HISTORY
HISTORICAL SOURCES
The historian’s most important research tools are historical sources which can be classified into two
categories:
Primary Sources – are those produced during the event or period being studied, in other words, it was
written at the same time that certain historical events happened. One example of which is if one
historian would study the 1935 commonwealth Constitutional Convention, the primary sources that
he can gather or analyze can be the minutes of the convention, clippings from newspaper, and even
records of the convention, and even photograph of the event. Primary sources are archival
documents, artifacts, memorabilia, letters, journals, census, and government records.
Secondary Sources – refer to sources produced by authors who have used primary sources to create
the material. They are historical sources that study specific historical subjects. You should not be
confused about what counts as a primary or a secondary source. Primary and secondary sources
depend not on the time or event the source was produced but on the subject of the historical
research.
Historical Criticism- Primary and secondary sources are very useful in learning and writing history.
Still, they must not forget that scrutinization should be applied to the sources they use, whether
primary or secondary, to avoid false information and deception and find accurate historical data.
With this, the historian should conduct an external and internal criticism of the source, especially in
primary sources, which can last for a long time.
External Criticism- verifies the authenticity of the historical evidence by examining its physical
characteristics, consistency, and appropriateness with the historical character of the period when it
was produced and the necessary materials used to create the source. Examples of features examined
in external criticism are quality of paper, type of ink, language and words used, designs, and symbols
used.
HISTORICAL SOURCES
The historian’s most important research tools are historical sources which can be classified into two
categories:
Primary Sources – are those produced during the event or period being studied, in other words, it was
written at the same time that certain historical events happened. One example of which is if one
historian would study the 1935 commonwealth Constitutional Convention, the primary sources that
he can gather or analyze can be the minutes of the convention, clippings from newspaper, and even
records of the convention, and even photograph of the event. Primary sources are archival
documents, artifacts, memorabilia, letters, journals, census, and government records.
Secondary Sources – refer to sources produced by authors who have used primary sources to create
the material. They are historical sources that study specific historical subjects. You should not be
confused about what counts as a primary or a secondary source. Primary and secondary sources
depend not on the time or event the source was produced but on the subject of the historical
research.
Historical Criticism- Primary and secondary sources are very useful in learning and writing history.
Still, they must not forget that scrutinization should be applied to the sources they use, whether
primary or secondary, to avoid false information and deception and find accurate historical data.
With this, the historian should conduct an external and internal criticism of the source, especially in
primary sources, which can last for a long time.
External Criticism- verifies the authenticity of the historical evidence by examining its physical
characteristics, consistency, and appropriateness with the historical character of the period when it
was produced and the necessary materials used to create the source. Examples of features examined
in external criticism are quality of paper, type of ink, language and words used, designs, and symbols
used.
