Basic Methodologies of History

8/14/2019 Basic Methodologies of History

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HIST 1000 Shehzad Martin 1

Basic methodologies ofBasic methodologies ofhistoryhistory

Primary and secondaryPrimary and secondary

evidenceevidenceHIST 1000: WEEK FOUR

Lecture notes
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Primary evidence* (recorded by someone who

witnessed, observed, or participated in, the

events directly / first-hand)

e.g. Herodotus talked to old people who lived through the

Greco-Persian wars, when Herodotus was a child

His conversations (interviews) with these people = =

primary data/information/sources/evidence

Your phone camera recording of New Years celebrations in

Dataran Merdeka = primary evidence (you were there) *evidence in Malay = bukti

Historical evidenceHistorical evidence(= data, information)(= data, information)
http://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ywhc.org/images/image/HistoryMystery_Logo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ywhc.org/index.php?p=93&usg=__VP6WZg5s6tFp9kFFbLDqp6tDDfc=&h=878&w=1500&sz=547&hl=en&start=13&tbnid=pWHCguvPKfGk3M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=150&prev=/images?q=historical+evidence&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off


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Other forms of primary evidence:

Diaries, letters

Public speeches

Laws

Official statements

Photographs, films

Artifacts (things made by people in the past

clothes, tools, buildings)

Historical evidenceHistorical evidence
http://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/files/29738.gif&imgrefurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/node/866&usg=__zRV51NPDKVz6eQN_ugW5por4-4g=&h=343&w=512&sz=68&hl=en&start=15&tbnid=VNwyPIGugK1m4M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=131&prev=/images?q=berlin+wall&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/files/29738.gif&imgrefurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/node/866&usg=__zRV51NPDKVz6eQN_ugW5por4-4g=&h=343&w=512&sz=68&hl=en&start=15&tbnid=VNwyPIGugK1m4M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=131&prev=/images?q=berlin+wall&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/files/29738.gif&imgrefurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/node/866&usg=__zRV51NPDKVz6eQN_ugW5por4-4g=&h=343&w=512&sz=68&hl=en&start=15&tbnid=VNwyPIGugK1m4M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=131&prev=/images?q=berlin+wall&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/files/29738.gif&imgrefurl=https://www.stanford.edu/group/ic/cgi-bin/drupal2/node/866&usg=__zRV51NPDKVz6eQN_ugW5por4-4g=&h=343&w=512&sz=68&hl=en&start=15&tbnid=VNwyPIGugK1m4M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=131&prev=/images?q=berlin+wall&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://luxuryindulgence.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/malacca.jpg&imgrefurl=http://luxuryindulgence.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/it-feels-like-friday-today/&usg=__ZhHPDZN1sG1VHwPQwnWfBfF1y90=&h=191&w=328&sz=24&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=vNU3Npp4a3975M:&tbnh=69&tbnw=118&prev=/images?q=malacca&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off


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Primary evidence comes directly

from the witness

Secondary evidence is produced

using primary evidence (e.g. a book

based on the authors travel

experience)

Tertiary evidence is produced using

secondary evidence (e.g. a studentsresearch paper based on library

books [which are themselves

secondary sources]

Historical evidenceHistorical evidence
http://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://sitemaker.umich.edu/akelsey.rwt/files/student_research_paper-_2-6.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sitemaker.umich.edu/akelsey.rwt/section_6__standard_2&usg=__sbQT1o5IZya6_SXl2KWl96y7two=&h=936&w=680&sz=120&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=Z3vDNqc8QoBA8M:&tbnh=148&tbnw=108&prev=/images?q=student+paper&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://sitemaker.umich.edu/akelsey.rwt/files/student_research_paper-_2-6.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sitemaker.umich.edu/akelsey.rwt/section_6__standard_2&usg=__sbQT1o5IZya6_SXl2KWl96y7two=&h=936&w=680&sz=120&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=Z3vDNqc8QoBA8M:&tbnh=148&tbnw=108&prev=/images?q=student+paper&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://cyrusfirst.com/guests/mcbooks/large_illustration/the_road_to_kandahar.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mcbooks.com/bookstore/product_details.php?id=571&usg=__-x0t7_xrtzDJ9IwFwg86xEVA93o=&h=489&w=300&sz=84&hl=en&start=9&tbnid=hfbB5-RKFDS1bM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=80&prev=/images?q=on+the+road+to+kandahar&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sandringham-hotel.com/images/thumbnail.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sandringham-hotel.com/sitemap.html&usg=__YGzWFVmORlBr-3v17FRUinBrWhY=&h=2303&w=2800&sz=291&hl=en&start=17&tbnid=-kXYiAqaMiQbcM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=150&prev=/images?q=video+clip&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X


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7/12HIST 1000 Shehzad Martin 7

A test ofcorroboration checksone source of evidence against

other sources. To corroborate*

evidence means to confirm or

*validate that the evidenceappears in the same way across

multiple sources (e.g. in books,

archival records, artifacts of

material culture etc.).In other words, to make sure

that the different sources dont

contradict each other.

*membenarkan, menyokong

We have collected theWe have collected thedata/evidence. But is itdata/evidence. But is itreliable?reliable?
http://www.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dailycomedy.com/images/jokes/b/csiLogo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dailycomedy.com/hottopic/CSI&h=295&w=679&sz=20&tbnid=HmWzJ0VEIEDJRM:&tbnh=60&tbnw=139&prev=/images?q=CSI+logo&hl=en&usg=__hQSXevzr6edTOjs1hp__ez62w6g=&ei=d18_S42OONCTkAXv-eHVDw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&ved=0CAsQ9QEwAg



You are a criminal detective who has just interviewed

a witness of an incident. His testimony (= your first

source of evidence) can now be corroborated

(= used as supporting evidence) using additional

sources of evidence, e.g.:

Parking ticket showing the drivers location

at the time of the incident

Sales receipt for an item that was used during the

incident

Laboratory tests linking the item to the ownersDNA samples

The stronger the corroboration, the easier it will be to

convince the judge/jury of the perpetrators

(=attackers) guilt.

Example of corroborationExample of corroboration
http://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://www.murdermysterycanada.com/images/MYSTERY_LOGO_BLACK_2004.GIF&imgrefurl=http://www.murdermysterycanada.com/vancouver.htm&usg=__vbw8wzh3dHMn_8zVl53d91P9LcM=&h=512&w=640&sz=12&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=pfADo0CVpjxB-M:&tbnh=110&tbnw=137&prev=/images?q=mystery&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=offhttp://www.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dailycomedy.com/images/jokes/b/csiLogo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dailycomedy.com/hottopic/CSI&h=295&w=679&sz=20&tbnid=HmWzJ0VEIEDJRM:&tbnh=60&tbnw=139&prev=/images?q=CSI+logo&hl=en&usg=__hQSXevzr6edTOjs1hp__ez62w6g=&ei=d18_S42OONCTkAXv-eHVDw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&ved=0CAsQ9QEwAg



When studying sources of evidence, a

historian constantly needs to look out for

the bias*(= taking sides; partiality) that

is present in every source.

We all have our own biasesthat prevent

us from being fully objective: Based on

our personal/racial/religious background,education and experience, we feel

comfortable with some things and we

distrust other things (often because we

never directly experienced them).

Unknowingly, we reflect this mindset in

our writing/research.

*(sikap) berat sebelah

BiasBias



What type ofbiases can you detect in this

video?

YouTube - Island of Yesterday: Sumatra,

(right-click and select Open hyperlink)

Bias: ExampleBias: Example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHEpDzBv5Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHEpDzBv5Y



Once the data has been tested (=verified), the historian needs to arrange

it in a way that supports a specific conclusion.The conclusion may be

formed at the start of research, or as a result of completing the

research and analyzing the data produced by the research.

Sometimes this approach is referred to as the historicalmethod.

The historian must prove that supporting evidence (i.e. evidence that

supports the conclusion) is stronger than non-supporting/contradicting

evidence (which should also be acknowledged in the study).

Organizing historical dataOrganizing historical data
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1. Looking at new aspects of the past:

e.g. family history, womens history, private

life

2. Borrowing ideas and analytical methods (e.g.oral interviews oral history) from otherhuman sciences:e.g. from sociology, anthropology, politicalscience One hopes to see projects on the social

,history of Chinese dialect groups of the, , Malays Indians and minority communities

-on Singaporeans who are born of Indian, - ,Chinese marriages or Malay Chinese ones on

,the handicapped on women in the 1950s and1960s

Hong, Lysa; Huang Jianli: The Scripting of a NationalHistory: Singapore and its Pasts. Hong Kong UniversityPress 2008. P. 72.

3. Using information technology to analyze

large sets of quantitative (=statistical

evidence)

New directions in historicalNew directions in historicalresearchresearch
http://www.mmail.com.my/content/23457-happy-new-yearhttp://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Asian_Family_in_Brazil.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_Family_in_Brazil.jpg&usg=__7GBAGsqiyYFImkDb3Nlt6rd4UVs=&h=500&w=626&sz=247&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=j94tFiFxzc1PdM:&tbnh=109&tbnw=136&prev=/images?q=asian+family+history&hl=en&safe=off&um=1

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Basic Methodologies of History