The "
HistoricalDocuments" is the name given by the aliens
in
GalaxyQuest to the episodes of the program by the same
name.
More specifically: Within the context of the film, the aliens received television broadcasts of the original
GalaxyQuest TV show, and assumed that they were real. They were so inspired by the ideals of
GalaxyQuest that they built their entire civilization around the TV show.
The aliens then refer to the original broadcasts as the "
HistoricalDocuments."
The whole concept of "Historical Documents" is an endemic problem in software development, as the
UsualWayOfDoingThings has spawned many
HistoricalDocuments which are followed blindly, regardless of their actual value to the process.
See also
OldRulesWithForgottenReasons