Primary Sources

Referring to your text and recalling the JSTOR primary and secondary sources video from Week Two, explain the differences between primary and secondary sources. In addition, explain the importance of objectivity in historical research. Explain the different fields of historical study, choose one that you would pursue if you were studying history, and explain why you would choose it.

Primary sources are orginal material from historians that produce their interpretations of the past including artifacts. Secondary sources are interpretations written after an event or trend by people who did not witness them first hand ( Getz 2012, sect. 10.2). The importance of historical research is to make sure you consider your interpretations carefully from diffirent angles. The social sciences are the disciplines that deal with human behavior and social relationships. Social history focuses on the mass experiences of everyday people by examining topics like demestic life, labor, and consumption habits ( Getz, 2012). I whould choose cultural history because, it tends to focus on the perspectives of people who lived in the past and I would love to research the understandings of their history and economy.

Getz, T.R. & Brooke, J.E. (2012). World history: The human experience from 1500. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.