History: search for knowledge and truth, a searching to find out; in encyclopedia

brittanica, the discipline that studies the chronological order of events

Why study history?

1. To learn about our past
2. To understand the present
3. To appreciate our heritage in a broad perspective
4. To acquire a background for critical thinking

Relationship of History with Other Social Sciences

1. H n Political Science: principles n system of government
2. H n Economics: economic activities of humankind
3. H n Sociology: social behavior
4. H n Ethics: moral n ethical implication
5. H n Psychology: motives n actions of human n societies
6. H n Geography: places n relationship between ppl n their environment

Classification of Historical Sources

1. Primary source: "best evidence"; eye n eye witnesses to past events
2. Secondary source: information supplied by a person who's not a direct observer

Distinction between Primary Sources n Secondary Sources

1. Primary sources: solid bases of historical work, original documents, first
witnesses to a fact; respondents n interviewees who have actually experienced and
observed the events
2. Secondary sources: all writings by ppl who never experienced nor observed
personally, based writings gathered from those who have knowledge of events

Sources of Data from Primary n Secondary Sources

A. Primary Sources
1. Individual persons
2. Organizations
3. Established practices
4. Documents in their original forms
5. Living organisms
6. Man-made material things
7. Natural objects n phenomena
B. Secondary Sources
1. Books
2. Article published
3. Unpublished master's theses n dissertations
4. Monographs, manuscripts, etc.
5. All other second-hand sources
6. Verbal/written data

Internal n External Criticism

1. External Criticism: genuineness of the documents a researcher used in a
historical study; conducts document analysis using science; physical n technical
tests to the document; the authenticity of the document is determined
2. Internal Criticism: textual criticism; looks at the content of the document to
determine its authenticity; determining the intention of the source of data;
credibility is established

Auxilliary Sciences that Help in Determining Authenticity and Genuiness of a

Document
1. Epigraphy: study of inscriptions n the art of deciphering them
2. Diplomatics: science of charters and diplomas and includes knowledge of the
practices and the forms used in them
3. Paleography: study of writing,
4. Philology: greatest use in determining date n authenticity
5. Archaelogy: scientific study of life n culture of the past; Anthropology: study
of humans; Prehistory: history before recorded history; Protohistory; period
between prehistory and history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet
developed writing but other cultures have already noted its existence in their own
writings.
6. Chemistry n the papermarker's art: determine date thru ink and writing