Source Types:

Value and Limitations1

Primary Sources
In General

Values Limitations

• provide first-hand knowledge of the events / topics • Often too wrapped up in their moment, so authors often
• Give a 'snapshot' of opinion at the time. miss the 'big picture' of their
• Sometimes subject to censorship

Private letters, diaries, memoirs

Values Limitations
• Can provide an intimate glimpse into the effects of • If the document was intended for disclosure, it runs the
historical events and the lives of individuals experiencing risk of being an apology,
them first-hand contrived to justify or defend the author’s opinions or
• If the source was never intended to be read by a large actions/inactions
audience, its contents might be of a more candid and • Such a personal documents are inherently limited in their
revealing nature. scope in that they present only one viewpoint, one
• Valuable as a study of the personality by whom it was interpretation of what happened.
written • Inevitably biased- molded by the opinions, prejudices, and
cultural standpoint of the author (must be read critically)
• If document is a result of memories years after the period
described, details might have become blurred with the
passing of time, certain parts consciously or subconsciously
forgotten, and molded to conform to views evolved since
then (i.e. benefit of hindsight).
• Selective by nature, more important in what is excluded
than included)

Poems, novels

Values Limitations
Can provide an interesting perspective into the spirit and • Often not solely concerned with providing a factual
culture of the time in which they were written account- a certain degree of imagination and creative
• Can chronicle the experiences and feelings of specific license involved, and, therefore, perhaps not as useful as a
individuals living through a period of history, providing a factual account of history.
focused and personal portrait of a time • Inevitably flavored by biases of creator.
• Offer an emotional appeal, allowing the reader to identify
more closely with circumstances and individuals of a time
• Can provide information on a certain period of history in
more easy format through engaging the interest of the
reader

1
“Minnesota Humanities Center.”Minnesota Humanities Center. Accessed May 22, 2015.
http://www.minnesotahumanities.org/.
Drawings, paintings, cartoons

Values Limitations
• Can effectively capture the spirit of a time, and the • Produced by an artist with a definite point of view, and
opinions and sentiments generally characterizing that time. therefore inevitably biased, being influenced by the opinions
and prejudices of its creator.
• Contain evidence about a culture at specific moments in • Limited scope- generally highlights one specific aspect of
history- its customs, styles, preferences, atmosphere, a period of history.
architecture, manner of dress, appearance. • Artist not generally concerned with providing a factual
• Provide a visually stimulating piece of historical evidence. account of a historical event or circumstance, but rather
• Examples of art styles of the time. with producing a creative piece of work or expressing own
• Comment on features of regime. opinions and emotional reactions.
• Can show how people viewed a time

Photographs/Film

Values Limitations
• Can capture moments in history in vivid detail, providing a • Behind every photograph of film is a creator with own
unique glimpse into a point in time and simulating piece of personal biases and prejudices, which may be reflected in a
historical evidence. work, either consciously or subconsciously.
• Examples of propaganda • Can be manipulated by the creator to convey a certain
• Can show aspects of the culture-i.e. dress point or impress upon the viewer his/her own conceptions.
• Often posed e.g.:
• Reflections of attitudes, trends in filmmaking at a specific - parts can be edited
time. - parts can be cut out
- certain details can be excluded or downplayed
- certain details can be accentuated or focused on
- angle the photographs are taken from naturally limit
perspective and therefore
• The creator ultimately holds the power to decide the
impression conveyed by the photograph or film (more
important than the photographs is the photographer).
• Tendency- for commercial reasons, to lack scenes which
are graphic and interesting.
Can be used to create visual bias

Newspapers

Values Limitations
• Can provide indication of the nature of a society and on • A product of the societies in which they are produced, and
specific aspects of its culture. therefore offering only a limited perspective.
• Can provide a daily record of events occurring in history • In a dictatorship, certain details might be suppressed to
(perhaps a limited one) preserve the authority of the government in power-
censorship.
• A newspaper might be primarily an instrument of
propaganda.
• Commercial motives
• All have political agendas
Statistics

Values Limitations
• Provide a raw factual evidence of historical trends • Can be manipulated, for example by government’s
(provided they are reliable). wishing to corroborate claims or present themselves in a
• Generally open to interpretation, free of the potent favorable light, and their accuracy must therefore be
influence of personal and cultural biases (provided they questioned.
have not been manipulated). • Might represent only a limited sampling, not representative
of the general population.
• Margins of error must be taken into account.
• Always produced for a specific purpose.
• Size/nature of sample?

Government Records

Values Limitations
• If never intended for disclosure, might provide a • If their disclosure was anticipated could have been
candid glimpse into the inner-workings of a manipulated, perhaps to conceal scandalous
government. happenings or illegal maneuverings, or to maintain the
• Purely factual, solid, reliable. image of the government concerned.
• Only what the government allows the public to know.

Oral history (interviews with participants in historical events)

Values Limitations
• Provides a means of learning about the past from • If the person being interviewed has aged significantly in
individual with first-hand knowledge of historical events. the period of time between the actual experience and the
• Provides important historical evidence about people, interview, the physical and mental deterioration of the
especially minority groups, who might have been excluded subjects must be taken into account- e.g. memory loss,
from mainstream publications or didn’t leave behind written emotional trauma.
primary sources. • If the story is being recounted a significant time after the
• A means of preserving details of historical legacies that period of history under scrutiny, details might have become
might not have been included in written accounts. confused over the passage of time or faded entirely from
• Opinions held by people who experienced a period of memory, and traumatic experiences might have been
history deliberately forgotten. Thus, accuracy must be questioned.
• Interpretations must be corroborated • Experiences in the present might influence accounts of the
past, and a person with the benefit of hindsight might be
compelled to reassess events and reconstruct their
memories accordingly.
• Personal opinions, cultural backgrounds, must be taken
into account in interpreting the information conveyed, as
well as his/her motives in sharing memories- the iindividual
might feel more compelled to justify own actions/inactions
and perspectives than to paint an entirely balanced and
accurate account of events and circumstances.
• Tend to be apologies
• Highly subjective
 Secondary Sources
In General

Values Limitations

• Can provide the clarity that comes with hindsight • Often provide a narrow depth study or a superficial
• Due to distance from events, can be more objectively overview of a topic or event
written and referenced

Examples of humanities secondary sources:

• Books written by professional historians
• Books written by professional geographers
• Books written by professional philosophers
• Books written by professional psychologists
• Books written by professional sociologists
• Books written by professional political analysts
• Books written by professional economists

Tertiary Sources
In General

In general, useful only as a “backstory” reference. Humanities writers should avoid referencing any tertiary
information in their research papers.

General Encyclopedias (e.g. Encyclopedia Britannica, World Book, etc.)

Values Limitations
• Gives a broad overview of a topic • Its purpose is to meet the needs of a general audience,
• Are maintained by professional editorial staff. not a humanities-knowledgeable audience.
• Articles are generally well-researched and well-written. • Very difficult to evaluate what facts were used to reach the
conclusions presented because encyclopedia authors
based their writings on others’ conclusions, not on primary
research.

Specialized Encyclopedias and Textbooks (e.g. American History Online, Ancient and Medieval History
Online, History Reference Center, Modern World History Online, World Geography and Culture, World
Religions Online, etc.)
Values Limitations
• Gives a focused overview of a topic • Sometimes difficult to evaluate what facts were used
• Are maintained by professional editorial staff. to reach the conclusions presented, because even
• Articles are usually well-researched and well-written. specialized encyclopedia and textbook authors usually
• Can sometimes meet the needs of a humanities- base their writings on others’ conclusions, not on
knowledgeable audience. primary research.
Commercially - or Government-Sponsored Encyclopedias / Factbooks

Values Limitations
• Can provide indication of the nature of a society and • Information could have been manipulated, perhaps
on specific aspects of its culture. to hide scandalous happenings or illegal
• Can provide examples of propaganda maneuverings, or to maintain the image of the
• Relatively low cost of publishing allows for very business / government / area
specific, narrow-audience information to be made • Only what the government or business allows the
available to everyone. public to know.

Wikis

Values Limitations
• Especially useful when new and up-to-date information • Authors do not have to identify themselves openly or
needs to be gathered swiftly. honestly therefore it is usually impossible to determine, with
• Low cost of publishing allows for very specific, narrow- any certainty, his or her true purpose, qualifications or bias
audience information to be made available to everyone. • Authors do not have to be qualified to speak on a topic
that they may or may not be properly educated on.
• Authors are free to lie about facts, their identity, and their
qualifications. There are no controls against or
consequences for lying.

Blogs (can be primary, secondary, or tertiary sources)

Values Limitations
• Especially useful when new and up-to-date information • Authors do not have to identify themselves openly or
needs to be gathered swiftly honestly therefore it is usually impossible to determine, with
• Low cost of publishing allows for very specific, narrow- any certainty, his or her true purpose, qualifications or bias
audience information to be made available to everyone. • Authors do not have to be qualified to speak on a topic
• Can provide an intimate glimpse into the effects of that they may or may not be properly educated on.
historical events and the lives of individuals experiencing • Authors are free to lie about facts, their identity, and their
them first-hand qualifications. There are no controls against or
• Valuable as a study of the personality by whom it was consequences for lying.
written • Extremely impermanent. A URL link to particular
information may not stay valid for longer than a week. This
often renders corroborating verification of the source