Module 1

INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY: DEFINITION,

ISSUES, SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY
The word History was derived from the Greek word
historia which means “knowledge acquired through
inquiry or investigation”. History as a discipline
existed for around 2,400 years and is as old as
mathematics and philosophy. This term was adapted
to classical Latin where it acquired a new definition.
Historia became known as the account of the past of
a person or of a group through written documents
and historical evidences.
History has always been known as the study of the
past. Students of general education often dread the
subject for its notoriety in requiring them to memorize
dates, places, names, and events form distant eras.
This low appreciation of the discipline maybe rooted
from the shallow understanding of history’s relevance
to their lives and to their respective contexts. While the
popular definition of history as the study of the past is
not wrong, it does not give justice to the complexity of
the subject and its importance to human civilization.

HISTORY - Derived from Greek word historia
which means “knowledge through acquired inquiry
or investigation”.
Account of the past.
Focus on writing about wars, revolutions, and other
important breakthroughs.
Traditional Historian lived with the mantra of “no
document, no history.” (unless a written document
can prove a certain Historical event, then it cannot
be considered as historical fact.”
Historian started to realize the loophole and started
using other kinds of historical sources, which may
not be written form but were just as valid.

E.g. Oral traditions in forms of epic, songs, artifacts,
architecture, and memory.
They started collaborating with other disciplines
such as linguistics, biologist, or biochemist (for
DNA) and even archaeologist.

What is history?
Who is the so-called Historian?
What are the evidences used in studying history?
Why is it important to study history?

QUESTIONS AND ISSUES IN HISTORY

Indeed, history as a discipline has already turned
into a complex and dynamic inquiry. This dynamism
inevitably produced various perspectives on the
discipline regarding different questions like: What is
history? Why study history? And history from
whom? These questions can be answered by
historiography.

Historiography

Is the history of history. History and Historiography
should not be confused with each other. History is the
study of the past, the events that happened in the past,
and the causes of such events. Historiography, on the
other hand, is history itself. (i.e., How was certain
historical text written? Who wrote it? What was the
context of its publication? What particular historical
method was employed? What were the sources used?).
Thus, historiography lets the students have a better
understanding of history
They do not only get to learn historical facts, but they
are also provided with the understanding of the facts’
and the historian’s context. The method employed by
the historian and the theory and perspective, which
guided him, will also be analyzed. Historiography is
important for someone who studies history because
it teaches the student to be critical in the lessons of
history presented to him.


Positivism

Is the school of thought that emerged between the

eighteenth and nineteenth century. This thought
requires empirical and observable evidence before one
can claim that a particular knowledge is true. It also
entails an objective means of arriving at a conclusion.

Positivist historians are also expected to be objective
and impartial not just in their arguments but also on
their conduct of historical research.

Postcolonialism

Is a school of thought that emerged in the early

twentieth century when formerly colonized nations
grappled with the idea of creating their identities and
understanding their societies against the shadows of
their colonial past. Postcolonial history looks at two
things in writing history:
first is to tell the history of their nation that will
highlight their identity free from that of colonial
discourse and knowledge, and second is to criticize
the methods, effects, and idea of colonialism.
Postcolonial history is therefore a reaction and an
alternative to the colonial history that colonial
powers created and taught to their subjects.


HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN

Historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and

facts but also to interpret these facts. It is the job of the
historian to give meaning to these facts and organize
them into a timeline, establish causes, and write
history. He is a person of his own who is influenced by
his own context, environment, ideology, education,
and influences, among others. His interpretation of the
historical facts is affected by his context and
circumstances. His subjectivity will inevitably
influence the process of his historical research.

HISTORICAL 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 between these
two categories depends on the historical subject
being studied.

Primary Sources

PRIMARY SOURCE

 Are those sources produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being
studied.

 It provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event , object, person, or work of art
 It contains “firsthand” knowledge about historical events, figures, and people.
 It provides compelling and direct evidence of human activity.

 These are the things that were created or in use during the period which is
being studied
 These sources are actual records that have survived from the past.
Secondary Sources

Are those sources, which were produced by an

author who used primary sources to produce
the material.
SECONDARY SOURCES

 It is something that was not made by someone or by a

group of people who participated in the historical era which
is being studied.
 These are usually created by historians and scholastic
writers based on their interpretation of the primary
sources.
 These are sources of historical data which are created
later or after the historical event which is being studied and
provided by the people who were not present in that event.
 It describes, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze,
evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources.

EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY & SECONDARY SOURCES

Primary Sources Secondary Sources

Autobiography
1. Biography
1.

2. Memoirs 2. Encyclopedia
3. Eyewitness Accounts 3. Textbooks
4. Diary 4. Thesis
5. Fossils 5. Dissertations
6. Relics 6. Interviews
7. Letters 7. News Reports
8. Photographs 8. Movies
9. Speeches 9. News Articles
10. Videos 10. Scholarly Journals
11. Legal Documents 11. Transcriptions
12. Ornaments 12. Almanacs
13. Clothing 13. Dictionaries
14. Tools
Both primary and secondary sources are useful in
writing and learning history. However, historians
and students of history need to thoroughly scrutinize
these historical sources to avoid deception and to
come up with the historical truth.

TWO WAYS TO EXAMINE HISTORICAL SOURCES TO VALIDATE
AUTHENTICITY OF SOURCES

EXTERNAL CRITICISM

The practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence

by examining its physical characteristics; consistency
with the historical characteristics of the time when it
was produced; and the materials used for the
evidence.

EXTERNAL CRITICISM

 It applies experimental science to certify the

authenticity of the material that holds the data in
which historical information will be based
 It entails such physical and technical tests as the
dating of paper when a document is written.
 It involves knowledge of when certain things
existed , or it supports the claim whether it is
possible or impossible to exist.
 It evaluates the authenticity and geniuses of data.

Internal Criticism

Is the examination of the truthfulness of the

evidence. It looks at the content of the source and
examines the circumstance of its production.
Internal Criticism looks at the truthfulness and
factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of
the source, its context, the agenda behind its
creation, the knowledge which informed it, and its
intended purpose, among others.

INTERNAL CRITICISM

 It looks within the data itself to try to

determine the truth- facts and the
reasonable interpretation
 It includes looking at the personal data
providers apparent or possible motives.
 It indicates the accuracy, trustworthiness,
and integrity of the materials to which
historical data will be based.
 Internal and external criticisms are both critical in
studying history for it is society’s
 collective memory. Every historian scrutinizes the
evidence of the past to describe
 past events with accuracy. Historians play a
significant role in our society in the sense
 that they are the keepers of the most critical
events in the history of his generation and the
previous generation.
 For other resources students will also visit the links:
 • Understanding History (Meaning and sources of history)
 (https://www.slideshare.net/EKentRogers/what-is-history-491567
04
)
 (https://www.slideshare.net/suhui1/chapter-1-introduction-to-hist
ory
)
 (https://www.slideshare.net/myboyfriend10/external-and-internal-
criticisms
)

 • Why study history?
 (https://www.slideshare.net/siobhanpdst/why-study-history-ppt)

Assessments:

Form groups of 5 members. Make a power point

presentation of 5 examples of primary sources and
secondary sources and assign 1 presenter to your group
whose task is to explain why these examples are primary
and secondary sources of history.

RUBRICS:
Content – 5 pts.
Power point presentation – 5 pts.
Presentation – 10 pts.
Total: 20 pts.
Pause for a few minutes and think about or reflect on your
past. Has your past influenced you in one way or another?
How does your past shape your identity and behavior?
Answer the questions by making an essay with your own title.

RUBRICS:
a. Content – 10 pts.
Relevance to the theme – 5 pts.
Grammar – 5 pts.
 Total: 20 pts.
