Rule of Time

1
Rule of Time Place

• The closer in time and place a source and its
  creator were to an event in the past, the better
  the source will be.
• Better sources might include
• Direct traces of the event
• Accounts of the event, created at the time it
  occurred, by firsthand observers and participants
• Accounts of the event, created after the event
  occurred, by firsthand observers and participants
• Accounts of the event, created after the event
  occurred, by people who did not participate or
  witness the event, but who used interviews or
  evidence from the time of the event

2
Bias
3
Definition of Bias

• A tendency or preference towards anything,
  especially when the tendency interferes with
  objective behaviour.

4
Why is it important to detect?

• So we can uncover the truth about an event,
  situation, person, etc.
• History is full of bias because it is written by
  people and everyone has their own set of biases.
• Historians job to discover the authors bias.

5
How is bias helpful?

• It allows us to learn about peoples opinions and
  what they believed.

6
Analyzing Sources

• When, where, and why was the source created?
• Was the source created close in time and location
  to a historical event?
• What is its purpose?
• Read sources skeptically and critically
• Cross-check sources against other evidence and
  sources
• Rule of time and place and rule of bias used to
  judge quality of source

7
Rule of Bias

• Every source is biased in some way.
• Documents tell us only what the creator of the
  document thought happened, or perhaps only what
  the creator wants us to think happened
• Historians follow these bias rule guidelines when
  they review evidence from the past
• Every piece of evidence and every source must be
  read or viewed skeptically and critically
• No piece of evidence should be taken at face
  value. The creator's point of view must be
  considered.
• Each piece of evidence and source must be
  cross-checked and compared with related sources
  and pieces of evidence.

8
BC/AD to BCE/CE

• Example of cultural bias

9
Forms of Bias

• Cultural
• Ethnic
• Media
• Gender
• Political
• Religious

10
Word Choice

• Can reveal bias.
• Can be misleading.
• What is the basic idea being presented?
• Is there an easier or less suggestive way to get
  the information across?

11
Lyndon B. Johnson

• "I hear the headlines on the radio, see them on
  TV and read them in the paper. When I hear from
  the men out there, I sometimes don't believe they
  are talking about the same situation."

12
Hockey Game Coverage

• The Denver Post
• Injury begins Avs' tumble.

• The Detroit News
• Wings are too much for Avalanche.

13
The War In Iraq

• CNNs Iraq page
• http//www.umich.edu/newsbias/cnniraq.htm

• Dar Al Hayats page
• http//www.umich.edu/newsbias/Dar20Al20Hayat.ht
  m

14
Same Story?

• The New York Times
• Iraq forces suspension of U.S. surveillance flight

• USA Today
• U.N. Withdraws U-2 Planes