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Learn the definitions and examples of primary and secondary sources in history, and how to use them critically and effectively in your research papers. Primary sources are original materials created during the time under study, while secondary sources are contemporary documents that analyze and synthesize them.
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Learn the difference between primary and secondary sources of history, and how to identify them. Find out the types, examples, and uses of each source kind and type in your assessment pieces.
4 days ago · Secondary sources were created by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you’re researching. For a historical research project, secondary sources are generally scholarly books and articles. A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources.
- Emily Bell
- 2013
Learn the definitions and examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources in history, and how they relate to historical research and writing. Primary sources are the "raw materials" from the past, secondary sources are books and articles by historians, and tertiary sources are based on secondary sources.
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- The Art of War by Sun-Tzucoelacan
- Unravelling The Sources
- Primary Sources
- Written Sources
- Epigraphy
- Settlements, Buildings, & Monuments
- Artefacts
- Bones
- Secondary Sources
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To fill in the context of the past we wish to study involves carefully questioning a whole bunch of sources – not just written ones – and avoiding pitfalls as much as possible. The closely connected field of archaeologyoffers a priceless helping hand in achieving this, so these sources will be discussed here, too.
Sources are our way of peering into the past, but the various kinds all present their own benefits and difficulties. The first distinction to make is between primary and secondary sources. A primary source is first-hand material that stems (roughly) from the time period that one wants to examine, whereas a secondary source is an additional step rem...
However cool actual sources from times gone by may be, we cannot simply assume that everything they tell us (or everything we think they tell us) is true, or that we are automatically able to interpret their contents and context correctly. They were made by people, from within their own contexts. Keeping a critical eye and asking questions is thus ...
Some examples of primary written sources are contemporary letters, eyewitness accounts, official documents, political declarations and decrees, administrative texts, and histories and biographies written in the period that is to be studied. Benefits – details; personal side; context The unmatched level of detail presented by written sources in gene...
Epigraphy refers to the study of inscriptions engraved upon various surfaces such as stone, metal, wood, clay tablets, or even wax, which may vary hugely in length from mere abbreviated words and administrative tablets to depicting entire official decrees. Benefits – typically durable; visible Usually, inscriptions tend to be pretty durable because...
Benefits – made to last; indicate structure of societies The daily lives of people become visible through the remains of their houses and the buildings they made use of, such as courts of law, bakeries, or schools. Monuments, also not unusually flashing inscriptions at its audience, can reveal the messages their normally powerful creators cried out...
Benefits – daily lives; use; society & culture Pitfalls – inferring meaning; inferring clues about society Artefacts are man-made things of archaeological interest, often from a cultural context. Examples are pottery, utensils, tools and jewellery, which can alert us to daily lives, style and culture; art – including statues – which can be both pub...
Benefits – morphology; health & related clues; filling in blanks; genetic evidence Studying bones yields clues regarding health, gender, age, size, diet, etc. Retrieval of ancient DNA – though not exactly a walk in the park – is also possible. The context in which bones are found as well as the point in time they came from help to fill information ...
After the maze that is primary sources, we may be tempted to think secondary sources are a sort of safe haven, where skilled researchers have taken all of the above-mentioned issues into account and have already come as close to actual history as possible. However, this would be a tad naïve; the people writing the secondary material are just as bou...
Learn about the types, benefits, and pitfalls of primary and secondary sources of history, and how to use them critically. Explore examples of written and archaeological sources from different periods and regions.
- Emma Groeneveld
Nov 21, 2019 · Learn the difference between primary and secondary sources in history, and how to use them for research and writing. Primary sources are first-hand accounts or objects from the time period, while secondary sources are later interpretations or summaries based on primary sources.
6 days ago · Several online collections of secondary sources are full text searchable. Records for articles in them are in HOLLIS, but if you have a specific topic, say a person’s name or organization, these databases may give you online books or articles containing them.
