Historical mistakes

Quma

If I find a historical mistake during my historical research what I have to do?
Thanks

Like what?

Original post by Jjj90

Like what?

For example, if I find a mistake in my book, is the reason of that mistake effect or I must not trust this book?

Reply 3

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by Quma

If I find a historical mistake during my historical research what I have to do?
Thanks

What kind of mistake are you talking about? :smile:

Reply 4

Quma

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

What kind of mistake are you talking about? :smile:

A historian takes an interview from a witness. During the testimony the witness made a mistake. Why the witness's intentions don't matter when he made a mistake?

Reply 5

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by Quma

A historian takes an interview from a witness. During the testimony the witness made a mistake. Why the witness's intentions don't matter when he made a mistake?

Well, this is the kind of thing historians need to look out for when looking at primary sources/eyewitness accounts. :smile:

What do you mean by 'intentions'?

Reply 6

Quma

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Well, this is the kind of thing historians need to look out for when looking at primary sources/eyewitness accounts. :smile:

What do you mean by 'intentions'?

If the witness made a mistake because he was confused or he was tired and this mistake was very big mistake so why his reason doesn't matter when he made the mistake? Why the historian can't say that although this mistake he will say that this mistake did not happen because it has a reason/intention?

Reply 7

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by Quma

Well, maybe it depends how relevant the mistake was to the point the witness was trying to get across...?

I'm not sure I'm 100% understanding what you mean :smile:

Reply 8

Quma

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Well, maybe it depends how relevant the mistake was to the point the witness was trying to get across...?

I'm not sure I'm 100% understanding what you mean :smile:

Why the witness's reason/intention of his mistake doesn't matter when he made a mistake?

Reply 9

GoldenEmblem277

OP, it would be useful if we had the example?

Reply 10

DErasmus

Dude are you from Poland?

Reply 11

DanB1991

If you find a mistake, if you have evidence from somewhere else explain what the mistake is in that source, why it is a mistake and comment on whether or not it affects the validity of the rest of the source.

After that see if a more up to date edition has the mistake corrected. Walter Spielberger's "Panther and its Variants" 1993 edition would be an example of this, an error was picked up by another historian and it was correct in the 1999 edition (Not that the war thunder dev team care -_-).