L2.

historical sources
At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Determine the differences between a primary source and
secondary source
2. Enumerate materials that can be considered primary
sources
3. Evaluate materials in terms of authenticity, credibility and
provenance.
Contents
The historical method refers to the
strategies and standards
historians use to investigate and
write history using primary
sources and other data.
 The historian, on the other hand, must rely on a variety of
sources that aren't found in books. He needs to rely heavily
on museums when it comes to archaeological, epigraphical,
or numismatical resources. These are the materials from
which he drew. His sources are more likely to be meaningful
if he delimits people, place, time, and function with greater
precision.
GROUP ACTIVITY
Primary Sources
Primary sources are documents created by individuals
or groups who were directly involved in the event or
issue under investigation. These individuals are either
participants in the incident or eyewitnesses to it.
Eyewitness reports, diaries, letters, legal papers,
official documents (government or private), and even
pictures are among the sources.
 • 1.Photographs that may represent historical and

Examplesof contemporary socialcircumstances.

• 2.Old sketches and drawings that may depictthe living
Primary circumstances of bygone cultures

Sources
• 3.Old maps that show how space and geography were
employed to emphasize trade routes, structural
There are five main development, and other things.
categories of primary • 4.Cartoons for political or propagandist purposes
• 5.Prehistoric material evidencesuch as cave paintings,
sources. It includes
archaicsyllabaries, and ancient texts
• written sources, • 6.Tables, graphs, and charts with statistical data
• numerical records, • 7. .Oral historyor electronic recordings of eyewitness or
• oral statements, participant stories,which were subsequently transcribed
• relics, and and utilized for study.
• images.
Primary sources: Written sources

Travelogue
 Memoir
Newspaper
 Used to &
Would

Used to and Would are both used to talk about past habits, routines, or states
that no longer exist in the present. They indicate actions or situations that were
repeated or customary in the past but have since changed or stopped.
Primary source: Numerical Records

Printed numerical graph

Primary source: Oral statements
“My first day was a scary one. There was a patient whose earlobes were so long…he
had no nose, only two holes on his face, and no fingers, only the palm of his
hands…the other patients were in different stages of deformity.”
Sr. Maria Luisa Montenegro, SPC 1940
Oral statement of an eyewitness to the Culion Leper Colony

A person interviewing an eyewitness

 Primary source: Relics

Artifacts (Balanginga Bells)

Some common time expressions are associated with different past tenses.
 Fossil (Callao man)
Ruins
Primary sources: Images

Painting
Photograph (Bud Dajo Massacre)
 Map (Murillo Velarde map
CARTOON
c.1734)
S
 Secondary
Sources

Secondary sources, according to Gottschalk, are

"testimony of anybody who is not an eyewitness—that is, of
someone who was not there at the incident of which he relates."
This category includes books, essays, and scholarly publications
that have interpreted primary sources or utilised them to address
certain historical topics.
 A secondary source interprets
Secondary sources were developed by
and analyzes primary sources.
These sources are one or more people who were not present at or
steps removed from the event. It involved in the events or situations you're
is prepared by an individual who studying. Bibliographies, nonfiction
was not direct witness to an works like biographies, periodicals,
event, but not who obtained his ornewspapers, magazines, journals, history
her description of the event from books, critical and interpretative works,
someone else. commentaries and treaties, textbooks,
video documentaries, and multimedia
reports are all examples of secondary
sources.
External and Internal Criticism
It is also known as the historical-critical method, Historical criticism is a
branch of criticism that investigates the origin of text or source in order to
understand the word behind the text. The primary goal of historical criticism
is to discover the text primitive or original historical context and its literal
sense. The secondary goal seeks establish a reconstruction of historical
situation of the author and recipients of the text. Moreover, in order for
source to be used as evidence in history, basic matters about its form and
context must be settled. These are two types of historical criticism namely:
external criticism (investigates the documents form) and internal criticism
(investigates the content of the documents).
A. Additional Goal of Historical Criticism
Historical criticism seeks greater understanding of the texts by
analyzing the historical and social contexts in which they
developed. The goal of historical criticism, traditionally, has been t
try to understand the text’s meaning in its original context and to
answer questions about the text, such as: Who wrote it? When was
it written? What else what happening at the time of its writing? Ho
did it come to be in the form we have it today? What did it mean to
the people who first read or heard it?
External criticism is the element of the historical method that
assesses whether or not a source is genuine. The goal is to identify
created, forged, or falsified papers and to tell the difference between
a hoax and a misrepresentation.
- In a historical investigation, it refers to the authenticity of the
documents used by the researcher.
also known as lower critique It examines whether the evidence under
evaluation is genuine. The researcher verifies the source's
authenticity or validity. Is it what it seems to be or what it promises
to be?
External Criticism
This type of criticism looks for the obvious sign of forgery or misrepresentation.
This type of criticism tests the authenticity of the sources. It is interested in the
writing styles of the eyewitness and his ignorance of the facts. The historian also
analyzes the original manuscript; its integrity, localization and the date it was
written. To ascertain if a particular data is fabricated, forge, fake, corrupted or a
hoax, that source must undergo the test of authenticity. Since external criticism is
concern with the explicit sign of misrepresentation, it is the first test the historian
employ to ascertain sources validity.
A. Test of authenticity
• Check for Anachronisms: Look at the date of the document and see if it
mentions things that didn't exist at that time. For example, if a document
from 1869 uses a word that wasn’t in use until later, it might be a sign that the
document is not genuine.
• Examine Handwriting and Signatures: Compare the handwriting or signature
to other known writings by the same author. Look for signs of forgery like
inconsistent writing or obvious mistakes. Even skilled forgers often leave
clues in their handwriting.
• Analyze Style and Language: Check if the style and language used in the
document match the time period it claims to be from. For example, if a
document from 1869 uses modern idioms or spelling conventions that were
not common at that time, it could indicate that the document is not authentic.
• Anachronistic References: Check if the document mentions events or details
that happened after the date it claims to be from. If it talks about events that
occurred later, the document might be fake.
• Provenance: Find out the document's origin and history. Provenance means
tracing where the document came from and how it has been passed down.
This helps verify its authenticity.
• Semantics: Study the meaning of the words in the document. Determine if the
meaning of the text is consistent with its supposed time period and context.
For example, make sure the words used fit with the era the document is from.
• Hermeneutics: Look at how the text should be interpreted. This involves
understanding any ambiguities or double meanings in the text and whether
the text might be ironic or say something different from its literal meaning.
Internal Criticism:
This focuses on the content of a document. Historians first
check if the document is genuine (external criticism) before
examining what it actually says.
It involves looking closely at the accuracy of the document's
content and understanding the author’s perspective.
The goal is to determine if the document accurately reflects what
really happened.
test of Credibility:
• Identify the Author:
Check who wrote the document to see if they are reliable. Compare their other works to ensure
consistency and examine their mental state and personal attitudes.
• Determine the Date:
Verify if the document’s date matches the author’s age and the historical context. For example, Rizal’s
poem written when he was eight should be assessed for its feasibility given his education at the time.
• Check Truthfulness:
Evaluate how close the author was to the event. The closer they were, the more likely they are to
provide accurate information. Also, assess their background (education, health, age) and how much
of the event they witnessed.
• Willingness to Tell the Truth:
Ensure the author was not forced or threatened to give their account and wasn’t hiding personal
reasons.
• Look for Corroboration:
Confirm the information with independent sources. If multiple reliable witnesses agree on the same
 Assessment: 1.2.1.

1. In a venn diagram, differentiate primary and

secondary sources.
2. State some salient points why primary and
secondary sources are important.
 • Accuracy:-3
CRITERIA- COPY THE CRITERIA(BULLET ONY)
Ensure that the information placed in the Venn diagram is correct and reflects the true
relationships between the sets.
• Clarity:-2
Check if the Venn diagram is easy to understand. The overlaps and distinct sections should
be clearly labeled and logically arranged.
• Relevance: 5
Make sure that all relevant information is included and that irrelevant details are excluded.
Each section of the Venn diagram should contribute to the understanding of the comparison.
• Completeness:5
Verify that all possible intersections between the sets are represented. The Venn diagram
should cover all the necessary comparisons without omitting important overlaps.
• Organization:-1
Look at how well the Venn diagram is organized. The circles should be properly positioned to
show the relationships clearly, and the information should be neatly arranged.
 • Direct Information (3points):
2 points: Clearly explains how primary sources provide first-hand details.
1 point: Mentions the role but lacks detail.
0 points: Brief or unclear explanation.
• Understanding Context (2 points):
2 points: Describes how secondary sources explain primary sources.
1 point: Mentions context but lacks depth.
0 points: Basic or unclear explanation.
• Different Views (2 points):
2 points: Shows how secondary sources offer different perspectives.
1 point: Mentions perspectives but lacks examples.
0 points: Minimal explanation of viewpoints.
• Accuracy Check (3 point):
1 point: Explains how using both sources helps verify facts.
0.5 points: Basic explanation of fact-checking.
0 points: Brief or unclear discussion.
1. Peter N. Streams; Peters Seixas; Sam Wineburg, eds. (2000). Introduction, Knowing, Teaching
and Learning History, National and International Perspectives. New York & London: New York
University Press.
2. Lowethan, David (2000). Dilemmas and Delights of Learning History. New York University Press.
3. Lucas Gavin (2005). The Archaeology of Time. Oxon: Routledge.
4. Garcia, Mauro. (1979). Reading in Philippine History. Manila Filipiniana Book Guild
5. Petter Pappas (2012). Types of Primary Sources. Retrieved from www.edteck.com
6. Stearns, P. (2001), Retrieved from https://www.studentsfriend.com/aids/stearns.html
7. https://opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/chapter/chapter-7-sources-choosing-the-right-ones/
8. Groeneveld, E. (2017), Retrieved from https://www.comarch.de/service-und-support/events-und-
webinare/crm-marketing/webinar-loyalty-with-ai/
9. Evangelista, A. (2018), Retrieved from https://rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/things-to-know-
balangiga-massacre