Three Steps To Analyzing Sources
Click each box to learn how to analyze a source.
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Step 1: Observe
Take some time to really look at the source. A few questions to ask yourself are:
• What kind of source is this? (Photograph? Letter? Political cartoon?)
• What do you notice about this source?
• Who made this source? Where and when?
• What do you notice that you can’t explain?
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Step 2: Reflect
After you’ve studied the source, take some time to think about it. Questions you should try to answer include:
• Why was it made?
• Who is the audience?
• What else was happening during the time period? (This is called "context.")
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Step 3: Question
Now that you’ve had time to look at the source and reflect on it, it’s time to ask questions that you still can’t answer. If you can’t come up with any questions, try the 5 “Ws” and an “H”: Who, what, when, where and why? And, of course, how?