{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7156884871","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","title":"Can LLMs Act as Historians? Evaluating Historical Research Capabilities of LLMs via the Chinese Imperial Examination","display_name":"Can LLMs Act as Historians? Evaluating Historical Research Capabilities of LLMs via the Chinese Imperial Examination","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-04-27","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7156884871","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134772505","display_name":"Lirong Gao","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Gao, Lirong","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5087792272","display_name":"Zeqing Wang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1133-7488"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wang, Zeqing","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134809124","display_name":"Yuyan Cai","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cai, Yuyan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134775465","display_name":"Jiayi Deng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Deng, Jiayi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134750198","display_name":"Yanmei Gu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Gu, Yanmei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134761825","display_name":"Yiming Zhang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Yiming","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134776255","display_name":"Jia Zhou","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhou, Jia","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100349285","display_name":"Yanfei Zhang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8984-5293"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Yanfei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134765884","display_name":"Junbo Zhao","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhao, Junbo","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13910","display_name":"Computational and Text Analysis Methods","score":0.8934999704360962,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3300","display_name":"General Social Sciences"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13910","display_name":"Computational and Text Analysis Methods","score":0.8934999704360962,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3300","display_name":"General Social Sciences"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T14347","display_name":"Big Data and Digital Economy","score":0.009600000455975533,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.00930000003427267,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/comparative-historical-research","display_name":"Comparative historical research","score":0.5806000232696533},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/china","display_name":"China","score":0.4442000091075897},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/east-asia","display_name":"East Asia","score":0.4422000050544739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/history-of-china","display_name":"History of China","score":0.4339999854564667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/intellectual-history","display_name":"Intellectual history","score":0.4153999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/benchmark","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","score":0.4115000069141388}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C139228662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5155640","display_name":"Comparative historical research","level":2,"score":0.5806000232696533},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95457728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q309","display_name":"History","level":0,"score":0.4779999852180481},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C191935318","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q148","display_name":"China","level":2,"score":0.4442000091075897},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C76775654","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27231","display_name":"East Asia","level":3,"score":0.4422000050544739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119795817","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82972","display_name":"History of China","level":3,"score":0.4339999854564667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114799590","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1195695","display_name":"Intellectual history","level":2,"score":0.4153999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.4115000069141388},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.3474999964237213},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C6418782","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q369848","display_name":"Quantitative history","level":4,"score":0.3357999920845032},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17744445","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36442","display_name":"Political science","level":0,"score":0.3343000113964081},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C36289849","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34749","display_name":"Social science","level":1,"score":0.3260999917984009},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206440729","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4806809","display_name":"Asian studies","level":3,"score":0.32120001316070557},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C514011633","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1428168","display_name":"Traditional knowledge","level":3,"score":0.31150001287460327},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95124753","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q875686","display_name":"Environmental ethics","level":1,"score":0.28700000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.2709999978542328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C50522688","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189833","display_name":"Economic growth","level":1,"score":0.2694000005722046},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C47768531","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1127188","display_name":"Development economics","level":1,"score":0.2660999894142151}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.24690","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4","display_name":"Quality Education","score":0.6795294880867004}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"While":[0],"Large":[1],"Language":[2],"Models":[3],"(LLMs)":[4],"have":[5],"increasingly":[6],"assisted":[7],"in":[8,59],"historical":[9,19,46,120,136],"tasks":[10],"such":[11,39],"as":[12,40],"text":[13],"processing,":[14],"their":[15],"capacity":[16],"for":[17],"professional-level":[18],"reasoning":[20,132],"remains":[21],"underexplored.":[22],"Existing":[23],"benchmarks":[24],"primarily":[25],"assess":[26],"basic":[27],"knowledge":[28],"breadth":[29],"or":[30],"lexical":[31],"understanding,":[32],"failing":[33],"to":[34,45],"capture":[35],"the":[36,60,128,141],"higher-order":[37],"skills,":[38],"evidentiary":[41],"reasoning,that":[42],"are":[43],"central":[44],"research.":[47],"To":[48],"fill":[49],"this":[50],"gap,":[51],"we":[52,108],"introduce":[53],"ProHist-Bench,":[54],"a":[55,66,102,110],"novel":[56],"benchmark":[57],"anchored":[58],"Chinese":[61],"Imperial":[62],"Examination":[63],"(Keju)":[64],"system,":[65],"comprehensive":[67],"microcosm":[68],"of":[69,105,130,144],"East":[70],"Asian":[71],"political,":[72],"social,":[73],"and":[74,138],"intellectual":[75],"history":[76],"spanning":[77],"over":[78],"1,300":[79],"years.":[80],"Developed":[81],"through":[82],"deep":[83],"interdisciplinary":[84],"collaboration,":[85],"ProHist-Bench":[86,125,148],"features":[87],"400":[88],"challenging,":[89],"expert-curated":[90],"questions":[91],"across":[92],"eight":[93],"dynasties,":[94],"accompanied":[95],"by":[96],"10,891":[97],"fine-grained":[98],"evaluation":[99,104],"rubrics.":[100],"Through":[101],"rigorous":[103],"18":[106],"LLMs,":[107,133],"reveal":[109],"significant":[111],"proficiency":[112],"gap:":[113],"even":[114],"state-of-the-art":[115],"LLMs":[116],"struggle":[117],"with":[118],"complex":[119],"research":[121],"questions.":[122],"We":[123,146],"hope":[124],"will":[126],"facilitate":[127],"development":[129],"domain-specific":[131],"advance":[134],"computational":[135],"research,":[137],"further":[139],"uncover":[140],"untapped":[142],"potential":[143],"LLMs.":[145],"release":[147],"at":[149],"https://github.com/inclusionAI/ABench/tree/main/ProHist-Bench.":[150]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00"}