| External criticism | Evaluation of the genuineness of a document in historical research.
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| Historical research | The systematic collection and objective evaluation of data related to past occurrences to determine causes, effects, or trends of those events that may help explain present events and anticipate future events.
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| Internal criticism | Determining if the contents of a document are accurate.
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| Primary source | Firsthand information such as the testimony of an eyewitness, an original document, a relic, or a description of a study written by the person who conducted it.
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| Relic | Any object that can provide some information about the past.
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| Secondary source | Secondhand information, such as a description of historical events by someone not present when the event occurred.
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