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Sourc e s
What are Historical Sources?
What are Historical Sources?
Any leftover of the past can be considered a source. It
might be a document, a building, a piece of art or an
ephemeral object – a train ticket, say, or perhaps a
pair of shoes. These are all 'sources' because they all
provide us in different ways with information which
can add to the sum of our knowledge of the past.
Sources only become historical evidence when they
are interpreted by the historian to make sense of the
past.
Primary sources
Primary sources refer to documents or other items
that provide first-hand, eyewitness accounts of
events.
Examples of primary sources include diaries,
journals, speeches, interviews, letters, memos,
photographs, videos, public opinion polls, and
government records, among many other things.
Secondary sources
They offer an analysis, interpretation or
a restatement of primary sources and
are considered to be persuasive. They
often involve generalisation, synthesis,
interpretation, commentary or
evaluation.