Primary and Secondary Sources Quiz

Primary Sources

• Created during the time of the event, period, or subject being studied.
• Examples include minutes of conventions, newspaper clippings, government reports, and photographs.
• Eyewitness accounts and memoirs, artifacts, and letters are also considered primary sources.
• Archival documents and government records are commonly used primary sources.

Secondary Sources

• Produced by authors who have analyzed primary sources to create historical narratives.
• Example: Teodoro Agoncillo's Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, published in 1956 on the Philippine Revolution.
• Secondary sources can use various primary materials such as interviews, documents, and correspondence.

Classification of Sources

• Classification as primary or secondary depends on the context of historical research, not the time of production.
• Textbooks are generally seen as secondary but can be primary if studying the historical context in which they were used.
• Works on specific historical topics can serve as primary sources if analyzed in the right context.

Rules for Using Sources

• Historians must adhere to certain rules when dealing with conflicting sources, including eyewitness and oral accounts.
• The validation of claims in historical writing is crucial.

Properly Treating Sources

• Essential to validate claims made by historians by ensuring evidence is reliable and follows meticulous historical methodology.

The Annales School of History

• Originated in France, this school revolutionized traditional historical narratives by moving beyond political focus.
• Scholars studied social history and included subjects like peasantry, medicine, and environmental history.
• Emphasis on “history from below,” representing all social classes.
• Integrated various disciplines, including geography, anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics, into historical study.

Using Oral Sources

• Oral accounts are valuable for researching ethnic histories (e.g., Ifugaos during the American Occupation).
• Validation involves comparing informants' claims with written sources and managing personal biases.

Classifications of Sources

• Historical sources are fundamental research tools and classified as primary or secondary depending on the topic studied.