3. Evidence Flashcards
What is primary source evidence?
These sources are evidence from the time when used in historical research and analysis:
-> Raw information
-> First-hand experience evidence
-> More original and credible
Primary sources allow for new discoveries, provide original analysis, and give direct evidence for arguments.
What are some examples of a primary source?
Letters, documents, records, journals and diaries, drawings, newspaper accounts, and various pieces of information left behind from people of that time.
What is a secondary resource?
These sources are evidence from the interpretation and synthesizing of primary sources:
-> Show how your work relates to existing research
-> Bring together primary sources that are difficult to gather by yourself.
Secondary sources provide background information, support or contrast arguments with others ideas, use information from primary sources unable to be accessed.
What are some examples of secondary resource?
Articles, research papers, reviews, academic books.
What questions can you ask about a source (primary), including its limitation and value?
Who authored/created it?
When was it created?
Value:
Under what circumstances was the piece created and how does the piece reflect those circumstances?
What can we tell about any controversies from the piece?
Does the author present a particular side of a controversy or event?
What can we tell about the author’s perspectives from the piece?
Limitation:
What part of the story can we not tell from the document? How could we verify the content of the piece?
Does this piece accurately reflect anything about the time period?
What does the author leave out and why do they leave it out?
What is purposefully omitted (left out)?
How does sourcing work?
Sourcing often begins before a source is read, with questions about who created it and when it was created. It involves inferring from the source the author’s or creator’s purposes, values, and worldview, either conscious or unconscious.
