Recap Question Page 23

1. What are primary and secondary sources?

Primary sources are information provided by people who were involved in historical events or who witnessed the events. There are four main types of primary sources: written, oral, pictorial and reference.

Secondary sources are the records of the people who did not directly participate in or witness the events they describe. These records are the result of the study and investigation of primary sources. They may take the form of books, journal articles and essays, films, documentaries and cartoons.

2. How do the historians make sure that their sources are reliable?

Historians make sure that their evidence is reliable by using the three Cs- Credibility, Consistency and Corroboration- test. First, they have to ask if the person who provided the evidence is trustworthy. If they suspect that the person has any reason to lie or exaggerate, the evidence may be considered unreliable. Secondly, historians ask whether the evidence is consistent by considering if it contains statement that have similar meanings. Lastly, they have to corroborate the evidence by saying or reporting means to provide information to support it.

3. Why and when is it necessary for historians to revise their interpretations of past events?

New pieces of evidence are constantly being discovered and such evidence can provide new ways of looking at the past. Therefore, historians have to be prepared to 'update' and revise their views or interpretation of events as new evidence becomes available. As new pieces of evidence become available and new questions about the past are asked, our views of the past change.