PRIMARY SOURCES AND THE

HISTORICAL METHOD
The Importance of Primary Sources in History
 External Criticism

• External criticism
checks the
authenticity of the
primary source. it
aims to check if the
source is real or
fake.
 External Criticism
• Paleographer
- checking if the paper and ink
of th ocument belong to the
period being studied

- checking whether the

handwriting in the document
belongs to the handwriting of
the period one is researching.

 External Criticism

• Philologists - those
who study the
style of language
of the text in a
document.
Example (Philology)
 Internal Criticism

• Checks on the reliability of the

source.
 Internal Criticism

• Checks the
reliability of
the source.
 Internal Criticism

• Questions to check on the reliability of

the source:
1. How close was the author to the event being
studied?

 Internal Criticism

2. When was the

account made?
 Internal Criticism

3. Who was the

recipient of the
account?
 Internal Criticism

4. Is there bias to be
accounted for?
 Internal Criticism

5. Does informed
common sense
make the account
probable?
 Internal Criticism

6. Is the account corroborated by other accounts?

• When was the document or artifact created?
• What type of primary source is it?
• Who created the document or artifact?
• Why was it written or produced?

• For whom was the text or image intended?

• What is the main point the author is trying to
make?
• Is there ay unintentional evidence given by the text?
• Does the text provide an author’s point of view
bias, or opinion?
• How does the source stand in relation to ther
primary sources of the period?