Primary Sources and Historical Method, Summaries of History

Download Primary Sources and Historical Method and more Summaries History in PDF only on Docsity!

Primary Sources and the Historical Method Primary sources, in whatever form, have to be subjeceed to what is called the Aistorical method. There are two components in the historical method. The firse is called ecrernal eriticion which aims at checking the authenticity of the primary source. External criticism aims wo check whether the source is real or fake. For example, validating the authenticity of a document requires checking if the paper and ink of the document belong to the period being snudied. In addition, one checks whether the handwriting in the document belongs to the handwriting of che period one is researching on. The historian in this instance somewhat becomes of a paleographer, In other cases, the historian is constrained to study the style and language of the text in a document, In this case, the historian becomes a philologise, If the primary source would be coins and medals, the historian should have some knowledge of numismatics and if inscriptions in monuments are being studied, epgnaptry. Once the sLECe considered authentic, then primary source goes th rough énsermal eriticism which checks on the reliability of the source, Not just because th is primary should one accept its contents completely. There should be some siapeiciomn in accepting the source. The following are some questions hu the reliabiliry of the source: ane may pose to check on