answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Primary sources that are thoughtfully selected can help to bring history and cultures to life for students. Most basically, they are defined as the direct evidence of a time and place that you are studying - any material (documents, objects, etc.) that was produced by eyewitnesses to or participants in an event or historical moment under investigation.

Primary sources are interesting to read for their own sake: they give us first hand, you-are-there insights into the past. They are also the most important tools an historian has for developing an understanding of an event. Primary sources serve as the evidence an historian uses in developing an interpretation and in building an argument to support that interpretation. You will be using primary sources not only to help you better understand what went on, but also as evidence as you answer questions and develop arguments about the past.

Primary Sources do not speak for themselves, they have to be interpreted. That is, we can't always immediately understand what a primary source means, especially if it is from a culture significantly different from our own. It is therefore necessary to try to understand what it means and to figure out what the source can tell us about the past.

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why is it important for a historian to use primary sources?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

A historian want to know How the Gulf was Fought which is an appropriate way to use primary sources to answer this question?

An historian wants to know how the gulf war was fought.what is the appropriate way to use primary source?


What is an example of a primary source that a historian might use to study the colonial era?

What are three examples of primary sources a hitorisn might use


What two main types of sources does a historian use?

A historian uses primary sources, which are firsthand accounts or original documents from the time under study, to gain a direct understanding of historical events. They also use secondary sources, such as books or articles written by other scholars, which interpret and analyze primary sources to provide context and a broader understanding of the historical period.


Why would a historian use primary source when studying about a historical event?

Answer this question… Primary sources are created by people who actually experienced the event


Why would a historian use a primary source when studying about historical event?

Answer this question… Primary sources are created by people who actually experienced the event


Is the campaigns of Alexander a primary source?

Yes , Arrian was able to use sources now lost to the modern historian .


What items in the list are primary sources a historian could use to contextualize why a political revolution occurred in Egypt in 2011?

I and IV


What happens when a historian has more information than he or she can use in answering a historical question?

The historian often has much more information than he, or she, can use in answering a historical question. He, or she, must sort that information into what is important in the progression of the story. Too much information is as bad as too little. Consider discarding any information that is not vital to telling the story, however, you may choose to include a few information snippets to make the story interesting and draw your reader into events. Asking and answering yourself questions can help in sorting information. Use only the most important and credible historical sources. Consider discarding information from secondary sources, rather than primary sources. If you have information from two sources, one a primary source and one a secondary source use the primary source information, you can always cite the secondary source as reference. The historian seeks to use sources to compile a logical narrative that leads to a credible reconstruction. Historical writing is exactly the same as any other writing, it needs to be clear, concise, and say the necessary in a brief, but complete way.


What tools do historians use?

Primary sources, secondary sources, and oral history.


A historian wants to know how the Gulf War was fought. Which of the following is an appropriate way to use primary sources to answer this question?

(Apex) Interview soldiers who served on both sides of the conflict.


What are the two sources that historians use?

primary sources and secondary sources.


What kind of source would a historian use to get a firsthand account of a past event?

You would consult a primary source for a first and personal view of an historical event. Primary sources are original materials.