Historians use many types of source for information or evidence. Sources can be split into two categories: primary and secondary. A primary source is a source from the time of the event; a first-hand account of what happened. A secondary source is a source from a later date, after the time of the event.
Artefacts Diaries Letters Emails
Interviews Speeches Posters
Examples of Primary Sources Photographs
Cartoons and drawings
Government records, e.g. a census Newspapers Magazines
Autobiographies Maps
Examples of Secondary Sources TV/film and radio documentaries Podcasts Websites
History books and textbooks Biographies
Handling boxes Movies
Some of these words might be new to you. An artefact is any human-made object, e.g. pottery, a tool or a weapon, such as a spear. An autobiography is an account of a person’s life written by the person themselves. A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else. A census is an official survey of a population. In Ireland, a census is held every five years. A handling box contains replicas (copies) of artefacts, so that anyone can examine them without damaging an original.
DID YOU KNOW?
The most recent census in Ireland was held in 2016 and the results can be found online.
1. List four places a historian can find evidence. 2. Define the terms cross-checking and artefact in your own words. 3. List three examples of primary sources and three examples of secondary sources.
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4. We must be cautious about accepting secondary sources as fact. Discuss the list of secondary sources above with your group and decide which source you think is the least reliable. I know the variety of sources that a historian might use.
