Thinking Like a Historian Vocabulary

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Sources of information that provide first-hand accounts of the events, practices, or conditions you are researching. In general, these are documents that were created by the witnesses or first recorders of these events at about the time they occurred, and include diaries, letters, reports, photographs, creative works, financial records, memos, and newspaper articles (to name just a few types).

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Primary Source

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Examples of ___________ sources:
Bibliographies
Biographical works
Reference books, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases
Articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers after the event
Literature reviews and review articles (e.g., book reviews)
History books and other popular or scholarly books
Works of criticism and interpretation
Textbooks

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Secondary Source

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What was happening at the time of the event or the decision that sheds some light on it? In what type of society did the event occur? An urban one? A rich one? An educated one? An unstable one?

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Historical Context

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An opinion or perspective presented by the author of a document, influenced by the author’s personal circumstances.

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Point of View

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Things found in a historical study, such as climate, terrain, or resources is called?

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Physical Elements

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Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair is called?

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Bias

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This refers to the accuracy of a measure (whether the results really do represent what they are supposed to measure).

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Validity

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The breaking down of events from the past into its constituent parts; involving the use of varying sources is called?

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Historical Analysis

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A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge is called?

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Opinion

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Things found in historical studies such as religion, government, economy, language, and demography are called?

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Human elements