重要組成部分，值得我們深入研我國古代傑出的史學研究者，無不重視對歷史撰述的得失進行批判和總結。作為乾嘉史學的名家之一，王鳴盛在探討歷史撰述諸問題時，尤其注意考察史書體裁的利弊、帝紀結撰與人物傳記體例的靈活運用，以及書志、論贊體例的進一步完善等問題。同時他注重總結史書體裁發展的內在規律，又能夠聯繫具體史事和作者撰述思想來講體裁、體例；即重視體例又強調靈活運用體例的必要性，反映王鳴盛具有辯證的思想。總之，從發展和創新的角度總結古代史學的優秀遺產，是王氏探索歷史撰述的成功之處，也是《十七史商榷》學術價值的研究，並加以繼承和發展。

Almost every prominent historians in ancient China paid much attention to criticizing and concluding the gain and loss about the format of historical works. Wang Ming-sheng, as one of the most outstanding representative characters of the Qianjia School, especially attached much importance to this point. As he researched the format of historical works, Wang not only put stress on flexible exertion of biographic styles about emperors and other historical characters, but also dedicated to the improvement on the methods of historical writing such as Shu, Zhi, Lun and Zan. At the same time, he also made use of concrete historical facts and historians’ writing thoughts to discuss the structures of historical works. What’s most important and valuable is that Wang not only emphasized the structure of historical works but also insisted on not being confined by it, that reflected his simple dialectic and flexible methods. So it is because of those that what’s done by him is still worth studying, inheriting and developing up to the present.