PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY SOURCES

Mr. Gary Palubos – UC CTE Faculty

History is being written based on actual
evidences, manuscripts, and written
documents which provide sources of
historical information.
• “History is always written by
the winners. When two cultures
clash, the loser is obliterated,
and the winner
writes the history books-books
which glorify their own cause
and disparage the conquered
foe. As Napoleon once said,
'What is history, but a fable
agreed upon?”
Dan Brown
 Primary Sources
• A primary source is an original, "first-hand", or "eye-
witness" account offering an inside view.
• It contains new information (new at the time it was
created, that is) that has not been interpreted,
evaluated, paraphrased, or condensed.
• Such sources are usually created during or very
close to the time of the events they report on.
• The author of a primary source typically provides
direct impressions of events he or she is reporting
on.
 Primary Sources- Diaries
• The diary provides a first-hand account of a
person’s life.
Primary Sources- Interviews
• An unexpected light
moment happened
during President
Rodrigo Duterte's one
on one interview with
CNN Philippines today.
• Source: CNN News
 Primary Sources- Letters
• Jose Rizal’s letter to
Blumentritt showing
his amusement on the
Beauty of France.
• Source: Library of Congress
 Primary Sources- Raw Data
• Raw Data
Measurements of
Typhoon Jenny –
August 28, 2019
• Source: NDRA.gov
Primary Sources- Legal/
Official Documents
• The United
States
Declaration
of
Independenc
e Source:
National
Archives
Primary Sources- Legislation
& Court Records
• The Supreme Court
announces that
applications for the
position of Deputy Court
Administrator may now
be filed.
• Source: archives.gov
 Primary Sources-
Photographs
• Photo of UC
NSTP2 students
at Bayokbok
Falls, Tublay.
Photo by Gary Palubos
Primary Sources- Journal
Articles
• The New England Journal of
Medicine - reports the
findings of original research,
and are written by the
researchers themselves
• Source: nejrn.org
 Primary Sources-
Newspaper Articles
• An article from Baguio
Midland Courier
articulating P146m
marijuana destroyed in
Kalinga
• Source: Baguio Midland
Courier Vol. LXXII
Primary Sources-
Autobiographies
• Autobiographies The
Story of My Experiments
with Truth by M.K.
Gandhi…details in his
own words the Indian
Nationalist’s struggles
and inspiration for India’s
independence from
Britain.
Primary Sources- Speeches
• President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte’s speech about
the current situation of the
Philippine government, July
22, 2019
• Source: Philstar
 Primary Sources- Creative
Works (novels, plays, music, art)
• Paul McCartney’s
original handwritten lyrics
to the Beatles song “Hey
Jude”
• Source: news.bbc.co.uk
Primary Sources- Others
 Secondary Sources
• A secondary source provides "second-hand"
information that has been digested, analyzed,
reworded or interpreted.
• Secondary sources are often written well after the
events they report on, and can put past information
into its historical context.
• Usually created by historians and scholastic writers
based on their interpretation of the primary sources.
• Describes, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate,
summarize, and process primary sources.
 Secondary Sources
• Biography • Movies
• Encyclopedia • News articles
• Textbooks • Scholarly journals
• Thesis • Transcriptions
• Dissertations • Almanacs
• Interviews • Dictionaries
• News reports
 Evaluating Historical Data
INTERNAL CRITICISM
• Looks within the data itself to try to determine
the truth-facts and reasonable interpretation.
• Includes looking at the apparent or possible
motives of the person providing the data.
• Indicated the accuracy, trustworthiness and
veracity of the materials to which historical
data will be based.
EXTERNAL CRITICISM
• Applies experimental science to certify the
authenticity of the material that holds the data in
which historical information will be base.
• Entails such physical and technical tests as dating
of the paper where documents are written on
• Involves knowledge of when certain things
existed of it supports the claim whether it is
possible or impossible to exist.
• Evaluates the authenticity and genuineness of
data.
 6 C’s in analyzing primary sources
CONTENT- identify the main idea.
CITATION- identify the creator of the document.
COMMUNICATION- identify the biases of the author.
CONTEXT- understand what is going on in the world,
country, region or locality when the document is
created.
CONNECTIONS- recognize the connection of the primary
source to what you already know.
CONCLUSION- determine the contributions of the primary
source to understanding of history.
 Answer: About the social classes
among Tagalogs.
CONTENT CREATOR
What is the main idea? Who creates the source

CONTEXT CONNECTION
What is going on when the source is What is your prior knowledge and your
created? newly acquired knowledge?

COMMUNICATION CONCLUSION
Is the source reliable? How does the source contribute to your
understanding of the past?
 GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: “Customs of Tagalogs” and “Native Races
and their Customs”
SOCIAL CLASSES EQUIVALENT DUTIES CHARACTERISTIC
AMONG TAGALOGS TERMINOLOGY (Tagalogs) (Tagalogs)
(top to bottom) AMONG VISAYANS
1.

2.

3.

4.