HISTORY 322 Lecture 6: Using Primary Sources in Your Writing
Document Summary
Primary sources are the building blocks of historical research and should provide the foundation of your argument and interpretation, whereas secondary sources should inform and supplement the primary sources. Use your primary sources as evidence for answering your research question and write based on those sources, rather than plugging them in after the fact to bolster your argument. In short, primary sources should drive the paper, not the other way around. Once you have identified primary sources, it is necessary to read and examine them with a critical eye. It is important to consider both the source itself and the time in which it was created. Remember, too, that sources exist in different formats. Below are some of the questions you may ask about the nature of a source: Consideration of these questions will help you analyze and interpret your sources without overusing and relying on too many direct quotations.
