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)?