An important part of being an historian is acting as a detective and investigating your sources before using them in a paper. In this activity, you are the detective! To use a source effectively, you will need to understand everything you can about it, including author, the relation of the author to the subject he or she is writing about, what the source says, and so on.

Answering these questions below is an important first step in writing your final paper!

Part I: Primary Source Investigation!

Instructions: Choose one of your primary sources and answer the questions below in your own words. With the exception of Question 1, all answers should be at least 100 words.

1. What is the name of your source and when was it produced?

2. Who was the author/creator of this document and how is the author related to the event he/she is writing about?

3. How credible is the author on his/her subject and what are some potential biases the author may have had?

4. List three things in the document that are important to your topic’s focus.

5. Why do you think the document was written?

6. How will this source contribute to your paper’s focus?

Part II: Secondary Source Investigation!

Instructions: Choose one of your secondary sources and answer the questions below in your own words. All answers should be at least 100 words.

1. What is the name of your chosen document?

2. Who was the author of this document and why is the author qualified to write about this topic?

3. What historical event/topic is the author writing about and what is his/her main argument?

4. List three things in the document that are important to your topic’s focus.

5. How will this source contribute to your paper?