「南蕃事件」，是日本執行「理蕃五年計劃---銃器押收」政策發生的衝突事件。 當時日本刻意淡化及後來政治因素的影響，久久塵封於歷史檔案及民族記憶，鮮少人論及，因此研究此事件之文獻很少；不管是當代記錄或近人研究，也僅在專書、碩論及期刊等的章節或段落出現，至於專篇論述，至目前只有期刊一篇。本研究史，以1914 年為分野，首先探討的是荷、清、日時期排灣族與殖民政府衝突事件的文獻。其次探討是「南蕃事」中排灣族與日本衝突的來龍去脈與其相關議題的文獻。最後對本研究史提出研究的展望。此等研究史涵蓋了書寫歷史和口傳歷史的文獻，亦即從他者與我者之研究觀點來評析。目的是從殖民政府及學者的觀點與在地知識的對話中，提供「南蕃事件」研究的脈絡及其全貌。

Due to Japan's deliberate undertone as well as consequent political factors, the historical archives and national memory of "South Barbarian Event" have been forgotten and rarely referred to. Scattered historical reports or researches appear only in passages in several dissertations or journals. So far, there is merely a complete thesis on the subject in a single journals. The year 1914 functions as a division of departure among the studies of the event. Before that, all the studies investigated the conflict between Paiwan tribe and the colonial governments in Dutch, Ching, Japanese periods. Studies afterwards have dealed with the ins and outs between the conflict of Paiwan tribe and Japan together with relevant issues, involving both documents of written and oral history; that is, analyzing from objective and subjective perspectives. To sum up, the purpose is to provide a panoramic concept in the context of South Barbarian Event through the viewpoints of colonial government, scholars, and the dialogue of the local intelligence.