Analysing and evaluating sources

The use of historical sources is at the core of historical methodology. Historical sources are the appropriate materials for students to use when they do history and study History. In a previous article (TH, 47.3, Sept., 2013, pp.65f) I suggested that students need a great deal of experience in reading and decoding sources of all varieties, in collecting data or information from 'text's. I suggested that students need to master the process of reading, comprehending and understanding the data available in sources before they begin the more complex tasks of interrogating, analysing and evaluating that data as evidence, as the sub-text and context of sources. This requires a 'plan of attack' and will be best achieved by the combination of explicit instruction followed by 'inquiry', or student practice of the process.