How to Compare History Sources
Figuring out the relative worth of an historical source is crucial in interpreting history. Historical sources range from biography to anecdote to scrupulously detailed historical accounts. In the field of history, an author like Edward Gibbon, who wrote "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," is one of the most trusted historians of the 18th century. He attributes the information in his work, analyzes thousands of previous documents and writes in an authoritative voice. Some sources, which seem to give a perspective overly favorable to one of their subjects or are written poorly, are less authoritative. Sometimes, when sources contradict, you have to compare each source's reliability.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Check footnotes in passages from each source. Important statements, particularly if the book was written in the modern era, should always be cited to other sources. Then go to the original source and make sure the quotes or facts have been properly cited. If they haven't, the author of the source might be untrustworthy or not as cautious in his research.
-
2
Review the quality of the sources' prose. Some historians do not write succinctly or brilliantly, but all historical works should have proper grammar and correct spelling. Bad spelling or grammar indicates that the book was not edited or written carefully.
-
-
3
Look up book reviews in periodicals such as the "Journal of Social History" or the "Journal of Modern History," for each historical source. Professional and academic historians write these book reviews, which discuss how the source is viewed in historical circles. Although there are some good sources that receive bad reviews, you can get a better perspective on their value by reading these reviews.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit history image by Ewe Degiampietro from Fotolia.com
