Question

discuss the disadvantage of government documents as elements of history ?​

Answer 1

• Government documents may not be a thoroughly objective source; may not consider other views or perspectives on the same event(s).

• The identity of the author may be unclear (especially true in the case of government documents).

• The author is usually no longer living and thus cannot be consulted for verification.

• May be difficult to read (handwriting may be difficult to decipher); words or phrases may be unfamiliar and their meanings may have changed over time.

• Documents must be evaluated in conjunction with other evidence to determine whether they present information that is exceptional or conforms to previously established patterns.