RPH

• Natural Sciences


  The study of natural phenomena (including cosmological, geological, physical, chemical and biological factors of the universe)
• Social Sciences


  Any discipline or branch of science that deals with the sociocultural aspects of human behavior
• Social Science disciplines


  • Cultural anthropology
  • Economics
  • Political science
  • Sociology
  • Criminology
  • Social psychology
• Social Science


  The scientific study of human society and social relationships
• Economics


  Studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
• Geography


  The study of the diverse environments, places, and spaces of Earth's surface and their interactions
• Political Science


  Dealing with the analysis and implementation of systems of governance and its impact on societies
• Sociology


  Studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them
• Astrology


  A natural science as it deals with observations and prediction of events in the sky, influences human affairs and the natural world
• Botany


  Branch of biology that deals with the study of plants, including their structure, properties, and biochemical processes
• Geology


  A branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time
• Psychology


  Studies the mind and behavior
• Zoology


  Branch of biology that studies the members of the animal kingdom and animal life in general
• Traditional Historian


  Views history as "the account of the past of a person or a group of people through written documents and historical evidences"
• Traditional Historians rely on written documents and historical evidences, leading to the mantra "No Document, No History"
• History


  The study of the past
• History belongs to the field of Social Sciences and has existed for about 2,400 years
• Etymology of History

  The Greek word "historia" which refers to "the knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation"
• History


  The account of the past of a person or a group of people through written documents and historical evidences
• Historians


  Fulfill the essential task of interpreting what happened in the past
• Historiography


  The "history of history", the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particular details from the authentic materials in those sources, and the synthesis of those details into a narrative that stands the test of critical examination
• Historical Methodology


  The process by which historians gather evidence and formulate ideas about the past, the framework through which the account of the past is constructed, composed of certain techniques and rules that historians follow in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history
• Historical Methodology employs the scientific method to ensure a balanced account of the past despite the subjectivity in the historian's interpretation
• Primary Sources


  Sources which are produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied, including testimony of an eyewitness or of a witness by any other of the senses, and may also take the form of any mechanical device that was present during the event
• Secondary Sources


  The testimony of anyone who is not an eyewitness, that is, one who was not present at the events of which he/she tells
• Secondary Sources

  • Textbooks
• Artifacts


  Tangible objects which prove the existence of a certain story or narrative, including relics or remains, sociofacts, and mentifacts
• Sociofacts


  The structures and organizations of a culture which influence social behavior, including manners, customs, and rituals
• Mentifacts


  Those which influence our thinking such as needs, values, and attitudes
• Testimonies


  Oral or written reports that describe an event, providing details on what took place, the location, the reason and how the event took place
• Narrative or Literary Sources


  • Journals, newspapers, articles, letters, memoirs, poems, novels
• Diplomatic or Judicial Sources


  Documents that are especially helpful as proof of legal transactions and in settling judicial disputes, such as court records and the constitution
• Social Documents


  • Photographs, films
• External Criticism/Lower Criticism


  The process of establishing the genuineness or authenticity of data by means of examining the physical characteristics of the evidences, including where, when, who, and what
• Anachronism


  Something that is out of its proper time period or chronological order
• Text Restoration


  1. Collect copies of the doubtful text

  2. Compare the copies to determine additions or omissions

  3. Categorize the copies into "families"

  4. Establish the comparative age of the texts within each family

  5. Match and compare the "father" copies to determine the most accurate available wording

  6. Check for anachronisms, changes in handwriting, and opinions or errors that deviate from the original author
• CHECK - Watch out for anachronisms (in style, grammar, factual details, etc.) changes in handwritings, and opinions or errors because if they deviate from those of original author, they most likely indicate additions by a later hand.
• Criticism is the process by which historical evidence is derived from historical data
• SECONDARY SOURCES. The testimony of anyone who is not an eyewitness, that is, one who was not present at the events of which he/she tells.
• Relics or Remains - They present one variety of sources which offer clues about the past because of their physical existence. Further, they refer to anything that is made or modified by human hands.