻考證方法最大的不同點，在於顧頡剛的考證建立在一個龐大的歷史解釋系統的基礎上。他力求讓這個系統呈現出一致而有條理的面貌，並用這一個系統來衡定〈堯典〉的著作時代。

Gu Jiegang’s study on the article in the Book of Documents “Yaodian” ismainly focused upon its completion time. Gu starts to read the Book of Documentsat the age of 16 in 1908, and he gradually suspects that “Yaodian” is later thanthe book. After a long-term deliberation and textual research, Gu publishes ATextual Research on the Completion Time of “Yaodian” in 1931, when he teachesShangshu Studies in Yenching University. In the book, he claims that “Yaodian”was completed in the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. This argument is Gu’s mostimportant achievement in “Yaodian” study, and it remains unchanged even whenhe passes away. This study elaborates his deliberating process with the massivenotes he has left and points out that A Textual Research on the Completion Yearof “Yaodian” differs from other textual studies documents primarily in theestablishment of an enormous historical explanation system. Gu makes his everyeffort to have this system presented with good consistency and organization, anduses it to confirm “Yaodian”’s completion time.