Here is a list of the most commonly downloaded articles from the Canadian Historical Review, which is the top journal in the field of Canadian history. More details about each article are available here.
| Date | Article | Requests |
| Volume 86, Number 3, September 2005 | The Boys and Their Booze: Masculinities and Public Drinking in Working-class Ham…Heron, Craig. | 2495 |
| Volume 86, Number 1, March 2005 | Re-placing Objects: Historical Practices for the Second Museum AgePhillips, Ruth B. (Ruth Bliss), 1945- | 2295 |
| Volume 85, Number 3, September 2004 | Heritage and Authenticity: The Case of Ontario’s Sainte-Marie-among-the-HuronsGordon, Alan, 1968- | 2077 |
| Volume 86, Number 2, June 2005 | Rules of Engagement: Public History and the Drama of LegitimationCarr, Graham. | 2062 |
| Volume 86, Number 3, September 2005 | Totem Poles, Teepees, and Token Traditions: ‘Playing Indian’ at Ontario Summer C…Wall, Sharon. | 1789 |
| Volume 85, Number 3, September 2004 | Entering the Age of Human Rights: Religion, Politics, and Canadian Liberalsm, 19…Egerton, George W. | 1642 |
| Volume 86, Number 4, December 2005 | Constructed and Contested Truths: Aboriginal Suicide, Law, and Colonialism in th…Erickson, Lesley. | 1447 |
| Volume 85, Number 1, March 2004 | A New History for the New Millennium’: Canada: A People’s HistoryDick, Lyle. | 1346 |
| Volume 88, Number 1, March 2007 | The Liturgy of Humiliation, Pain, and Death: The Execution of Criminals in New F…Moogk, Peter N., 1943- | 1341 |
| Volume 85, Number 4, December 2004 | The Madman and the Butcher: Sir Sam Hughes, Sir Arthur Currie, and their War of …Cook, Tim, 1971- | 1308 |
This chart suggests that the most popular articles for downloading are relatively recent ones. The CHR began publication in 1920, but no article from before 2000 is in the top ten list. This suggests that articles in the field of Canadian history have a relatively short half-life: many people read them when they are fresh, but they aren’t read much once they get decades old. I know that some disciplines (e.g., computer science, physics) naturally have shorter half-lives than other (e.g., biology, archaeology), but I’m surprised that the half-life in Canadian history is so short. I wonder how it compares with other branches of history.
I have also been unable to find data on the impact factor of articles in Canadian history. Which Canadian history article is the most cited, as opposed to most downloaded? My unscientific impression is that Ian McKay’s 2000 CHR article on the Liberal Order Framework would have a pretty high impact factor.
I also note that articles that deal with how the past is represented by modern people (e.g., in museums) seem to be more popular than articles about what actually went on in the past.
The Past Speaks 
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