Primary+Document

 How to Analyze a Primary Document

__Time and Place Rule __
=== The closer in time and place a source and its creator were to an event in the past, the better the source will be. ===

Every source is biased in some way. Documents tell us only what the creator of the document thought happened, or perhaps only what the creator wants us to think happened.

 Who created the source and why? Was it created through a spur-of-the- moment act, a routine transaction, or a thoughtful, deliberate process? Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event? Or, did the recorder report what others saw and heard? Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the creator have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded? Did the recorder produce the source for personal use, for one or more individuals, or for a large audience? Was the source meant to be public or private? <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;">Did the recorder wish to inform or persuade others? (Check the words in the source. The words may tell you whether the recorder was trying to be objective or persuasive.) Did the recorder have reasons to be honest or dishonest? <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;"> Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after the event, or after some lapse of time? How large a lapse of time? <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;">