A-level Critical Thinking/Sources and types of evidence

History

First Folio (c. 1592-4) by William Shakespeare, a secondary source on Richard III (1452-1485) that some have called Tudor propaganda as based on chronicles of Thomas More

• Primary sources – sources from the time or period of study
• Secondary sources – sources not from the time of study. These can include books with primary sources that have been processed and analysed by historians.

Sociology

• Primary evidence –new evidence collected as part of research
• Secondary evidence – all other evidence such as government statistics.
• First-hand evidence – eyewitness accounts from those who have directly observed an event.
• Second hand-evidence – hearsay, evidence from those that have heard an account.
• Direct evidence – eyewitness evidence .
• Circumstantial evidence - non-direct evidence from which something can be inferred .
• Statistics – can they be trusted?
• Participant observation – does it affect behaviour?
• Interviews – Does interview style affect the responses gained?
• Questionnaires – Are they representative and will people be honest?