Evaluate History Sources
Historians judge the
reliability of their research by the source. There are 2 types of
sources—primary and secondary.
Primary Source is an original
document or account of an event made from personal experience or observation.
They are usually written in the first person and use words like I and We.
- Journals,
diaries, and letters
- Census
reports
- Oral history
projects
- Photographs
- Ship
passenger lists
- Maps
- Documents—birth,
death, marriage, property transactions, etc.
- Government
Film
- Historic
audio recordings
Secondary Source of an
historic event is from someone who did not witness that event but is reporting
it based on research. Secondary sources are usually written through the filter
of interpretation and analysis. Examples of secondary source material are
textbooks, biographies, encyclopedias, biographies, and websites. They are
usually written in the third person—he was. . ., the soldiers fought. . . A reprint of an immigrant’s
journal in a book or on the internet is technically a second source, but can
carry the reliability of a primary source.
Judging a
source
Just because something has been
published—be it in a book or on the internet—doesn’t mean it’s accurate. You
must be the judge of whether or not you can trust your sources when doing your
research. Examine your book, journal, magazine, or website for reliability
clues.
- Author
- Author’s
title or position
- Author’s
affiliation or organization Look for .gov, .edu, or .mil at the end of
website URLs. Books usually have a bio for the author.
- Date of page
creation or revision (website). Is it current information.
- Date of page
creation or revision (website). Is it current information.
- Author’s
contact information (website)
- Publisher (book,
journal, or magazine
- Is the
information complete
- What is the
purpose of the publication
- Is the
information objective
- Are sources
listed
- Is the
information supported by other sources
- Wikipedia is
a good place to start, but anyone can add to the articles. Scholastic
institutions do not usually recognize it as a credible source. Many of the
articles do, however, cite references. Check them out.
More Historic Matrix
Words
of historians
Images
& newspapers
Music & historic moving pictures
Back to top
| Home | Overview | Preservation | Interviews | Historic Background | Photo Editing | Genealogy | Video |
| Family Website | Family Scrapbook | Write a Book | About the Coach | Site Map | Privacy Policy |
Copyright September 2009 Family History Coach All rights reserved Last update April 27, 2010
|
Contact the Coach
|
