What is a tainted source and how should you handle them? It is a source that is corrupted by any means. A source that had its origin from a biased field or study. The best way to handle tainted sources is to discard them and look for a better reference. Never include tainted sources in your research.
What is the most important thing to look for in historical research? The historic research will only be validated if it follows three steps:
1. Collection of data through primary and secondary sources
2. Internal and external criticism of the data collected.
3. Presentation of facts in a readable form involving problems of organization, composition, exposition, and interpretation.
What are examples of dubious secondary sources and what is the problem with using them? A secondary source is one in which the eyewitness of the participant, the person describing the event, was not actually present but obtained his descriptions from another person or source. Examples of dubious secondary sources are textbooks, biased biographies, replicas of art objects and paintings. Due to the possibility or errors on secondary sources, those errors could get multiplied when the information passes through many sources, resulting in an error of great magnitude in the final data.