Historians investigate the past by asking clear historical questions, then locating and examining sources — primary sources (created at the time, like letters, photographs or artefacts) and secondary sources (created later, analysing or interpreting the past, like textbooks or documentaries). For each source, historians consider its origin (who created it and when), content (what it says or shows), context (the circumstances it was created in) and purpose (why it was created) — since these factors affect how accurate and useful a source is as evidence. A source created by someone directly involved in an event might be detailed but biased; a source written much later might be more balanced but less detailed.
Example
A soldier's diary from World War One (a primary source) gives a personal, immediate account of events, but might only reflect one perspective. A history textbook written decades later (a secondary source) can provide broader context and combine many sources, but wasn't created at the actual time.
Key terms
Primary source:
Evidence created at the time of an event, like a letter, photograph or artefact.
Secondary source:
A source created later that analyses or interprets the past, like a textbook.
Origin, content, context and purpose:
The four factors historians examine to assess a source.
Questions
1. A primary source is:
Created later, analysing the past
Created at the time of an event
Always fictional
Never useful
2. A secondary source is:
Created at the time of an event
Created later, analysing or interpreting the past
Always a photograph
Never accurate
3. Which is an example of a primary source?
A modern textbook
A diary written at the time of the event
A documentary made decades later
A history essay
4. Which is an example of a secondary source?
A photograph from the event
A letter from the time
A history textbook written later
An artefact from the event
5. The "origin" of a source refers to:
What it says
Who created it and when
Why it matters today
Its colour
6. The "purpose" of a source refers to:
Who created it
Why it was created
What it looks like
Its age only
7. Developing a clear historical question is:
Unimportant
An important first step in historical inquiry
Only for professionals
Irrelevant to sources
8. A soldier's diary from an event is an example of a:
Secondary source
Primary source
Neither
A modern textbook
9. A documentary made 50 years after an event, analysing what happened, is an example of a:
Primary source
Secondary source
Neither
An artefact
10. Considering a source's "context" means asking:
What colour it is
The circumstances it was created in
Nothing important
Its price
11. A source created by someone directly involved in an event might be:
Always completely unbiased
Detailed but potentially biased
Always false
Irrelevant to the event
12. A source written much later might be:
Always more biased
Potentially more balanced but less immediate detail
Always less accurate
Impossible to use
13. Why do historians examine a source's purpose?
It has no effect on the source
It can reveal reasons the source might be one-sided or selective
Purpose never matters
Only content matters
14. Which best shows why historians use multiple sources?
Multiple sources give a fuller, more balanced picture than just one
One source is always sufficient
Sources always agree completely
Multiple sources are unnecessary
15. A propaganda poster from a time of war is a primary source. Why must historians be especially careful using it as evidence?
Its purpose (persuading people) may make it a biased rather than an objective record
Propaganda is always completely accurate
Posters cannot be primary sources
Purpose has no effect on reliability
16. Two primary sources from the same event give conflicting details. What should a historian do?
Assume one is completely wrong and discard it immediately
Consider each source's origin, content, context and purpose to assess reliability, and seek further sources
Ignore both sources
Combine them without any critical evaluation
17. Why might a secondary source sometimes be more useful than a primary source for understanding an event's broader significance?
Secondary sources can draw on multiple primary sources and later research to give wider context
Secondary sources are always less accurate
Primary sources always provide complete context
There is no difference in usefulness
18. A historian investigating a historical event only reads sources that support one particular viewpoint. What is the main problem with this approach?
There is no problem, this is standard practice
It risks a one-sided, unreliable interpretation of the event
This approach guarantees complete accuracy
Viewpoint never affects a historical account
19. Why is it valuable to ask "who created this source and why" before trusting its content?
It's not valuable, only content matters
Understanding a source's origin and purpose helps assess its reliability and potential bias
Origin and purpose are irrelevant to historical accuracy
Every source is equally reliable regardless of origin
20. Understanding how to evaluate primary and secondary sources mainly helps a student:
Blindly trust every source encountered
Think critically about the reliability and usefulness of evidence
Avoid using sources altogether
Ignore the origin of information
Answer key (parent copy)
1. Created at the time of an event
2. Created later, analysing or interpreting the past
3. A diary written at the time of the event
4. A history textbook written later
5. Who created it and when
6. Why it was created
7. An important first step in historical inquiry
8. Primary source
9. Secondary source
10. The circumstances it was created in
11. Detailed but potentially biased
12. Potentially more balanced but less immediate detail
13. It can reveal reasons the source might be one-sided or selective
14. Multiple sources give a fuller, more balanced picture than just one
15. Its purpose (persuading people) may make it a biased rather than an objective record
16. Consider each source's origin, content, context and purpose to assess reliability, and seek further sources
17. Secondary sources can draw on multiple primary sources and later research to give wider context
18. It risks a one-sided, unreliable interpretation of the event
19. Understanding a source's origin and purpose helps assess its reliability and potential bias
20. Think critically about the reliability and usefulness of evidence