TESTS OF HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

  1. Relevance: Is the evidence presented really relevant to the claim being made?
  2. Validity: Is the source what it appears to be or is it a fraud or forgery?
  3. Identification: Is the source (author) clearly and accurately identified? Historians do not rely on "anonymous."
  4. Expertise: Is the source qualified to provide this evidence? Sources may be qualified by training/education or by experience with the topic of the evidence.
  5. Bias: Does the source have an interest in the topic of the evidence that might distort the evidence? Reluctant testimony, in which the source testifies against self-interest (e.g., a Republican blaming the Republican Party) is very persuasive. Biased sources do not always distort their evidence.
  6. Internal Consistency: Does the information consist with itself or does the evidence contradict itself?
  7. External Consistency: Is the evidence consistent with outside qualified sources? For the historian, the more sources the better.
  8. Recency: Has the situation described by the evidence changed? Just being old isn't enough to disqualify evidence: The situation must have changed since the evidence was created.
Sample Evidence: On the line to the left of each statement, place the number of the Test of Evidence that it fails, if any.
1. _____ According to Arnold Schwartzenegger, marijuana kills more brain cells than alcohol--which he doesn't like either.

2. ______ Jacob Simon, professor of Political Science at Berkeley, observed in 1990 that the Berlin wall was here to stay.

3. _____ According to the 1862 Encyclopedia Britannica, Columbus discovered America in 1492.

4. _____ Gerald Ford, former member of the Warren Commission, indicated in August of 1992 that he saw no reason to believe Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy.

5. _____ According to 2000 census figures, Hispanics are becoming a dangerously large percentage of the US population.

6. _____ According to Ned Jones, past president of the National Education Association, it is more effective to teach abstinence than safe sex.

7. _____ Harold Stipes, former president of the NRA, was quoted last year as saying that if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

8. ______ Kansas City Star reported on August 19, 1992, that inflation was not a serious problem, because in 1984 it was only 5%.

9. ______ According to tele-evangelist Jerry Falwell, liberals have caused most of history's wars.