One of the most common problems facing students studying the ATAR Modern History course involves feeling comfortable with the terminology common to the subject.
This downloadable PDF poster document, produced by the team at Active History is one of the best I have found for explaining key terms. For example, look at the way they explain the following terms:
Subjective
A source which persuades: a personal viewpoint, maybe biased and opinionated. Example Sentence: “This witness is writing subjectively rather than objectively, which limits the value of his evidence to the historian”
Objective
A source which informs: it is balanced and factual rather than biased and opinionated. Example Sentence: “This witness writes in an objective manner, which makes her testimony particularly useful to the historian”
Incomplete
Every source provides an incomplete picture. It is only one piece of the jigsaw. Example Sentence: “Although a reliable witness, his access to information was incomplete”
Purpose
Why a source was produced. Was it to inform (reliable), or persuade (unreliable)? Example Sentence: “The purpose of this witness was to persuade rather than inform; this limits his usefulness to the historian”
And these are just a few among many.
As you can see, these guys have done a great job of defining the key words commonly used in historiography, as well as providing an example of how to use the term.
If you’re finding the key phrases used in the WACE Modern History course confusing, I strongly recommend you download this document.