In light of those dangers of posed by imperfect data, this chapter sets out three precepts that can help us reckon with them amidst a massive volume of text about human experience. First, we see why the building blocks of historical analysis reward inquiry. Second, we explore the benefits of applying critical thinking to each part of the research process. Third, we see why discovery happens where old fields meet and why this makes the case for hybrid studies. These precepts are, in effect, pedagogical principles that can be useful for bringing researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds into a basic acquaintance with the practice of humanist interpretation. As a cursory introduction to critical thinking in the humanities, these precepts may help data analysts to imagine what sorts of skills, teams, and training might work together to produce a rigorous approach to data about human experience.