A primary source is something written or made by someone from the time and place you are studying. For example, if you are studying the Judeo-Christian heritage, a primary source could be a book of the Bible or a sermon written by a Roman Catholic pope. It could also be a synagogue or cathedral. Primary sources are one of the most direct ways to understand how life had MEANING for people at a particular historical period. 

Primary sources can give you good information about the past, but they have to be carefully analyzed and interpreted. Often they can be difficult to read, and even if they seem easy, they can be misleading. When you read a primary source, you should ask yourself three kinds of questions:  

Context

What do we know about the source before we begin to study it? The CONTEXT is the historical situation in which the primary source was produced. To analyze a primary source, you should know something about the following things:  

• Who was the author/maker? What do we know about him, her, or them? For example, a Muslim and a Christian will have very different ideas about the life of Jesus Christ. Just as important, who was the audience? Whom did the author have in mind to read the source? For example, a text written by a Christian for Christians will be different from a text written by a Christian for Muslims. 
• What kind of source is it? Is it a speech, a poem, a textbook, an official monument? Is it official or unofficial?
• When was the source written or made? What was happening at this time? When did the events described in the source happen? How far in time from the events described is the source?
• Where was the source written or made? What was the culture of this area like? If the source is a writing, how far away from the events described in the source was the author?
• Why did the author make/write the source?--for his or her private use, for friends and supporters, for enemies, for everyone?

Content

Summarize or describe the source. If the source is a text, what is the organization or outline? What are the main terms and ideas? If the source is an object, what is it? What is its structure? What is its function, and what does it mean? Be careful to include only what is in the source, not what you think is in it. If after studying the source there are still things you do not understand, note them as Study Questions.  

Consequences

What were the historical consequences of this source? How did it change things, or what change did it represent? What does this source tell us about the event we are studying? Why is this source important in history?  

Instructions

Answering these questions is what we call a historical analysis or historical interpretation. You can use the Primary Source Analysis Form to write your analyses.  
 

Created by John I. Brooks III. Last updated 01/01/04.
Return to
Teaching | Advising | Service | Research | Links | Background | Communication | Home