LEGIT OR FAKE?

LEGIT
FAKE
FAKE
 Lesson 1
Introduction to History:
Definition, Sources,
Issues, and Methodology
GE 2- Readings in Philippine History
 Common definition of history is that it is
the study of the past
• History comes from the Greek word
“Historia” which means knowledge
acquired through inquiry or investigation.
• Later on, the Latin language adapted the
term “historia” and they refer to it as the
account of the past of a person or of a
DEFINING HISTORYgroup of people through written
documents and historical evidences
TRADITIONAL VS. MODERN CONCEPT OF
HISTORY

• Traditional historians believed that without document,

there is no history, or in shorter term “no document, no
history.”

• However, an inclusive view of historical writing also

consider artifacts or archaeological materials, and word of
mouth (oral traditions/sources) as other sources of history.

• Modern historical writing is multidisciplinary and inclusive

in nature. It consults other fields such as for example:
Archaeology for the interpretation of the artifacts, or
linguistics in order to study oral traditions.
 HISTORIOGRAPHY
• Historiography- it is the “history of history”

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HISTORY

AND HISTORIOGRAPHY?
• History’s object of study is the past, such as
the past events and causes of a certain event.
• Historiography studies history itself or the
historical writings
 Therefore, HISTORIOGRAPHY is concerned with the following:
a.) How was a certain historical text written?
b.) Who authored it?
c.) What was the context of its publication?
d.) What historical method was used?
e.) What are the sources used?
f.) Who was the intended audience/to whom was the historian writing for?
 THE NATURE OF HISTORICAL
WRITING
• History is both subjective and a scientific discpline.

WHY SUBJECTIVE?
• Historians have their own biases. Meaning he was influenced by the
context of his time, education, environment, ideologies, and etc.

WHY SCIENTIFIC?
• To be impartial in his/her judgments, historians use historical
methodologies in order to interpret historical evidences.
 WHAT IS HISTORICAL
METHODOLOGY?
• Comprised of certain techniques and rules that
historians follow in order to properly interpret
sources and historical evidences in writing history.

• Example of historical method is corroboration- it

means that one source should be compared with
other related sources before coming up with a
judgment or interpretation to lessen one’s bias.
Beware mga bhiee!
 HISTORICAL
SOURCES
• Historical sources are the historian’s most important research tools.

TWO TYPES OF HISTORICAL SOURCES:

1.) Primary Sources:
• Sources produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being
studied.
Example of primary sources are: memoirs, diaries, newspaper clippings, old
photographs, artifacts, etc.
TAKE NOTE: they must be written during the time/or near the time of the
subject they were writing for.
EXAMPLE OF PRIMARY SOURCES:

Photo courtesy: Marlon D.

Cayabyab (left photo), Eric Frias
(photo in the middle), and Heinna
Alyssa Garcia (right photo)
2.) SECONDARY SOURCES
• Sources which were produced by an author who used primary sources to
produce the material. The author already interpreted the primary source and
incorporated his/her own insight and analysis.
• Example of secondary sources are: books, journal articles, and etc.
Evaluation of Primary and Secondary
Sources
• Six points of inquiries to evaluate the authenticity of a primary source
(Garraghan, 1950):
• 1.) Date- when it was produced?
• 2.) Localization- where did it originate?
• 3.) Authorship- who wrote it?
• 4.) Analysis- What pre-existing material served as the basis for its
production?
• 5.) What was its original form?
• 6.) Credibility- What is the evidential value of its content?
• Aside from the external evaluations such as who, when, and where in relation to a source
being examined, Howell and Provenier (2001) also identified the internal criteria to evaluate
a source through 7 factors:

• 1.) The genealogy of the document- is the document original, a copy, or a copy of a copy?
• 2.) The genesis of the document- includes the situations and the authorities during the
document's production.
• 3.) The originality of the document- includes the nature of the document whether it is an
eyewitness account or merely passing of existing information.
• 4.) The interpretation of the document- pertains to deducing meaning from the document.
• 5.) The authorial authority of the document- refers to the relationship between the
document's subject matter and its author.
• 6.) The competence of the observer- the author's capabilities and qualifications to critically
comprehend and report information
• 7.) The trustworthiness of the observer- refers to the author's integrity-whether he or she
fabricates or reports truthfully
EXTERNAL CRITICISM
• It is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining
its physical characteristics, consistency with the historical
characteristic of the time when it was produced.
• Example of things that will be examined in External Criticism are: the
quality of paper, type of ink used, language and words used in the
material, and etc.
INTERNAL CRITICISM
• It is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence.
• It looks at the content of the source/material.
• It determines the factuality of evidence by looking at the author of
the source, its context, the agenda behind its creation, etc.