Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources Questioning Sources Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources

Questioning Sources Knowing the difference between primary and secondary sources is the first step to better understanding the past. Once you have found your primary sources, it is important to question them to find out what they say and who made them.

Primary Sources A primary source is created every time you send an email, take a photograph, or write in your journal. These sources reflect the worries, concern, or opinions you have when you created them.

Emotions Primary source documents can express feelings of love, joy, unhappiness or dislike. Sometimes the emotions of the creator or author can be clearly seen. Sometimes the emotions are hidden.

Questioning Sources When looking at primary sources, there are several questions you should always ask to help you understand the material These questions will also help you figure out if a source is authentic or fake. Authentic primary sources are great research material but you need to be careful of fake ones.

Lies and Fakes Sometimes a primary source will contain lies or mistaken information. Sometimes a primary source is actually a fake, made to look old and important.

Using Fake Sources A faked source can also tell you a lot. Why would someone go to all of that trouble to fool us? What were they hiding and what did they want us to think? Being a historian is a lot like being a detective, with primary sources as the evidence. It's your job to find out what really happened!

Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources What What is the primary source? Is it a photo? If so, is it in black and white or colour? Is it a letter? If so, is it typed, or handwritten?

Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources Who Who wrote the letter, took the photo or painted the painting? Can you be sure it was really that person who made it?

Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources When When was the primary source created? How can you tell its age?

Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources Where Can you tell where the primary source was created?

Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources Why Why was the primary source created? Does it tell a story? Is it a love letter? Is it an order from an officer to a soldier? Is it a picture of the Rocky Mountains? Does the primary source tell you why it was created? Can you guess why it was created?

Time and Place Rule To Judge the quality of the Primary Source The Closer in time and place a source and its creator were to an event in the past, the better the source will be. Direct traces of the event Accounts of the event, created at the time it occurred, by firsthand observers and participants Accounts of the event, created after the event occurred, by firsthand observers and participants Accounts of the event, created after the event occurred, by people who did not participate or witness the event, but who used interviews or evidence from the time of the event

Bias Rule Every source is biased in some way. Documents tell us only what the creator of the document thought happened, or perhaps only what the creator wants us to think happened. Every piece of evidence and every source must be read or viewed skeptically and critically No piece of evidence should be taken at face value. The creator’s point of view must be considered Each piece of evidence and source must be cross-checked and compared with related sources and pieces of evidence

How Do I Analyze A Source?

Artifact

Cartoon

Map

Motion Picture

Photo

Poster

Sound Recording

Written Document

Works Cited Eamon, Michael. "Defining Primary and Secondary Sources." ARCHIVED. Library and Archives Canada, 27 May 2010. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/education/008-3010-e.html>. Pappas, Peter. "Analyzing Primary Sources." Analyzing Primary Sources. Edteck, 2012. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://www.edteck.com/dbq/more/analyzing.htm>. "Special Topics and Tools." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://www.archives.gov/education/special-topics.html>.