Using sources, information and evidence

Historians use various historical documents to learn about the past. From these of , they construct their understanding of the past.

The strengths and weaknesses of different types of sources

Historians use a range of sources because different types of sources give them different information. The strengths and weaknesses of these sources will be influenced by the nature of the enquiry that they are being used for. Historians will use a range of sources when they are learning about medicine on the British sector of the Western Front between 1914 and 1918.

National sources

National sources cover the history that was relevant to the whole of Britain during World War One. These include army records, national newspapers, government reports and medical articles.

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Army records	Provide information compiled by the British army, such as the number and nature of casualties, the locations of casualty clearing stations and the treatment given to individual soldiers.	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route, the terrain, or the challenges faced providing treatment on the front line.
National newspapers	Provide information about battles, descriptions of general medical advances on the Western Front and overall updates on the progress of the war.	Information in national newspapers would go through censorship and first be checked by the British government. This meant the published information didn’t always reflect the experiences of individuals on the Western Front.
Government reports	Provide information about the progress of battles and an overall picture of the medical challenges that were faced on the Western Front. The information is likely to be detailed and accurate, as it was not intended for the public.	Government reports do not give us information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the nature of the terrain.
Medical articles	Provide information about the medical challenges faced on the Western Front, the advances made in medical treatment of injuries and those advances’ impact.	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route, the progress of battles or the conditions at different base hospitals.

	Army records
Strengths	Provide information compiled by the British army, such as the number and nature of casualties, the locations of casualty clearing stations and the treatment given to individual soldiers.
Weaknesses	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route, the terrain, or the challenges faced providing treatment on the front line.

	National newspapers
Strengths	Provide information about battles, descriptions of general medical advances on the Western Front and overall updates on the progress of the war.
Weaknesses	Information in national newspapers would go through censorship and first be checked by the British government. This meant the published information didn’t always reflect the experiences of individuals on the Western Front.

	Government reports
Strengths	Provide information about the progress of battles and an overall picture of the medical challenges that were faced on the Western Front. The information is likely to be detailed and accurate, as it was not intended for the public.
Weaknesses	Government reports do not give us information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the nature of the terrain.

	Medical articles
Strengths	Provide information about the medical challenges faced on the Western Front, the advances made in medical treatment of injuries and those advances’ impact.
Weaknesses	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route, the progress of battles or the conditions at different base hospitals.

Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using government reports as historical sources?

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Government reports	Provide information about the progress of battles and an overall picture of the medical challenges that were faced on the Western Front. The information is likely to be detailed and accurate, as it was not intended for the public.	Government reports do not give us information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the nature of the terrain.

	Government reports
Strengths	Provide information about the progress of battles and an overall picture of the medical challenges that were faced on the Western Front. The information is likely to be detailed and accurate, as it was not intended for the public.
Weaknesses	Government reports do not give us information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the nature of the terrain.

Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using medical articles as historical sources?

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Medical articles	Provide information about the medical challenges faced on the Western Front, the advances made in medical treatment of injuries and those advances’ impact.	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route, the progress of battles or the conditions at different base hospitals.

	Medical articles
Strengths	Provide information about the medical challenges faced on the Western Front, the advances made in medical treatment of injuries and those advances’ impact.
Weaknesses	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route, the progress of battles or the conditions at different base hospitals.

Local and individual sources

Local and individual sources cover the histories of the various locations, people and experiences on the Western Front during World War One. These sources include personal accounts, photographs, hospital records and army statistics.

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Personal accounts such as diaries and letters	Provide information about the personal experiences of individuals on the Western Front, such as soldiers, stretcher bearers and nurses.	Each account only gives historians information about one person’s experience of medicine on the Western Front.
Photographs	Provide a visual image of the conditions on the Western Front. For example, they might show the challenges of the terrain, the conditions at a regimental aid post (RAP) or the equipment used by the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC).	Each photograph gives historians focused and potentially limited information about one place and/or one moment captured in time. It was not the case that every location of battle or dressing station was the same.
Hospital records	Provide information about the challenges individual hospitals faced and the medical treatment they provided on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties after a major battle, the treatment given and the time the wounded spent in recovery.	Provide historians with focused and potentially limited information about one place and/or one moment captured in time. It was not the case that every location of battle or dressing station was the same.
Army statistics	Provide information about the medical conditions linked to the fighting on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties, the nature of injuries and the number of stretcher bearers at a given location.	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the challenges faced in providing treatment.

	Personal accounts such as diaries and letters
Strengths	Provide information about the personal experiences of individuals on the Western Front, such as soldiers, stretcher bearers and nurses.
Weaknesses	Each account only gives historians information about one person’s experience of medicine on the Western Front.

	Photographs
Strengths	Provide a visual image of the conditions on the Western Front. For example, they might show the challenges of the terrain, the conditions at a regimental aid post (RAP) or the equipment used by the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC).
Weaknesses	Each photograph gives historians focused and potentially limited information about one place and/or one moment captured in time. It was not the case that every location of battle or dressing station was the same.

	Hospital records
Strengths	Provide information about the challenges individual hospitals faced and the medical treatment they provided on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties after a major battle, the treatment given and the time the wounded spent in recovery.
Weaknesses	Provide historians with focused and potentially limited information about one place and/or one moment captured in time. It was not the case that every location of battle or dressing station was the same.

	Army statistics
Strengths	Provide information about the medical conditions linked to the fighting on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties, the nature of injuries and the number of stretcher bearers at a given location.
Weaknesses	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the challenges faced in providing treatment.

Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using hospital records as historical sources?

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Hospital records	Provide information about the challenges individual hospitals faced and the medical treatment they provided on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties after a major battle, the treatment given and the time the wounded spent in recovery.	Provide historians with focused and potentially limited information about one place and/or one moment captured in time. It was not the case that every location of battle or dressing station was the same.

	Hospital records
Strengths	Provide information about the challenges individual hospitals faced and the medical treatment they provided on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties after a major battle, the treatment given and the time the wounded spent in recovery.
Weaknesses	Provide historians with focused and potentially limited information about one place and/or one moment captured in time. It was not the case that every location of battle or dressing station was the same.

Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using army statistics as historical sources?

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Army statistics	Provide information about the medical conditions linked to the fighting on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties, the nature of injuries and the number of stretcher bearers at a given location.	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the challenges faced in providing treatment.

	Army statistics
Strengths	Provide information about the medical conditions linked to the fighting on the Western Front. Examples include the number of casualties, the nature of injuries and the number of stretcher bearers at a given location.
Weaknesses	Do not provide information about the experiences of the individuals of the evacuation route or the challenges faced in providing treatment.

Next up

Test your understanding

Medical advancements trialled on the Western Front

Medicine on the British sector of the Western Front, 1914-1918Using sources, information and evidence