Sources
of Historical Information
The two main types of historical sources used by historians
are:
Questions to ask of a source:
A historian will ask a variety of questions in
relation to each source s/he uses. This enables the historian to find as much
historical information as possible (credibility, authenticity, and bias) from a source. The same questions can
be asked of either a Primary Source
or a Secondary Source. There are six
key questions to ask:
WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHY? WHEN?, and HOW? Click the
The 5 w’s and h to view
some possible questions historians could ask of a source of information.
Conduct your own document
analysis.
To Do:
1.
Follow
this link to locate:
graphic organizers for documents, photographs, cartoons,
maps, etc. (US archives)
(These will help you gain as much information as
possible from each source)
2.
Print
the appropriate graphic organizer and complete it using the documents and
sources listed below:
b.
Extract from, General Precautions Against Air Attack –
W.S. Khan 1952 (secondary)
c.
Photograph of fish
caught by Lawrence Ripley – Wallace River Nova Scotia 1943 (primary)
d.
Photograph from
World War II – British Press 1941 (primary)
e.
Political Cartoon -
WWI (secondary)
f.
Poster
of a Herbal Medicine Clinic - Atlantic Market Banjul,The
Gambia 1996 (primary)
