It is important to examine primary sources with a critical eye since they represent unfiltered records of the past. Below are some questions to consider once you've found a primary source(s):
RUSA's Guide to Evaluating Primary Sources:
- Who is the author or creator?
- What biases or assumptions may have influenced the author or creator?
- Who was the intended audience?
- What is the origin of the primary source?
- What was the significance of the source at the time it was created?
- Has the source been edited or translated, or altered in some way from the original?
- What questions could be answered about the time period by using this source?
- What, if any, are the limitations of the source?
- Does your understanding of the source fit with other scholars’ interpretations, or does it challenge their argument?
The 6 C's of Primary Source Analysis:
- Content - What is the main idea? Describe in detail what you see
- Citation - When was this created?
- Context - What is going on in the world, the country, the region, or the locality when this was created?
- Connections - Link the primary source to other things that you already know or have learned about.
- Communication - Is this source reliable?
- Conclusions - Ask yourself: How does the primary source contribute to our understanding of history?