Chapter 1: A Primer to Historical Method PDF

**CHAPTER 1: A PRIMER TO HISTORICAL METHOD** **Questions:** 1. **Why is history important to you?** 2. **How would you define historical method and historiography?** 3. **How would you explain the three major operations of the historical method?** 4. **Generally speaking, how would you...

**CHAPTER 1: A PRIMER TO HISTORICAL METHOD** **Questions:** 1. **Why is history important to you?** 2. **How would you define historical method and historiography?** 3. **How would you explain the three major operations of the historical method?** 4. **Generally speaking, how would you define historical sources?** 5. **How would you explain the differences between a primary and secondary source?** 6. **From 3 of the sources of historical information, give each a situation on how it is subjectively important for you or any person involved. For example, you want to reconnect with your former college friend. This is where a yearbook (that belongs to annals and chronicles) comes in handy since this specific source required its former students to provide their contact details.** 7. **Please explain why you think traditional oral sources are important in the context of history.** 8. **Within the context of our country, what specific pictorial and figured source stood out to you in terms of significance? Please expound your interest on your preceded answer.** 9. **Within the context of our country, what specific written source stood out to you in terms of significance? Please expound your interest on your preceded answer.** 10. **In any given context, give an overview of what important guidelines you should conduct in data-gathering processes if you were assigned to do a historical research output.** 11. **Why is it important for you to prepare an outline for historical research?** 12. **After knowing the basics on how ethics is valued in history, what message do you want to convey to our local historians?** **INTRODUCTION** **Historical method** is defined as a systematic body of principles and rules designed to aid effectively in gathering the source materials of history, assessing them critically, and presenting a synthesis of the results achieved. This is also a system of right procedures for the attainment of historical truth, while the imaginative reconstruction of the past from the data derived by that process is called **historiography** (the writing of history). Both the terms mentioned are interrelated and grouped together as a historical method which enables this historian to reconstruct as much of the past of mankind as he/she can. **Three major operations of historical method: heuristic** (the search for materials and sources of information), **criticism** (to assess or evaluate the material or sources from the viewpoint of evidential value), and **formal statement of the findings of the preceding operations** (that includes the assembling of a body of historical data and their presentation in terms of objective truth and significance through written exposition and synthesis). Take note, these three operations are not necessarily taken up in strict succession to the point that the historian has to sometimes use all three simultaneously. **HISTORICAL SOURCES DEFINED** This term sources in reference to history that covers a body of material vast in range and diversified in character such as written records, oral traditions, remains of the prehistoric people; ancient inscriptions on the rocks and others. **Historical sources** can also be considered as "**human remains**" or the product of man's activity. **Human remains** are meant to include all persisting elements of the human body like the skeletal survivals of prehistoric man and ecclesiastical relics. One way to look at historical sources is to trace what was left behind from past events. The events of history are no longer realities; all that survives in the historical events was based on the observation impression or the reports directly or indirectly of the observers which were fixed in writing or in some other medium of record. Therefore, the recorded impressions are the only traces which past events have left in their wake. The historian must work directly on the recorded impressions and through them on the events. No other approach to the past is open to him. Yet the real objective of historical research is not the source themselves but their contents, namely: what the sources can provide is the means to give away information about the past, or what we can presume from them. **THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES** A **primary source** is the testimony of an **eye witness** or of a **witness** by any other of the senses, or a person was present in a particular event of which he or she tells. A **secondary source** is the testimony of anyone who is not an eyewitness or a person who is not present at the events of which he tells. **Secondary sources** are also materials based on primary sources such as books, magazines, or articles. Primary sources carry greater weight than secondary sources when judging the veracity and accuracy of facts. The more primary sources are used in a research, the greater the means of cross-validating the data. **SOURCES OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION** 1. **INSCRIPTIONS** - these are considered the oldest of all forms of written historical record. 2. **GENEALOGICAL MATERIAL** - examples of these are pedigrees, the Rizal family tree, dynastic Chinese tables, or even lists of Philippines political dynasties. 3. **CALENDARS** - Tables of the days, division of the evil and eccleslastical years and similar lists. 4. **ANNALS AND CHRONICLES** - these are brief notices of historical events arranged consecutively by the year or its divisions. The annals of earlier periods find a present-day analogy in the so-called annual or yearbook. 5. **HISTORIES OF ANY KIND CONCEIVED AS RECORDS OF THE PAST** - in works produced in periods of more developed historical instinct, a merely chronological succession of events is generally subordinated to a topical or similar arrangement. This category includes in its range the classical and standard histories of all periods. 6. **BIOGRAPHIES** - no account of a person's life can present as adequately consecutive and rounded treatment of any historical situation or series of events. But the objection is without force, because biography is concerned in most cases with personalities who either have had a real influence on international, national, or local affairs, or if they have had no such influence, can at least be regarded as types of certain social groups or classes. 7. **AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, MEMOIRS, DIARIES, JOURNALS, AND LETTERS** - all these related broadly under the head of biography. 8. **OFFICIAL RECORDS** - like acts and diplomas, these compromise all documents as are produced in the routine administration of church and state, or of any corporation or group, secular or ecclesiastical. **ORAL TRADITIONS** These can be transmitted by the following: **word-of-mouth**, **by picture or figure**, **by writing**. The category of sources by oral transmission is inclusive of all such material as it involves communication through spoken word. There are many ways in the evaluation of sources wherein the fact that many of them have their origin in word-of-mouth wherein the transmission of data must not be overlooked by the person concerned. By **rumors**, we understand an anonymous report of an incident, especially a sensational one which is passed from one month to another ear. The **anecdote and historical proverb** are also to be regarded as species of anonymous oral tradition. The **anecdote** is generally a report of some "personal or biographical incident". In many cases, it is impossible to trace its source. **Anecdotes** are often transferred from one person, or from one set of circumstances, to another. While the **historical proverb** gives a brief and striking expression to some incident or generalization of historical import. A **historical ballad** is a concomitant non-historical motif, an entertainment through singing. It perpetuates the memory of famous exploits from one generation to another. This is the oldest of all the forms of historical transmission. They appear in history in times of violent struggle for national independence like in the periods of Greek tribal displacements or the early medieval "migration of the nations". In its original meaning, the **saga** is a spoken historical tale. This term comprises any orally transmitted recital of past events, of heroic deeds and historical truth. This usually becomes the common and highly-prized possession of some large social group such as race or a nation. **Pictorial and Figured Sources** 1. **Monumental transmission** - this is used in the restricted sense of self-standing, non-graphic memorials produced by art and handicraft. For instance, pyramids, temples, churches, tombs, memorials, and sculptures/paintings. 2. **Ornamental transmission** - this is made through decorative detail. This comprises painted or sculptured work of historical content on buildings; historical pictures on parchment; in books; historical details on coat-of-arms. 3. **Graphic transmission** - this is effected by drawings, as in maps, topographical sketches, plans of towns and cities; by statistical tables, anthropometric measurements in criminal records, such as fingerprints, and the likes. 4. **Photographic transmission** - this includes all the various processes of photography from microfilms to moving pictures. Photographic reproduction of documents has proved an invaluable aid to historical research in securing absolutely reliable copies of source materials. **Written Sources** 1. Transmission by chiseling, casting, stamping, scratching or other processes. This comprises two main groups of sources: first, inscriptions, which have been preserved in extraordinarily large numbers, especially from ancient times. 2. Transmission through the medium of solid material, as stone, plaster (graffiti); or writing material properly so - called, such as clay or wax tables, papyrus, parchment, paper. **PRACTICAL GUIDELINES ON DATA-GATHERING FOR HISTORICAL RESEARCH** 1. Do not alter any data that you encounter just because it's against your perspective or point of view. 2. Always indicate the source of information, such as the title and date of a document, or the bibliographical data for any printed materials. 3. Take note carefully especially of directed quotes, to ensure the accuracy. 4. Organize the materials into primary and secondary sources according to major topics, or chronologically. 5. Take proper care of primary materials such as old photographs, documents because they are extremely rare and need special handling. **PREPARING AN OUTLINE** An outline serves as a guide in organizing the data and the narratives. 1. **INTRODUCTION** - generally a short essay, it discusses the objectives/goals in writing the topic. 2. **CHRONOLOGY**- optional but useful to identify the possible conflicting dates of the events that occurred. 3. **TEXT** - main part of the written account in which contains the whole part of your data. 4. **ANALYSIS** - description of the data, it also includes the analytical framework or theory that you employed. 5. **CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS** - based on the text, summary and recommendation for future researchers of your findings. 6. **APPENDIX AND GLOSSARY** - these are materials which could not be incorporated into the text but would add to the clarity and depth of your research. 7. **ENDNOTES/FOOTNOTES** - usually needed in academic research for additional information of findings but not always applicable. 8. **BIBLIOGRAPHY** - a listing of books and sources used, classified according to whether primary or secondary, published or unpublished, oral or written. **ETHICAL ISSUES OF A HISTORIAN** 1. Do not plagiarize. Always acknowledge the source of your data. Always indicate in quotation marks every statement and phrase you lifted verbatim from a source. Plagiarism is intellectual theft which discredits the author and a plagiarized work has no value to scholars. 2. Do not make students or subordinates do your research work, or use their output/data without permission and without giving them due credit. 3. Respect the request of your resources by keeping confidential any information given to you off the record. 4. Always tell your informants or sources that you are going to use the materials they gave or lent or testimonies they have provided for your written account. 5. Do not conduct your research under false pretenses or deliberate misrepresentation of facts, as to obtain title to money or property.