Theory Of Knowlegde

How reliable is eye-witness as a primary source?

To answer this question I first needed to know what is the eye-witess testimony, when I search in google what was the exact definitionit says: ''a person who actually sees some act, occurrence, or thing and can give a firsthand account of it'' & ''to view with one's own eyes''.

I think that eye-witness testimonyrefers to an account given by people about an event that they have witnessed. The truth tis that this is an important area to take in account when they are doing a investigation. Thistestimony is what people have seen so they need to be true.

So know that we know what is a eye-witness testimony, we need to know what is a primary sources. A primary source s a materialfrom, or directly related, to the past. In history the primary sources are usual letters or documents, diaries, or accounts created during the period that is being studies.

Know that wehave this two definition I am able to answer to this question: How reliable is eye-witness as a primary source? I think that they are very important because they are the testimony of thepeople that have been present on the event that is being studied. but also think that researchers should thane in account that they all are no always true.

So what really makes a sourcesreliable? Answer: Depending on the area of study. A source is named reliable until there is evidence that shows the contrary. A source is true through the verification of the informationthat have been presented. But in the case of an eyewitness there is need at least 10 testimonies for proving if everybody says the same or there are some changes in the event.

Inconclusion, I think that the eye-witness testimony should be use when they are really need, when there is no enough evidence for proving the event or case studied.

Ivanna M. Caceres