Historical criteria with examples

Provenance

Where did the source come from?

Example:

A diary written in 1865.

versus

A blog post written yesterday describing 1865.

The first has different evidential significance.

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Authenticity

Is it genuine?

Example:

Was the diary actually written by Lincoln?

Or was it forged?

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Corroboration

Do independent sources agree?

Example:

One newspaper reports a battle.

Military records also describe it.

Private letters mention it.

Agreement strengthens confidence.

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Consistency

Does the claim fit other well-established evidence?

Suppose one document says:

"There was no war."

Thousands of independent records say there was.

The isolated claim requires particularly strong support.

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Context

Who wrote it?

Why?

For whom?

A campaign speech,

a private diary,

and a courtroom testimony

serve different purposes.

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Bias

Bias does not automatically make a source false.

Example:

A politician praising his own government.

That source may still contain true information.

Historians ask:

How might the author's interests have influenced what was included, omitted, or emphasized?