Using Primary Sources
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Transcript of Using Primary Sources
Using Primary Sources
What is a primary source?
What is a primary source?•the “raw” data about
which researchers write directly
•Sources written at the time of an event or later as a memoir
Other Source Types•What is a
secondary source?
Other Source Types•Secondary Source:
data that other researchers have already compiled based on one or more primary sources
Other Source Types•Secondary Source:
data that other researchers have already compiled based on one or more primary sources
•What is a tertiary source?
Other Source Types•Secondary Source:
data that other researchers have already compiled based on one or more primary sources
•Tertiary Source: book or article based on secondary sources
How are primary sources different?
How using primary sources is different•No table of contents•No index•No abstract•No highlighted keywords•Sometimes information about who, what,
when, where, & why is missing/not obvious
How using primary sources is different•No table of contents•No index•No abstract•No highlighted keywords•Sometimes information about who, what,
when, where, & why is missing/not obvious
•It’s up to you to draw the conclusions.
Context is key
What is context?•The
circumstances or environment in which a primary source was produced
Determining Context•First ask, what
is this?▫What kind of
document?▫What technology
was used to create this?
▫What could the purpose of the document be?
Determining Context•Who created the artifact?
▫What, do you deduce, was the creator’s purpose?
▫How does the creator’s position differ based on the historical time period in which he or she lived?
▫Who else was involved in the creation of this artifact?
Determining Context•When and where was
the document created?▫What was happening in
history?▫What was happening in
the particular context of this document?
▫Where was this document created?
▫Where was it found?
Determining Context•Why was this
document created?▫What was the stake of
the author in creating this?
▫Who might he or she been trying to communicate with?
▫Who might have been his or her audience (intended or not)?