i hope this helps you out
Finding historical information
Learn where and how to find secondary and primary historical sources.
* 1 - Starting your research
* 2- Think about the broader historical context
* 3- Gather background information & identify your knowledge gaps
* 4- Understand what "primary" & "secondary" sources mean
* 5- Start with reading lists, references & footnotes
* 6- Activity & self-assessment
1- Starting your research
What you can learn from this page:
* Establishing your topic within its broader historical context
* Understanding primary vs secondary sources
* Reading lists, reference lists and footnotes are helpful starting points
2- Think about the broader historical context
When you want to research a topic from the past, it's important to place that topic within its broader historical context.
Think about:
* related events
* names
* dates
* places
* political issues
* societal issues
This helps you recognise the significance of any historical sources you might find, and interpret the source's information.
Then identify what you already know about the subject and what you need to clarify. Lastly, make sure you understand what primary and secondary sources are, where to find them and how these terms are relative to the time period, intended usage and subject discipline.
3- Gather background information & identify your knowledge gaps
Start by listing any key facts and helpful points that you already know (for example people, organisations or movements, dates, events, places or main issues).
As well as listing your starting points, you should list anything you're unsure of and that you need to confirm or clarify.
You may have lots of unanswered questions at this very early stage of your research and that's OK.
-Historical over views This curated list shows you search tips and examples of the types of historical overviews and timelines you can find from websites and books to help you get started.
4- Understand what "primary" & "secondary" sources mean
Primary sources
- Primary sources are records of firsthand accounts (autobiographies, documentary history books, interviews in contemporary newspapers, government reports).
Primary sources provide us with a real sense of what was happening with a person, event or specific period in time.
Secondary sources
-Secondary sources are secondhand accounts which analyse and interpret past events using primary sources (books, textbooks, journal articles). Secondary sources provide us with historical definitions and overviews; they are usually written at a much later time after the historical event or era and draw together a range of useful comments and other relevant information.
Recognise your sources in the appropriate context
Sometimes it can be hard to decide if something may be a primary source or not. Sometimes a secondary source can also serve as a primary source, depending on the context in which you're viewing it and wanting to use it.
For example, a well known author writes an article about a particular historical topic, that would be used as a secondary source. Years later someone decides to research the life and works of that author, in that context that same article would be used as a primary source.
Watch this video to see some other helpful examples.
5- Start with reading lists, references & footnotes
Check your subject reading lists for details of key primary and secondary sources your lecturers may expect you to read.
Check the footnotes and bibliographies of the books and articles you're reading for background information.
6- Activity & self-assessment
Where and how will you look for an historical overview or background information to help you better understand your broader topic area?