BSN 2 - Y2 - 3
RIPH111
W1: HISTORY, HISTORICAL SOURCES, AND METHODS
- history has to be factual, not fabricated
- to be able to determine primary and
secondary sources
WHAT IS HISTORY?
- History (from Greek, historia, meaning "inquiry;
knowledge acquired by investigation is the
study of the past.
- Events occurring before the invention of
writing systems are considered prehistory
- History is an umbrella term that relates to past
events as well as the memory, presentation, and
interpretation of discovery, collection,
organization, information about these events
- The English word history is derived from the
Greek word “istoia” meaning learning
- According to Aristotle, history is the systematic
account of a set of natural phenomena whether
or not chronological ordering was a factor in an
account, and this is considered as natural
history. As time passed, the equivalent Latin
word “scientia”, which is science in English later
was used more to designate non-chronological
systematic accounts of phenomena.
- Presently, the word “history” means the “past of
mankind”. History is the study of past events,
particularly in human affairs.
- History in German is “Geschichte”, meaning,
“that which has happened”. This means that the
word implies that history teaches and we may
learn from the lessons of history.
- With the definition of history, it brings man to
a recognition that history cannot be
reconstructed, that the past of mankind, much
of it, is beyond recall. And that even the best of
our memories cannot re-create our past.
- The reconstruction of the total past of
mankind is the total goal of historians which,
however, is unattainable. Historians will never
really know everything that happened in the
past.
- The problem that every historian confronts is
that the evidence they rely on is likely to be
fragmented, incomplete and even contradictory.
The result is, each historian’s conclusions are
influenced by the evidence they have selected
from what is available and from how they
interpreted it.
- And from whatever a historian only has will be
the only thing that he can use to connect him to
the past.
- Historians place the past in context using
historical sources such as written documents,
oral accounts, ecological markers, and material
objects including art and artifacts.
- Stories are common to a particular culture but
not supported by external sources (such as the
tales surroundings King Arthur) are usually
classified as cultural heritage or legends.
- History differs from myth in that is supported
by evidence.
- However ancient influences have helped
spawn variant interpretations of the nature of
history which have evolved over the centuries
and continue to change today the modern
study of history is wide-ranging and includes
the study of specific regions and study of
certain topical or thematic elements of
historical investigations.
HISTORICAL METHODS
- Historical method comprises the techniques
and guidelines by which historians use primary
sources and other evidence to research and
then to write histories in the form of accounts of
the past.
- The main emphasis in historical research is on
interpretation of documents, diaries and the
tike. Historical data are categorized into
primary or secondary sources.
- The process of critically examining and
analyzing the records and survivals of the past.
- To study objectively (intention of acquiring
detached and truthful knowledge independent
of one’s personal reactions) a thing must first be
an object and must have an independent
resistance outside the human mind). Most of
history is based on the human mind since most
of history is based upon recollection (written or
spoken history).
- In reconstruction, only a part of what was
observed is remembered, only a part of what
was remembered is recorded, only a part of
what was recorded survives, only a part of what
survived comes to the historian’s attention.
- Only of a part of what is credible has been
grasped, only a part of what has been grasped
can be expounded and narrated by the
historian.
Historiography - The study of historical method
and writing
PRIMARY SOURCES
- Accuracy & Credibility - are harder to find but
are generally more accurate and preferred by
researchers (ex. Tajeros convention, unification
of magdiwang and magdalo)
- Primary resources include first-hand info, such
as eyewitness reposts (interviews, etc.) and
original documents
SECONDARY SOURCES
- Credibility - a major problem with much
historical Research is excessive reliance on
secondary sources
- Secondary sources include secondhand info,
such as a description of an event by someone
other than an eyewitness, or a textbook author’s
explanation of an event or theory.
HISTORICAL SOURCES
- Objects from the past or testimony concerning
the past which historians use to create their
own
- Also known as historical material or historical
data is an original source that contains
important historical information. These sources
are something that informs us about history at
the most basic level, and these sources used as
clues in order o study history.
Different Types of Historical Sources:
1. According to Form
*Written Sources
- Published materials (books, journals etc.)
and manuscript (handwritten and unprinted like
archival materials and memoirs)
*Non written Sources
-Oral history, artifacts, fossils, etc.
2. According to Origin
*Primary Sources
- Testimony of an eyewitness
- It must have been produced by a
contemporary of that is narrated. It is a
document or physical object written or created
during the time under study. These sources
were present during an experience or time
period and offer an inside view of a particular
event.
*Secondary Sources
- Interpret and analyze primary sources
- They are one or more steps removed from
the event. Examples are printed textbooks.
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
EXTERNAL CRITICISM
- Focus: deals with the problem of authenticity;
to spot hoaxes, fakes, forgeries, and
fabrications
- Determine the author in the uniqueness of his
handwriting or signature
- Determine the provenance or custody;
genuineness
- Test of Authenticity: determine the date if it is
Anachronistic
- Anachronistic - a material, skill, or culture does
not exist at that time; information that does not
connect or relate to the time being talked about
(ex. saying that people in prehistoric times used
metals when metals have not yet existed at that
period); sees to the appropriateness of a
material
ORIGINAL CREATIVE RELICS AND
- Determine the Semantics, meaning of a text or DOCUMENTS: WORKS: ARTIFACTS:
word
-Diaries -Artworks Pottery
- Semantics - (correlation of the language used) -Speeches -Novels Decorative
-Corresponde -Poetry Arts
- Determine the Hermeneutics, the ambiguities nce -Music Clothing
-Interviews -Architectural Buildings
- Hermeneutics an art on how to interpret; way -Manuscripts drawings and Textiles
of how a researcher interprets historical data. -Government plans Needlework
documents -Photographs
INTERNAL CRITICISM -News film -Film
footage
- Focus: deals with the problem of credibility -Archival
materials
*Test should be done* -Autobiograp
hies
- Determine the Character of the Author, his
reliability, and his ability and willingness to tell
the truth REPOSITOSITORY OF PRIMARY SOURCES

- Determine the Corroboration, historical facts
rest upon the testimony of two or more reliable
witnesses
PRIMARY SOURCES
- A primary source provides direct or firsthand
evidence about an event, object, person, or work
of art.
- Primary sources provide the original materials
on which research is based and enable students
and other researchers to get as close as
possible to what actually happened during a
particular event or time period.
KINDS OF PRIMARY SOURCES
To create a stunning presentation, it's best to
simplify your thoughts. Start with an outline of
topics and Identify highlights, which can be
applied to whatever subject you plan on
discussing.
You can then organize them into your
introduction, your main content, and your
conclusion.
Examples:
- National Archives of the Philippines
- National Library of the Philippines
- National Historical Commission of the
Philippines
- National Museum of the Philippines

- Records of social and cultural observations
- Chronicles
- Human Fossils (remains of ancient man
imbedded in the earth such as bones, hair,
skin etc.)
- Artifacts ( cultural evidences of man in the
past such as tools and implements)
- Records of Detective Investigations
- Royal Decrees and Laws
- Official Reports
- Maps
- Memoirs or Autobiographies
- Personal accounts: record of interviews
- Newspapers and Magazines: reports of
correspondents
- Legislative journals
- Court Records
Other Repositories of Primary Sources are the
libraries of various universities in the Philippines
such as the University of the Philippines, the
Ateneo de Manila Rizal Library and Museum, the
American Historical Collection in ADMU, and the
University of Sto. Tomas Central Library and
Museum.
SECONDARY SOURCES
- A secondary source of information is one that
was created later by someone who did not
experience first-hand or participate in the
events or conditions you're researching. For the
purposes of a historical research project,
secondary sources are generally scholarly
books and articles.

REPOSITOSITORY OF SECONDARY SOURCES

- Annual Reviews (scholarly article reviews)

- Credo Reference (encyclopedias,
dictionaries, handbooks & more)
- Ebook Central (ebooks)
- Most other Library databases include
secondary sources.

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