Based on this activity, write one sentence that describes how the historical record can be huge and limited at the same time. When you have finished this activity, go ahead to Analysis of Primary Sources . Top of Page Other Types of Historical Evidence Other aspects of the historical record are not records at all, but may still offer evidence about our lives. First, historians think about where, when and why a document was created. They consider whether a source was created close in location and time to an actual historical event.
Historians also think about the purpose of a source.
Some primary sources may be judged more reliable than others, but every source is biased in some way. As a result, historians read sources skeptically and critically. They also cross-check sources against other evidence and sources. Historians follow a few basic rules to help them analyze primary sources. Read these rules below.