Historical Methods, Source Criticism, and the Nature of History

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on historiography, the nature and relevance of history, classifications of primary and secondary sources, types of written sources, and source criticism.

Study of Man

An aspect of the nature of history that focuses on human struggles, development, institutions, freedom, wars, and efforts to control the environment.

Man in Time

The historical concept that events happen at particular points in time and history traces human development through time.

Man in Space

The historical concept that human activities are understood in relation to physical and geographical environment.

Objective Record of Happenings

The principle where historians use original sources and aim for accurate, factual records free from subjective interpretation.

Multisided

The nature of history covering interconnected aspects of life, where a change in one area (such as politics) can affect economy, society, culture, education, and more.

Dialogue Between Past Events and Emerging Future Ends

The concept that past events are interpreted and can become guides or predictors for new objectives.

Not Only Narration But Analysis

The principle that history does not merely tell what happened, but analyzes how events occurred and changed society.

Continuity and Coherence

The concept that generations are connected by events and the past continues to shape the future.

Relevant Nature of History

The principle that significant events that influenced society are studied because they help understand present life.

Comprehensive Nature of History

The principle that history is not limited to one period or country, but covers political, social, economic, religious, literary, aesthetic, physical, and other aspects.

Understands People and Societies

A relevance of history that helps explain why people think, act, and live as they do by looking at past experiences and events.

Contributes to Moral Understanding

A relevance of history that teaches lessons from the past and can inspire right action through examples of courage and integrity.

Provides Identity

A relevance of history that shows where people come from and helps appreciate roots, heritage, families, communities, and nations.

Essential for Good Citizenship

A relevance of history that develops informed and responsible citizens who understand rights and duties and participate in community and nation building.

Useful in the World of Work

A relevance of history that provides knowledge and perspective useful in different careers and helps develop effective professionals and leaders.

Primary Source

Direct or firsthand evidence created during the time under study by someone with firsthand experience.

Source Criticism

The evaluation process applied to historical documents that considers authorship, purpose, context, bias, accuracy, and completeness.

Literary or Cultural Sources

A primary source category that includes novels, plays, poems, television shows, movies, videos, paintings, or photographs.

Accounts Describing Events, People, or Ideas

A primary source category that includes newspapers, chronicles/historical accounts, essays/speeches, memoirs/diaries/journals/letters, and philosophical treatises/manifestos.

Information About People

A primary source category that includes census records, obituaries, newspaper articles, and biographies/autobiographies.

Finding Information About a Place

A primary source category that includes maps/atlases, census information, statistics, photographs, city directories, and local libraries/historical societies.

Finding Information About an Organization

A primary source category that includes archives held by libraries, institutions, or historical societies.

Narrative / Literary Sources

A type of written source that tells a story, experience, or message, such as diaries, films, biographies, philosophical works, and scientific works.

Diplomatic Sources

A type of written source that includes charters and other legal documents that observe a set format.

Social Documents

A type of written source consisting of records created by organizations, such as registers of births and tax records.

Secondary Sources

Sources that generally describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, or process primary sources.

Context-Dependent Source Classification

The principle that a document's classification can change depending on context and state of knowledge, such as an earlier account becoming secondary when an original letter is discovered.