As I went to start my essay I realised I had not found enough primary and secondary sources to complete my argument and finish my research. Therefore I needed to develop an action plan and found a site that helped me do this.
http://historyproject.ucdavis.edu/pdfs/Process_of_Historical_Investigation.pdf
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE?
a. Research: Summary of explicit facts and information that you organize to answer your research question. This is like a report on the facts you have found.
b. Visual Sources: Any illustrations, charts, graphs, documents or other relevant evidence should be included in an appendix at the end of the paper and will not be included in the word count.
HOW TO ANALYSE THE EVIDENCE?
1. LITERAL SOURCE QUESTIONING
What type of document is this? (poetry, diary, government document)
What is the setting? (time and place)
Who wrote the document? Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event? Or, did the recorder
report what others saw and heard?
Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after the event, or after some lapse of time?
What is the document generally about?
2. LOOKING FOR POINT OF VIEW & PERSPECTIVE
What religion, sex, and social class is the author?
What is the author’s social position?
What “loaded” words or strong descriptive words are used? (clues to perspective)
What is the intent of the author?
How might the author be biased?
What is omitted?
Overall: What perspective or point of view on the topic is presented?
3. LOOKING AT THE CONTEXT
Who is the intended audience?
What else is going on at this time that might have affected this source’s content?
What ideas were present in the predominant culture of the time?
How might the context (previous questions in this step) have affected the content of the source?
4. ASSESSING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A SOURCE
Can we determine the literal aspects of the source?
What can we learn from the point of view of the source?
What questions does the source answer about my topic or the leading question?
What questions are left unanswered?
5. CORROBORATION
Are there other sources to support this source?
Are there sources that disagree with this source? Why?
What’s the same? What’s different?
What are the reasons for the similarities and differences?
Do sources acknowledge counter evidence?
Was anything omitted?
http://historyproject.ucdavis.edu/pdfs/Process_of_Historical_Investigation.pdf
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE?
a. Research: Summary of explicit facts and information that you organize to answer your research question. This is like a report on the facts you have found.
b. Visual Sources: Any illustrations, charts, graphs, documents or other relevant evidence should be included in an appendix at the end of the paper and will not be included in the word count.
HOW TO ANALYSE THE EVIDENCE?
1. LITERAL SOURCE QUESTIONING
What type of document is this? (poetry, diary, government document)
What is the setting? (time and place)
Who wrote the document? Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event? Or, did the recorder
report what others saw and heard?
Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after the event, or after some lapse of time?
What is the document generally about?
2. LOOKING FOR POINT OF VIEW & PERSPECTIVE
What religion, sex, and social class is the author?
What is the author’s social position?
What “loaded” words or strong descriptive words are used? (clues to perspective)
What is the intent of the author?
How might the author be biased?
What is omitted?
Overall: What perspective or point of view on the topic is presented?
3. LOOKING AT THE CONTEXT
Who is the intended audience?
What else is going on at this time that might have affected this source’s content?
What ideas were present in the predominant culture of the time?
How might the context (previous questions in this step) have affected the content of the source?
4. ASSESSING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A SOURCE
Can we determine the literal aspects of the source?
What can we learn from the point of view of the source?
What questions does the source answer about my topic or the leading question?
What questions are left unanswered?
5. CORROBORATION
Are there other sources to support this source?
Are there sources that disagree with this source? Why?
What’s the same? What’s different?
What are the reasons for the similarities and differences?
Do sources acknowledge counter evidence?
Was anything omitted?