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2 The Historical Sources: GEC 002-BALSCM12S1 - Readings in Philippine History

1.2 The Historical Sources

When the news on the discovery of the discovery of fossilized remains of a rhinoceros
(Rhinoceros philippinensis) in Kalinga province erupted, the local and world news heralded a
change on how world history is to be viewed. Such discovery has a tremendous impact not only in
the academic world but also in the greater society due to its historical, anthropological, societal,
as well as economic, to name a few. Undoubtedly, historians have to rewrite their pages of history
in order to accommodate this primary source of history. This is our topic, the historical sources.

The remains of a butchered rhino.

What is Historical Source?

Any leftover of the past can be considered a source. It might well be a document, and we often
think of history as a textual discipline, based on the interpretation of written texts, but it might also
be 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, however, when they are interpreted by the historian to
make sense of the past. In the case of the Kalinga rhinos, it would just be a piece of debris during
the excavation process that would be dumped elsewhere had it not preserved, analyzed, and
reported by the experts.

It all depends on what the historian wants to know. This is why it makes little sense to ask if
something is 'good historical evidence', without knowing what evidence it's supposed to provide.

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For us, students of history, we need to classify these historical sources so we know their historical
value.

Primary and secondary sources

With the past as history's subject matter, the historian's most important research tools are
historical sources. In general, historical sources can be classified between primary and secondary
sources. The classification of sources depends on the historical subject being studied.

1. Primary sources are those produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being
studied. For example, if a historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution
Convention of 1935, his primary sources can include the minutes of the convention,
newspaper clippings, Philippine commission reports of the U.S. representatives, among
others. Other examples of primary sources include:
Autobiographies and memoirs
Diaries, personal letters, and correspondence
Interviews, surveys, and fieldwork
Internet communications on email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups
Photographs, drawings, and posters
Works of art and literature
Books, magazine and newspaper articles and ads published at the time
Public opinion polls
Speeches and oral histories
Original documents (birth certificates, property deeds, trial transcripts)
Research data, such as census statistics
Official and unofficial records of organizations and government agencies
Artifacts of all kinds, such as tools, coins, clothing, furniture, etc.
Audio recordings, DVDs, and video recordings
Government documents (reports, bills, proclamations, hearings, etc.)
Patents
Technical reports
Scientific journal articles reporting experimental research results
2. On the other hand secondary sources are those which are produced by an author who used
primary sources to produce the material. For example, on the subject of the Philippine
Revolution of 1896 students can read Teodoro Agoncillo's Revolt of the Masses: The Story of
Bonifacio and the Katipunan published originally in 1956. Other examples of secondary source
include:
Bibliographies
Biographical works
Reference books, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases
Articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers after the event
Literature reviews and review articles (e.g., movie reviews, book reviews)
History books and other popular or scholarly books
Works of criticism and interpretation
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Commentaries and treatises

Textbooks
Indexes and abstracts

Click this link to watch a short clip explaining primary and secondary sources
(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/42353/files/18261992/download?wrap=1)
(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/42353/files/18261992/download?download_frd=1)

Now can you identify what kind of source does the rhino fossilized remain belong? If yes, you
clearly understood this lesson. Click on the link "Next" to proceed to the last topic for this module.

Click the "Next" button to proceed.

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