The Job of a Historian Flashcards
What is the job of a historian?
The job of a historian is to reconstruct the past.
Source
A source is anything that survives from the past, whether written, visual or an artefact.
Primary source
A primary source is a source that comes directly from the time being studied.
Secondary source
A secondary source is a source which is based on other sources. It is like second-hand information.
Bias
A source is biased if it is one-sided, based only on personal feelings, or if the author selects only the information which suits themselves.
Objective
A source is objective when it is based only on the facts and is not one-sided or biased.
Subjective
A source is subjective when it is based only on one’s personal feelings and attitudes.
Fact
A fact is something that actually happened.
Opinion
An opinion is a person’s view of what happened.
Relevant
Information is relevant when it is connected to what is being studied.
Archive
An archive is a place where historical records and documents are held and preserved.
Museum
A museum is a place where historical and archaeological objects are stored and preserved.
Artefact
An artefact is a man made object.
Library
A library is a place where books, newspapers, records, microfilm and film are kept for reading and reference.
