Worked example
Three newspapers repeat the same report supplied by one witness. How many independent witness accounts are described?
Answer & why
Answer: One
The three publications share one stated witness origin.
Grade 8 · Social studies
Check independence between historical records
Distinguish independent observations from repeated copies when evaluating corroboration.
6 authored questions + worked example
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All questions
All 6 authored questions for this skill.
Question 1
A diary says a meeting began at 9; a clock log says 10. What is a useful next check?
- Which page has a prettier border.
- Which writer's name is longer.
- Whether the records use the same date and time convention.
- Whether disagreement is forbidden.
A hint
Count independent origins, not just the number of documents repeating a claim.
Answer & why
Answer: Whether the records use the same date and time convention.
Different dates, time systems or recording errors may explain an apparent conflict.
Question 2
A letter describes only the morning of a festival. Which conclusion respects its coverage?
- Every afternoon event matched the morning.
- It does not directly describe the afternoon.
- The festival lasted exactly one hour.
- No afternoon events occurred.
A hint
Count independent origins, not just the number of documents repeating a claim.
Answer & why
Answer: It does not directly describe the afternoon.
Absence of an afternoon description is not evidence that nothing happened then.
Question 3
Two reports contain the same unusual typo and identical sentences. What possibility should a researcher investigate?
- Typos identify the exact event time.
- Identical wording proves complete accuracy.
- They may depend on a shared or copied text.
- They must be independent eyewitness reports.
A hint
Count independent origins, not just the number of documents repeating a claim.
Answer & why
Answer: They may depend on a shared or copied text.
Shared distinctive wording can indicate textual dependence, though its origin still needs checking.
Question 4
A shipping log and an independently kept harbor register list the same vessel on the same date. What narrow claim gains support?
- Every passenger enjoyed the trip.
- The vessel visited every port that year.
- The voyage had no delays anywhere.
- The vessel was recorded there on that date.
A hint
Count independent origins, not just the number of documents repeating a claim.
Answer & why
Answer: The vessel was recorded there on that date.
Agreement supports the recorded visit, not unrelated claims about the entire voyage.
Question 5
Three newspapers repeat the same report supplied by one witness. How many independent witness accounts are described?
- Six
- None can contain information
- Three
- One
A hint
Count independent origins, not just the number of documents repeating a claim.
Answer & why
Answer: One
The three publications share one stated witness origin.
Question 6
Two people independently record a bell ringing at noon from different locations. What does their agreement provide?
- A record of every event that day.
- Proof that every later memory is exact.
- Evidence that one necessarily copied the other.
- Corroborating observations of that event.
A hint
Count independent origins, not just the number of documents repeating a claim.
Answer & why
Answer: Corroborating observations of that event.
The stated independent observations agree about the specific bell event.