CHAPTER 1

HISTORY AS DISCIPLINE
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
This chapter goes over the concept of history as an academic discipline. Students would
learn the difference and relevance of history from other disciplines. History as an academic
discipline deals with the branch of knowledge that studies the chronological record of events,
based on critical examination of source materials and usually presenting an explanation of their
causes. This module also includes the distinction of primary and secondary sources; external and
internal criticism; and repositories of primary sources and different kinds of primary sources.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this chapter, the student is expected to:
a. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity, and provenance;
b. Analyse the context, content, and perspective of different kinds of primary sources;
c. Determine the contribution of different kinds of primary sources in understanding
Philippine history;
d. Develop critical and analytical skills with exposure to primary sources;
e. Demonstrate the ability to use primary sources to argue in favour or against a particular
issue.
Lesson Outline
1. Defining History
a. Definitions of History
b. Why Study History?
c. History Differentiated
2. Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources
a. Primary Sources
b. Types of Primary Sources
c. Secondary Sources
d. Types of Secondary Sources
e. Repositories of Primary Sources
3. External and Internal Criticism
a. External Criticism
b. Internal Criticism
KEYTERMS
Diplomatics – is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents, especially,
historical documents.
External criticism – refers to the genuineness of the documents a researcher uses in a historical
study
Herstory – history written from a feminist perspective
Historicism – is the belief that history was determined by laws, and the belief that understanding
people and cultures requires an understanding of their historical events.
Historicity – is the authentication of characters in history
Historiography –is the writing of history, and the understanding of how the interpretations of
historian change over time.
History - is an academic discipline that deals with the branch of knowledge that studies the
chronological record of events, based on critical examination of source materials and usually
presenting an explanation of their causes.
Idealism – is the belief that history can be described in terms of ideas – what people thought and
the intent behind their actions

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Internal Criticism – refers to the accuracy of the contents of a document.
Palaeography – study of ancient and medieval handwriting.
Past – involves everything that ever happened since the dawn of time
Prehistory – is the period of human activity prior to the invention of writing systems
Primary Source – is one prepared by an individual who was a participant in, or a direct witness
to, the event that is being described.
Relativism – is the belief that there is no absolute truth and that all views of history are valid
Relics – are any objects whose physical or visual characteristic can provide some information
about the past
Secondary Source – is a document prepared by an individual who was not a direct witness to an
event, but who obtained his or her description of the event from someone else.
LESSON 1: Defining History
A. Definitions of History
Throughout ages, history has been defined and re-defined by various scholars,
historians, writers, inventors and even politicians. Everyone has different opinions on why the
past is important and what the study of history is. But each definitions has something in common
– that history is an academic discipline, a chronological order of events based on critical
examinations.
These are some of the definitions of history.
History is ….
an agreed upon set of facts or a forever-fixed story that is never subjected to changes
and subjects.
a simple historical chronology of famous dates, incidents, and people.
a strict reliance solely on the past with no examination of how the past has influenced the
present or how it may influence the future.
a chronological storytelling in its finest form; it sequentially weaves together many related
historical and contemporary events and ideas that are linked to a larger story.
History is a chronological storytelling in its finest form; it sequentially weaves together
many related historical and contemporary events and ideas that are linked to a larger
story.
Definitions of the nature of history:
History is interpretative; it invites students to debate multiple perspectives, offer their
opinions and educated interpretations, and challenges existing beliefs.
History is revisionist in scope; it is an on-going conversation and a constant process of
re-examining the past and deconstructing myths based upon discoveries, evidence, and
perspectives.
History is a constant process of questioning; it requires questioning the texts, examining
them with critical eye, and asking new questions.
History is integrative of many disciplines; it especially incorporates geography, literature,
art, sociology, economics, and political science.
History is inclusive; it ensures that the experiences of all classes, regions, and ethno-
racial groups as well as both genders, are included.
History incorporates historiography; it includes many different interpretations of historical
events written by many different historians.
History is relevant; it uses past experiences to explain what is important in our lives
today.
It seems that a definition of history should include all things that have ever happened.
That definition would include all physical events and occurrences. It would also seem that the
definition of history would be synonymous with a definition of the past- the sum total of all things
that ever happened. But Williams points out that the past is not history. Things may have

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happened in the past that were not observed or recorded. History is, therefore only a subset of
the past. As a discipline, history is a study of the past, but it will only reveal a portion of the past,
and should be done so as objectively as possible.
Approaches to Study History
Idealism – is the belief that history can be described in terms of ideas – what people thought and
the intent behind their actions. The idealist of the mid-to-late 1800s cared not only about events,
but on what those events meant. Attaching meaning is not easy, and entails problems associated
with interpretation if those interpretations are biased or incomplete. The problem with this
viewpoint is that we can’t always know what was intended. Idealism can be limiting in accurately
portraying events as they really happened.
Historicism – another approach to describe history. Its premise is that “autonomy of the past must
be respected”. Each age has its own values, and events should be described within the context of
those values. One of the problems with historicism is that its approach is tantamount to
legitimization of events by respecting the values of the time. That approach inhibits our ability to
fully learn from mistakes of the past.
Relativism – is the belief that there is no absolute truth and that all views of history is valid. The
metaphor of a cut diamond with many facets, each of with represents a unique view of the whole,
is what relativism is like; each individual sees the world individually, and each view is valid.
Relativism shows its inherent weakness when a viewpoint attempts to deny history, especially in
the face of overwhelming proof.
B. Why Study History?
According to processhistory.org , the study of history is essential for the following reasons:
To Ourselves
Identity – history nurtures personal identity in an intercultural world. It enables people to
discover their own place in the stories of their families, communities, and nation.
Critical Skills – history teaches critical 21st Century skills and independent thinking. The
practice of history teaches research, judgment of the accuracy and reliability of sources,
validation of facts, awareness of multiple perspectives and biases, analysis of conflicting
evidence, sequencing to discern causes, synthesis to present a coherent interpretation,
clear and persuasive written and oral communication, and other skills.
To Our Communities
Vital Places to Live and Work – history lays the groundwork for strong, resilient
communities. No place really becomes a community until it is wrapped in human
memory: family stories, tribal traditions, civic commemorations.
Economic Development – history is a catalyst for economic growth. People are drawn to
communities that have preserved a strong sense of historical identity and character.
To Our Future
Engaged Citizens – history helps people craft better solutions. At the heart of democracy
is the practice of individuals coming together to express views and take action.
Leadership – history inspires local and global leaders. History provides leaders with
inspirations and role models for meeting the complex challenges that face our
communities, nation, and the world.
Legacy – history, saved and preserved, is the foundation for future generations. History is
crucial to preserving democracy for the future by explaining our shared past.
C. History Differentiated
1. History vs. past
The past is not the same as history. The past involves everything that ever happened since
the dawn of time.
History, by contrast, is a process of interpreting evidence or records from the past in a
thoughtful and informed way. History is the narrative that gives meaning, sense, and explanation
to the past in the present.

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2. History vs. Prehistory
History and Prehistory show differences between them in their nature and substance. Their
main difference is the existence of records. History is the record of significant events that
happened in the past whereas prehistory is the period of human activity prior to the invention of
writing systems.
3. History vs. The Other Disciplines
No discipline is an island. In the past hundred years or so, the ways that we study, write, and
teach history have changed dramatically, often because of influence from other disciplines.
4. History, Historicity, and Historiography
In a nutshell, history is a narrative account used to examine and analyse past events
Historicity is the authentication of characters in history, as opposed to legend or myth.
Historiography is the writing of history, and the understanding of how the interpretations
of historians change over time.
5. History vs. Herstory
The word “history” (from Greek word historia, meaning “inquiry, knowledge acquired by
investigation”, is etymologically unrelated to the possessive pronoun his. Traditionally, history has
been defined as “the study of the past as it is described in written documents.” Feminist argued
that it has been men (“his”, “story”) who usually have been the ones to record the written past.
Herstory, by contrast, is history written from a feminist perspective, emphasizing the role of
women, or told from a woman’s point of view. It is a neologism coined as a pun with the word
“history,” as part of a feminist critique of conventional historiography, which in their opinion is
traditionally written as “ his story,” i.e., from the masculine point of view.
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 1
Name: ______________________________________ Score _______ Date: ___________
College/Program: ___________________ Class Schedule: Time/Day: ________________
I. MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. Write T if the statement is correct, if false underline the word
or group of words that make the statement false, then correct it.
_____1. Relativism is the belief that history is determined by laws, and the belief that
understanding people and cultures requires understanding of historical events.
_____2. Idealism is the belief that there is no absolute truth and that all views of history is valid.
_____3. Historicism is the belief that history can be described in terms of what people thought
and the intent of their actions.
___T__4. History is a systematic narration of the past based on evidences and records
presented.
___T__5. Historicity refers to the verification of characters in history, as opposed to legend or
myth.
___T__6. A person who studies the events of the past is called historian.
___T__7. Chronology is the arrangement of event in time order.
_____8. History is the period of human activity prior to the invention of writing systems.
____T_9. Past and history is synonymous.
___T__10. Herstory is history written from a masculine perspective.
II. ESSAY
11-15. Differentiate history from other humanistic or social scientific disciplines. (Choose from
any or a combination of the following: Sociology, Political Science, Archaeology,
Anthropology, Geology, Economics, Art Studies, Literature, Linguistics, Psychology,
Demography, Jurisprudence.)

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LESSON 2: DISTINCTION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES
Four Basic Categories of Historical Source Materials
1. Documents are written or printed materials that have been produced in one form or another
sometime in the past.
2. Numerical Records include any type of numerical data in printed or handwritten form.
3. Oral Statements include any form of statement made orally by someone.
4. Relics are any objects whose physical or visual characteristics can provide some information
about the past.
The main emphasis in historical research is on interpretation of documents, diaries and the like.
Historical data are categorized into primary or secondary sources.
A. Primary Sources
Primary Sources give firsthand, original, and unfiltered information. Examples are
eyewitness accounts, personal journals, interviews, surveys, experiments, historical documents,
and artifacts. These sources have close, direct connection to their subjects.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Primary sources directly address your topic and often provide information that is available
elsewhere. On the other hand, some primary sources, such as eyewitness accounts, may be too
close to the subject, lacking critical distance. Others, such as interviews, surveys, and
experiments, are time consuming to prepare, administer, and analyse.
B. Types of Primary Sources
1. Autobiographies and Memoirs
An autobiography is an account of a person’s life written by that person. Autobiographical
works can take many forms, from the intimate writings made during life that were not necessarily
intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to a
formal book-length autobiography.
e.g. “MgaTala ng akingBuhay” , written by Gregoria de Jesus about herself, her husband Andres
Bonifacio, the Katipunan and the Philippine Revolution.
The translation was done by Leandro H. Fernandez, a University of the Philippines History
Professor, and published in the June 1930 issue of the Philippine Magazine, Volume XXVII, No.
The original copy of the document was furnished to Hernandez by Jose P. Santos.
A memoir is a history or record composed from personal observation and experience.
Closely related to, and often confused with, autobiography, a memoir usually differs chiefly in the
degree of emphasis placed on external events; whereas writers of autobiography are concerned
primarily with themselves as subject matter, writers of memoir are usually persons who have
played roles in, or have been close observers of, historical events and whose main purpose is to
describe or interpret the events.
e.g. “La Revolucion Filipina” a compact analysis and commentary on the Philippine Revolution by
ApolinarioMabini.
2. Diaries, Personal Letters, and Correspondence
A diary is a form of autobiographical writing, is a regularly kept record of the diarist’s
activities and reflections. Written primarily for the writer’s use alone.
e.g. diary of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos
A personal letter is a type of letter (or informal composition) that usually concerns personal
matters (rather than professional concerns) and is sent form one individual to another.
e.g. personal letter of Marcelo H. del Pilar to his niece, JosefaGatmaitan.
A correspondence is a body of letters or communications. If you’ve had a pen pal or an
email buddy, you’ve written plenty of correspondence
e.g. body of letters between Jose Rizal and Ferdinand Blumentritt.
3. Interviews, Surveys, and Fieldwork

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 An interview is a conversation where questions are asked and answers are given.
A survey is a list of questions aimed at extracting specific data from a particular group of
people.
Field researchor Fieldwork is a collection of information outside a laboratory, library or
workplace setting
4. Photograph and Posters
Considered as primary sources because photographs and posters can illustrate past events
as they happened and people as they were at a particular time.
5. Works of Art and Literature
In fine art, a work of art, an artwork, or a work of creation, such as a song, book, print,
sculpture or a painting, that has been made in order to be a thing of beauty in itself or a symbolic
statement of meaning, rather than having a practical function.
6. Speeches and Oral Histories
7. Other Primary sources includes books, magazine and newspaper articles and ads
published at the time of the event and artifacts of all kinds – tools, coins, clothing,
furniture, etc.
C. Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are one step removed from the topic. While they can be just as valuable
as primary sources, you must remember that secondary information is filtered through someone
else’s perspective and may be biased.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Secondary sources provide a variety of expert perspectives and insights. Also, peer review
usually ensures the quality of sources such as scholarly articles. Finally, researching secondary
sources is more efficient than planning, conducting, and analysing certain primary sources
In contrast, because secondary sources are not necessarily focused on your specific topic, you
may have to dig to find applicable information. Information may be colored by the writer’s own
bias or faulty approach
D. Types of Secondary Sources
1. Bibliographies
An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources, each of which is followed by a brief
note or “annotation.” These annotations do one or more of the following: describe the content and
focus of the book or article, suggest the source’s usefulness to your research, evaluate its
method, conclusions, or reliability, and record your reactions to the source.
e.g. Dr. Jose Rizal’s annotations to Antonio Morga’sSuccesos de las Islas Filipinas
2. Biographical works
A biography is a description of a real person’s life, including factual details as well as stories
from the person’s life. Biographies usually include information about the subject’s personality and
motivations, and other kinds of intimate details excluded in a general overview or profile of a
person’s life.
e.g. Andres Bonifacio, the “Father of the Philippine Revolution” and the President of the Tagalog
Republic.
3. Periodicals
Periodicals are newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals – all of which are published
“periodically”. Some periodicals are in print, some are electronic, and some use both formats.
a. Newspaper
Is a periodical publication containing written information about current
events.Newspapers can cover wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport and art and
often include materials such as opinion columns, weather forecasts, reviews of local services,
obituaries, birth notices, crosswords, editorial cartoons, comic strips, and advice columns.
b. Magazine and Journal

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 Unlike daily newspaper, magazine and journals may be published weekly, monthly,
quarterly, annually, or at some other interval. Print editions use better paper and more color than
newspapers do. The main difference between magazines and journals is their audience. Journals
are written by scholars for scholars; magazines are produced by professional writers and editors
for a general readership.
4. Literature reviews and review articles (e.g. movie reviews, book reviews)
A literature review is an evaluate report of information found in the literature related to your
selected area of study. The review should describe, summarize, evaluate, and clarify this
literature. It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the author) determine
the nature of your research.
A review article summarizes the current state of understanding on a topic. A review article
surveys and summarizes previously published studies, rather than reporting new facts or
analysis. Review articles are also called survey articles or, in news publishing, overview articles.
Academic publications that specialize in review articles are known as review journals.
Film Review
The film review is a popular way for critics to assess a film’s overall quality and determine
whether or not they think the film is worth recommending. Film reviews differ from scholarly film
articles in that they encompass personal and idiosyncratic reactions to and evaluations of a film,
as well as objective analyzes of the film’s formal techniques and thematic content.
Book Review
A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analysed based on content,
style, and merit.
E. Repositories of Primary Sources
1. Library – is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a
defined community for reference or borrowing. It provides physical or digital access to material,
and may be a physical building or room, or a virtual space, or both. A library’s collection can
include books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, films, maps, prints, documents, microform,
CDs, cassettes, videotapes, DVDs, Blu-ray, Discs, e-books, audiobooks, databases, and other
formats.
2. Archive - is an accumulation of historical records or the physical place they are located.
Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an
individual or organization’s lifetime and are kept to show the function of that person or
organization. Professional archivists and historians generally understand archives to be records
that have been naturally and necessarily generated as a product of regular, legal, commercial,
administrative, or social activities. They have been metaphorically defined as “the secretions of
an organism” and are distinguished from documents that have been consciously written or
created to communicate a particular message to posterity.
3. Museum – is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of artifacts and other objects
of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these items
available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary.
4. Historical Society (Preservation Society) – is an organization dedicated to preserving,
collecting, researching, and interpreting historical information or items. Originally, these societies
were created as a way to help future generations understand their heritage.
5. Special Collections – are libraries or library units that house materials requiring specialized
security and user services. Materials housed in special collections can be in any format (including
rare books, manuscripts, photographs, archives, ephemera, and digital records), and are
generally characterized by their artifactual or monetary value, physical format, uniqueness or
rarity, and/ or an institutional commitment to long-term preservation and access. They can also
include association with important figures or institutions in history, culture, politics, sciences, or
the arts.

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SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 2
Name: ______________________________________ Score _______ Date: ___________
College/Program: _______________ Class Schedule: Time/Day: ____________________
I. MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read each questions carefully and select the BEST ANSWER among the
choices. Write the LETTER of your answer in the space provided before each number.
_____1. Which of the following is best classified as a source other than a relic?
a. a legal record c. a piece of furniture
b. a monument d. an original painting
_____2. Which of the following is most likely to be a secondary source?
a. a book about educational theory in the early 1900s
b. a frontier family photograph
c. a soldier’s letter home during Korean War
d. minutes from a university faculty meeting held in 1892
_____3. If a researcher uses a tape of legend from a Tribal elder as a source of data, he is using
a data source known as a(n)
a. document b. oral statement c. relic d. secondary resource.
_____4. Which of the following is most likely to be a primary source?
a. a film about battlefield manuevers in the Civil War
b. a miner’s letter home during the Gold Rush
c. a poem expressing a miner’s feelings
d. an article about educational theory in the early 1900s
_____5. Most historical source material can be grouped into which four basic categories?
a. museum pieces, documents, oral statements, and numerical records
b. relics, documents, oral statements, and numerical records
c. relics, letters from parents to children, oral statements, and numerical records
d. relics, oral statements, museum pieces, and numerical records
_____6. Census data is best described as which kind of historical source material?
a. document b. numerical record c. oral statement d. relic
_____7. An interview with a World War II combat veteran is best described as which kind of
historical source material?
a. document b. numerical record c. oral statement d. relic
_____8. A letter from Winston Churchill to Mrs. Roosevelt is best described as which kind
ofhistorical source material?
a. document b. a numerical record c. a relic d. an oral statement
_____9. A form of autobiographical writing, a record of activities and reflections and intended for
the writer’s use alone.
a.Biography b. journal c. diary d. personal letter
_____10. A list of questions aimed at extracting specific data from a particular group of people.
a. Interview b. survey c. fieldwork d. correspondence
II.ESSAY
11-15. Differentiate primary sources from secondary sources. Give examples for each.
LESSON 3: EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CRITICISM
Researches cannot accept historical data at face value, since many diaries, memoirs, reposts
and testimonies are written to enhance the writer’s position, stature, or importance.
Because of this possibility, historical data has to be examined for its authenticity and truthfulness.
Such examination is done through criticism; by asking and researching to help determine
truthfulness, bias, omissions and consistency in data. (“Historical Research Methods,”n.d.)

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Two kinds of Criticism.
1. External Criticism – refers to the genuineness of the documents a researcher uses in a
historical study. (Fraenkel and Wallen, n.d.)
2. Internal Criticism – refers to the accuracy of the contents of a document. Whereas external
criticism has to do with the authenticity of a document, internal criticism has to do with what the
documents says. (Fraenkel and Wallen, n.d.)
A. External Criticism
Is the part of the historical method which determines authenticity of the source. The
document is somewhat like a prisoner at the bar. Its genuineness must be tested, where possible,
by palaeographical and diplomatic criticism. It must be be localized in time and place. It must be
ascertained, whether in its present state it exists exactly as its author left it. In order to test its
genuineness, the student must ask himself if it is what it appears to be or if it is a forgery. One is
too apt to imagine that historical forgeries passed out of style with the Middle Ages. The
document must be viewed from every possible angle. Its agreement or disagreement with facts
known from other genuine sources of the same place and period, or on the same subject, will
often be a deciding factor in its authenticity. The writers ignorance of facts which he should have
known and which should have been mentioned in the document, or the record of events which he
clearly could not have known at the time of writing, are other signs of genuinity or of tis absence.
A document proven probably genuine by these tests can be often be heightened in value by an
analysis which may restore it to its original state or which may accentuate the historicity of the
facts it contains.
Key (1997) enumerates a series of questions to establish the genuineness of a document or relic:
1. Does the language and writing style conform to the period in question and is typical of
other work done by the author?
2. Is there evidence that the author exhibits ignorance of things or events that man of his
training and time should have known?
3. Did he report about things, events, or places that could have not been known during that
period?
4. Has the original manuscript has been altered either intentionally or unintentionally by
copying?
5. Is the document an original draft or a copy? If it is a copy, was it reproduced in the exact
words of the original?
6. If manuscript is undated or the author unknown, are there any clues internally as to its
origin? (Key, 1997)
Gilbert J. Garraghan (1946) provides the following questions:
1. When was the source, written or unwritten, produced (date)?
2. Where was it produced (localization)?
3. By whom was it produced (authorship)?
4. From what pre-existing material was it produced (analysis)
5. In what original form was it produced (integrity)?
B. Internal Criticism
Is the part of historical methods which determines the historicity of the facts contained in the
document. It is not of absolute necessity that the document be proven genuine; even forgeries or
documents with truncated truths may contain available material. But before any conclusion is
admissible, the facts contained in the document must be tested. In order to determine the values
of these facts, the characters of the sources, the knowledge of the author, and the influences
prevalent at the time of writing must be carefully investigated. We must first be certain that we
know exactly what the author said and that we understand what he wrote as he understood it.
Key (1997) provides the following questions to check the content of a source of information
1. What was meant by the author by each word and statement?
2. How much credibility can the author’s statements be given?

Gilbert J Garraghan (1946) asks the question below for internal criticism
1. What is the evidential value of its contents (credibility)?

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 According to Louis Gottschalk, (1950) ‘’for each particular of a document the process of
establishing credibility should be separately undertaken regardless of the general credibility of the
author.”
In other words, even if an author is trustworthy and reliable, still, each piece of evidence
extracted must be weighed individually.
External and Internal criticism may be summed up as follows:
a. External Criticism
1. Testing the genuineness of the source.
2. Localizing it (time, place, author)
3. Analyzing it (Recension and restoration of text)
b. Internal Criticism
1. Determining the value of the source
2. Interpretation of the source
3. Establishment of facts.
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 3
Name: ____________________________________ Score _______ Date: ___________
College/Program: ___________________ Class Schedule: Time/Day: ______________
Direction: Provide a discussion for the following questions. (5 points each)
1. What is external criticism all about?
Is the part of the historical method which determines authenticity of the source
2. What is internal criticism all about?
Is the part of historical methods which determines the historicity of the facts contained in
the document.
3. Among the two types of criticism, which is of less intellectual type of criticism of documents.
Justify your answer.
Internal criticism – no need to test the ginuinety.
4. Why do we have to conduct historical research? To preserve information about historical
events.
SYNTHESIS
History refers to the study, knowledge, interpretation, and recording of the past in a
meaningful way. As an academic discipline, history is conducted by historians, individuals, who
take the time to research, interpret, and put past events into context in a recorded fashion.
There are many good reasons to study history. Studying history provides us with
knowledge of the past. It also gives us understanding of how our own and other peoples societies
have been created. What happened in the past has an influence on what happens today and the
past influences the future. Studying history provides us with understanding of how different
peoples and societies have solved different types of problems and conflicts in different periods of
times. History is often politicized and instrumentalized by different actors in actual political
processes and power battles. Studying history helps us understand important aspects of
contemporary conflict dynamics.
When examining documents, historical researchers are faced with two key issues:
primary vs. secondary sources and external vs. internal criticism.
A primary source was prepared by someone who was a participant or direct witness to an
event. A secondary source was prepared by someone who obtained his or her information about
an event from someone else.
External criticism refers to the authenticity of the document. Once a document has been
determined to be genuine (external criticism), researchers need to determine if the content is
accurate (internal criticism).

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 We conduct historical research for a number of reasons: (1) to avoid the mistakes of the
past, (2) to apply lessons from the past to current problems, (3) to use the past to make
predictions about the present, (4) to understand present practices and policies in light of the past.
(5) to examine trends across time.
REFERENCES:
Galicia, R.D. & Palencia, M.M.(2019). Readings in Philippine History, Second Edition.Azes
Publishing Corporation.
www.study.com
https://steemit.com/history@fugetaboutit
www.delsiege.info

GEC 2 – Readings in the Philippine History with Indigenous People Education