Transcript Slide 1

Studying History
An introduction
In this topic, we consider some of the key
concepts and skills involved in studying history.
In particular, we discuss:
What is history?
Historiography and reading critically.
Source-based skills.
NOTE:
To find the full reference details of items mentioned and to find further
readings and resources, click on the ‘Sample Sources’ button in the left hand
margin.
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
What is history?
Begin by writing down your answer to the above
question. In doing so, you might consider:
Where do words like ‘truth’, ‘facts’, ‘evidence’,
‘interpretation’ fit?
What is your experience of reading, being taught,
being exposed to history?
Do you enjoy history? In what form?
Is history the same as ‘the past’?
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
How do your definitions and experiences compare to
the answers historians have given?
Here are two responses. History is
‘…not like a collection of facts about the past whose
primary aim is to improve one’s skills while playing
trivia games; it is an interpretation of the past based on
the weight of available evidence.’ (Galgano 2008:1)
‘… a continuous process of interaction between the
historian and his [sic] facts, an unending dialogue
between the past and the present.’ (Carr 1990:30)
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
Note that, in the preceding definitions, there is
mention of facts and evidence but equally there is an
emphasis on the historian selecting and interpreting
evidence, and on the influence of the present on the
past. Embedded in the definitions, then, is a sense that,
for history as a discipline, there is content or substance,
and there are skills and methods. And both are
important – they are intertwined.
History is NOT about simply collecting facts and
knowledge and passing it on in some way. It is about
actively interrogating, interpreting, imagining. History
gives agency to the historian and to you as students of
history.
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
As a consequence, there is no one way ‘to do’ history,
and there is no single answer to an historical problem,
question or issue.
Methods and answers change as new evidence is found,
as different or new questions are asked of known
evidence, and as new issues arise often provoked by
developments and ideas influencing historians.
The study of these changes and of the different ways in
which history has been researched and presented is
referred to as historiography.
‘[Historiography is] the writing of history and the study of
historical writings. More broadly an awareness of different
ways of doing history.’ (Jordanova 2000: 213)
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
As history is about changing interpretations as well as
about finding and evaluating historical evidence, you
need to learn to read critically. You need to question,
evaluate, analyse all your sources, including those
written by historians.
The remainder of this topic focuses on some of the
skills involved in the critical reading, evaluating and
interpreting of historical sources.
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
Source-based skills
There are a number of broad categories:
1.
Understanding distinctions between primary
and secondary sources
2.
Locating sources.
3.
Critically evaluating sources.
4.
Referencing.
In this introduction we focus on 1 and 3.
Note:
For advice on referencing, consult the SHum Policies Booklet
available from the unit website.
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
Primary and Secondary Sources:
Primary sources:
Primary sources are the fragments left by and from the
past.
Traditionally, in history, the emphasis was on
documents. Now, it is acknowledged that there is a
wider variety of primary sources. You should start
compiling a list.
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
Secondary sources:
Narratives, analyses and interpretations of events or
topics ie. histories.
Note:
Some sources can be primary or secondary depending on how they
are used by the historian. For further discussion of this, and other
aspects of primary and secondary sources, see, for example, Arthur
Marwick, ‘The historian at work’ listed in ‘Sample sources’.
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
Evaluating sources – secondary sources
Historians always begin a topic by surveying and
evaluating what other historians have already written on
that topic. They survey and evaluate existing secondary
sources – monographs (or books), scholarly articles,
biographies, online publications. They seek to establish
the contents, arguments, sources used, and to evaluate
the strengths, weaknesses and gaps of the material
presented. They recognise that each history – and each
historian – adopts particular methods, has particular
interests, seeks answers to particular questions. As
students of history you, similarly, need to question and
evaluate secondary sources.
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
Your evaluation of secondary sources will be assisted by
asking:
Who is the author? Background, qualifications,
previous publications, possible biases.
Who is the audience? A scholarly audience,
schoolchildren, general public.
Who is the publisher?
When published? Recent publications should build
on the work of predecessors. Time of publication
could point to particular influences and issues.
What evidence and sources are used? Are they
referenced?
What are the arguments and conclusions?
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
In asking the preceding questions you are also seeking
to establish for each secondary source:
What background material does it provide?
Eg. If you are researching the history of the Chinese on the goldfields of
the mid-19th century, you’d be seeking what has already been
established about immigration, numbers, settlement patterns,
occupations, attitudes to Chinese, anti-Chinese riots and activities and
the sources used to establish these patterns.
What historical context does it provide?
Eg. On the Chinese on the goldfields: the nature of goldfields life, the
boom and bust cycles, European attitudes to non-Europeans, labour
relations.
What is its historiographical context?
Eg. where does it sit in relation to other studies of the Chinese on the
goldfields – is the emphasis on Australian attitudes and legislation?
racism? Labour relations? Relations across the racial divide?
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
Example 1:
Ann Curthoys and Andrew Markus, (eds), Who Are Our
Enemies? Racism and the Australian Working Class,
Sydney, Hale and Iremonger with the Australian Society
of the Study of Labour History, 1978.
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
Example 2:
Janis Wilton, Golden Threads: The Chinese in Regional
NSW 1850-1950, Sydney, Powerhouse Publications,
2004.
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
Example 3:
‘Lambing Flat riots’, Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambing_Flat_riots
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
Example 4:
‘Chinese at the goldfields ’, kidcyber
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/goldchinese.htm
Source-based skills: evaluating secondary sources
Evaluating sources – primary sources
Evaluating primary sources, as with secondary sources,
requires you to ask questions about author, audience,
dates, contexts and contents. It also requires you to be
aware of the characteristics of different types of
sources.
Here we look briefly at two types of primary sources –
written and visual.
Source-based skills: evaluating primary sources
Written primary sources
Author: Background, biases, eye witness or not.
When written: At the time of the event, immediately after, some time
after.
Audience: Intended and unintended, impact on messages, style of writing.
Purpose: why was it produced and why has it survived?
Tone and language: angry? calm? argumentative? Does the tone vary?
Does the tone differ to similar sources? Is the language formal or
conversational? Is there repetition? Corrections? Is the language culturally or
period specific?
Significance: how does the document assist in explaining the event or
topic being considered? Does it offer unique insights, alternative information
or different explanations?
Source-based skills: evaluating primary sources
Example 1:
Report on Chinese camps compiled by Sydney merchant
Quong Tart and police sub inspector Brennan, NSW Votes
and Proceedings, 1883-1884, Vol. II. Pp.659-666.
Source-based skills: evaluating written primary sources
Example 2:
Autobiography of Mr Kwan Hong Kee, 1938.
Source-based skills: evaluating written primary sources
Visual primary sources
There are a variety of types or genres: advertisements,
cartoons, films, paintings, photographs.
Questions about creator, date, purpose, content,
context need to be asked across all genres.
There is also a need to become familiar with issues and
features of particular types of visual sources.
Here we will focus on one type - cartoons – as an
example.
Source-based skills: evaluating visual primary sources
Source-based skills: primary and secondary sources
‘The Mongolian octopus - his grip on Australia’, The Bulletin, 14
July 1888.