Historians examine the past and are often focused on explaining how change and events unfolded.
To do this they work with information in:
Historians are actively engaged in interpreting the past through these sources and also in re-interpreting and changing understandings of the past.
Listen to some history podcasts here exploring topics of interest History Podcasts from the BBC
'The discovery and analysis of primary sources alone does not make history, but without the study of primary sources there is no history'
Arthur Marwick, (2001) The new nature of history: knowledge, evidence, language , Basingstoke: Palmgrave, p156.
In the course of your research you will need to look at primary sources. The majority of primary sources are held in major research Libraries and public historical libraries such as the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives.
Primary sources relate to first hand accounts by people who directly experienced it.
Please look at the data offered under Archives & E Archives to find sources of interest available online
In order to physically access these collections in major libraries you may need a Letter of Introduction from DKIT.
Primary Sources are essential to the study of history, they are the traces and clues left by the past.
Primary Sources might include:
In the context of history secondary sources include other published works such as books, bibliographies and articles.
These are often very rick sources for historians.
They can reveal assumptions, beliefs and prejudices in place at a certain time period.
In instances they will also include original material which may no longer exist.
Secondary sources relate to all sources that did not experience an event first hand. It can include descriptions and analysis of original events.
Artifacts are objects created by humans and can include buildings, furniture, monuments and household goods.
Historians may examine artifacts to find out more about the past. For example looking at the material used in household goods can tell us alot about the society and economy at the time.
Historians like other researchers look for evidence, artifacts and previous historical research. From this they create interpretations about what happened and why. This often involves re-examining existing evidence, artifacts and research from new and different contexts.
Before starting to engage with original material as well as published ones you may want to review it to check its validity.
Generally primary sources will be found in Libraries and archives and as such have been examined, dated and analysed before.
The links below may also help and in general:
Examine the physical items - What type of paper is used? Is it handwritten or typed? Does it look like it was written carefully or in a hurry?
What is is the author of the source trying to say? - Is it clear? What is their purpose in saying this? What do you know about the author?
Who was supposed to read it?
What questions does this source answer?
What questions does it raise?
Please consult the resources below for further guidance.
