Analysing Sources About Medieval Punishment

Is the source type primary or secondary?

• Primary
• Quaternary
• Tertiary
• Secondary

Is the source type literary or non-literary?

• Novelistic
• Fictional
• Non-literary

• Literary

How does the source type affect its historical reliability?

• It is a primary source that is written without publication in mind, so therefore it is reliable

• It is a primary source that is written with publication in mind, so therefore it is unreliable

• It is a secondary source based on a wide range of primary sources; therefore it is reliable

• • It is a secondary source lacking verifiable evidence, based on a selection of primary sources, therefore it is unreliable

Is it likely that the author had firsthand knowledge of the subject, or is it more likely that the author reported what others saw and heard?

• The author was an expert in the subject
• The author had no knowledge of the subject
• More likely that the author had firsthand knowledge of the subject
• More likely that the author reported what others saw and heard

Does the author have a good overall view, or a blinkered view of the topic - does he have a clear personal stake in the outcome of events in this source?

• No
• Maybe
• Sometimes
• Yes

How does your understanding of the author affect the reliability of the source?

• It is a primary source written by a person close to the centre of events, without a clear personal stake in the outcome of events. Therefore it is reliable.

• It is a primary source written by a person with a blinkered view, with a clear personal stake in the outcome of events. Therefore it is unreliable.

Was the source written at the time of the Middle Ages when such punishments would have occurred, or much later?

• Close to the medieval period.

• Much later.

How might the date at which the source was written affect the reliability of this source?

• • written at the time or soon after the events, so that freshness of memory has not faded, therefore it is reliable

• • written after the events when other events have clouded perceptions, the climate of opinion has coloured views and the mists of memory have blurred the details - Therefore unreliable.

Is the content of the source factual or opinionated? Explain.

How does the content of the source affect its reliability?

• written for purpose of recording information or to educate - Therefore reliable

• written to persuade others and/or disarm critics - Therefore unreliable