Start with git log -- path/to/file to inspect commits selected for a file path. The -- separator keeps the path distinct from revision arguments. Git log examines reachable commits under its selected revision scope; a short result is not automatically a complete account of every branch or every historical name.

For a single renamed file, git log --follow -- path/to/file can continue beyond renames. The manual limits --follow to one file. Do not apply that promise to an entire directory or interpret a neat list as proof that a complex history has been exhaustively reconstructed.

Choose a revision or range deliberately. The gitrevisions manual defines A..B as commits reachable from B excluding those reachable from A; it is not a calendar interval. Record which branch or revisions you inspected so another reviewer can reproduce the same scope.

Inspect relevant patches with git log -p -- path/to/file, then compare the change with its surrounding code and requirements. Commit history does not show uncommitted work and is not, by itself, proof of author identity or correctness. These inspection commands do not reset, restore or delete files; decide on any later edit separately.