Module 2 (3 hours)

Title: Understanding Sources

Introduction:
Historians and students encounter a large variety of sources during the course
of their studies about history. Sources can be classified or labelled as primary or
secondary. With the past as history’s subject matter, the historian’s most important
research tool are historical sources.
In general, historical sources can be classified between primary and secondary
sources. These sources are useful in learning, understanding and writing history.
Students especially historians and writers should/need to conduct examine and
validate carefully the sources. External and internal criticism should be conducted.
External criticism is the examination of the authenticity of evidence while internal
criticism is the examination of truthfulness.
The study of history depends greatly on written records, which people have set
down on wood, stone, clay, bone and paper. One of the riches sources relies on
remains, these offers the researchers a clue about the past simply by virtue of their
existence. The wooden columns found at the date of a prehistoric settlement testify for
example to the existence of people and tell to historians something about their culture.
The pegs or dowels they used to fasten building materials further enlighten scholars
about their technical skills and artistic capacities. By comparing their artifacts with
those with other places historians can further learn something of their commercial or
intellectual relations.

Guide Questions:
1. What is the main distinction between primary and secondary source?
2. Why is primary source and secondary source important in the study of
history?
3. What is the purpose of a secondary source?

Learning Outcomes:
At end of this topic, you are expected to:
1. Recognize the distinction between primary and secondary sources.
2. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity, and tertiary
sources.
3. Enumerate materials which can be considered primary sources and secondary
sources.
4. Discuss the difference between internal and external criticism.

Learning Content:

What are Primary Sources?

• Testimony of an eyewitness
• A primary source must have been produced by a contemporary of the event it
narrates
• Primary sources are materials produced by people or groups directly involved
in the event or topic being studied.
• They are either participants or witness.
Formally, there are eight types of these primary sources:
1. Autobiographies and memoirs
2. Diaries, personal letters, and correspondence
3. Interviews, surveys, and fieldwork
4. Photographs and posters
5. Works of arts and literature
6. Speeches and oral histories

What are Secondary Sources?

Gottschalk simply defines secondary sources as the testimony of anyone who is
not an eyewitness – that is of one who was not present at the event of which he tells.
Secondary information is filtered through someone else’s perspective.
These are books, articles and scholarly journals that had interpreted primary
sources or had used them to discuss certain subjects of history.

Types of Secondary Sources

1. Bibliographies
2. Biographical works
3. Periodicals (Newspaper, magazine and journal)
4. Literature reviews and review articles

What is External Criticism and Internal Criticism?

Historical data has to be examined to verify its authenticity and truthfulness
through external and internal criticism.
1. External Criticism
External criticism refers to the genuineness of the documents. It is
looking into the authenticity of evidence by examining the physical
characteristics and historical characteristics of the documents.

The following are series of questions to establish the genuineness of a

document or relic according to Key (1997).
a. Does the language and writing style conform to the period in
question and is it typical of other work done by the author?
b. Is there evidence that the author exhibits ignorance of things or
events that man of his training and time should have known?
c. Did he report about things, events, or places that could have
been known during the period?
d. Has the original manuscript been altered either intentionally or
unintentionally by copying?
e. Is the document an original draft or a copy?
2. Internal Criticism
Internal criticism refers to the meaning and truthfulness of the
documents. It talks about the value and worth of its contents.

Key (1997), provides the following questions to check the content of a

source of information:
a. What was meant by the author by each word and statement?
b. How much credibility can the author’s statements be given?
Suggested Readings:

o Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method by Louis Gottschalk

(New York, 1950)
o Writings of Teodoro Agoncillo, Reynaldo Ileto and Renato Constantino about
history
o Robert B. Fox. The Tabon Caves: Archaeological Explorations and
excavations on Palawan Island, Philippines (Manila, 1970) p. 40
o William Henry Scott. Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine
History (Revised Edition) Quezon City, 1984) pp. 14-15

References:
Candelaria, et.al. 2018. Readings in the Philippine History. Rex Printing Company,
Inc.
Manila, Philippines.
Ligan, et.al.,2018. Readings in the Philippine History. Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
Malabon City.
Solmenaro, et.al. 2018. Readings in Philippine History. Fastbooks Educational
Supply, Inc.
Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines.
Torres, J. V., 2018. BATIS. Sources in Philippine History. Rex Printing Company,
Inc.