Historians emphasise, quite correctly, the importance of assessing the validity and reliability of primary sources – that is, those that date to the period of time being studied. Such historical records form the basis of at least one examination paper set by the main awarding bodies. It is therefore important that candidates are prepared to analyse and evaluate such materials effectively. This article looks at the importance of secondary sources in providing the contextual material for the study of other historical sources and considers the skills required in using them.
Generally, secondary historical sources are records of information that are produced some time after the period that scholars are focused on. They include textbooks, monographs (books focused on a topic or theme), biographies, magazine or journal articles, websites, television or cinematic documentaries, radio programmes, podcasts and blogs.
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