Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key definitions, sources, and methodologies for the study of Philippine History, including the distinction between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and the schools of historical thought.

Historia

A Greek word meaning "knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation."

History

The study of the past starting from the time period when the writing system was introduced and written records were maintained.

Pre-history

The study of the past even before writing was invented and written records were maintained.

Historians

Individuals who take the time to research, interpret, and put past events into context in a recorded fashion.

Archaeologists and Anthropologists

Researchers who carry out studies on prehistory using excavation, geology, molecular genetics, and paleontology.

Traditional Historians' Mantra

The belief that "no document, no history."

Historiography

The "history of history" which focuses on understanding the facts and the historian's contexts.

Positivism

A school of thought from the $18th$ and $19th$ century requiring empirical and observable evidence to claim knowledge is true.

Post-Colonialism

A school of thought from the early $20th$ century focusing on the identities of formerly colonized nations against the shadow of their colonial past.

Historical Methodology

Certain techniques and rules followed by historians to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history.

Narrative or Literature Source

Chroniclers or tracts written to impart a message, including newspapers, diaries, memoirs, or hagiography.

Diplomatic Source

Sources that document or record an existing legal situation or create a new one; considered the "purest" and "best" source.

Social Source

Documents providing information about the structure, organization, and functioning of society, such as census records or civil registries.

Material Evidence

Also known as archaeological evidence, these are artistic creations like pottery, jewelry, or ruins that tell a story about the past.

Oral Evidence

Tales, folk songs, popular rituals, or interviews conducted during the present age.

Primary Source

Firsthand records of events or evidence that appear for the first time without interpretation or commentary.

Secondary Source

Works that offer an analysis, restatement, summary, or interpretation of primary sources.

Tertiary Source

Sources that index, abstract, organize, or compile other sources, usually not credited to a particular author.

External Criticism

The practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining physical characteristics like paper quality, ink, and language.

Internal Criticism

The process of evaluating the truthfulness, reliability, and meaning of a historical source's content by looking at context and bias.

Diary

A record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on events over the course of a day.

Journal

A place to write daily reflection entries about personal experiences used to learn from the past.

Autobiography

A self-written account of the author's own life.

Biography

A detailed description of a person's life written by someone other than the subject.

Linguistics

An auxiliary discipline that helps explain history by analyzing language patterns and evolution.

Hagiography

A type of narrative source specifically involving the writing of the lives of saints.