Doing History Research

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Doing History Research Secondary Sources
Start your research with secondary sources to
learn the story. Primary Sources Use primary
sources as the basis for interpretation.
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Secondary Sources

• Accounts of the past created by people writing
  about events after they have happened
• Secondary sources are what historians create
• Some examples of secondary sources are

• Books
• Encyclopedias
• Articles
• Websites

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Secondary Sources

• Provide an introduction to a topic
• Provide historical/broader context for a topic
• Show how has a topic been interpreted by other
  historians
• Provide hints on where to find primary evidence
• Provide information which enables historians to
  make sense of primary sources

4
Primary Sources

• Are participants or observers who are still living

• Make personal connections to the past

• Are evidence used by historians to support their
  interpretation of the past

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Primary Sources
Published materials Books (including memoirs),
periodicals, newspapers contemporary to the event
The Boston Gazette Monday, October 7, 1776
(Underlined words pertain to sources available in
the 18th century.)
6
Primary Sources
Unpublished materials Diaries, letters,
manuscripts
Benedict Arnolds Letter to America
Patrick Henrys Virginia Resolves
(Underlined words pertain to sources available in
the 18th century.)
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Primary Sources
Records Government documents, census data, birth
certificates, organizational minutes, business
reports
Declaration of Independence as it originally
appeared in the Pennsylvania Packet in its issue
of Monday, July 8, 1776.
U. S. Constitution, p. 1
(Underlined words pertain to sources available in
the 18th century.)
Bill of Rights, page 1
8
Primary Sources
Images Photographs, film, art, posters,
advertisements (sometimes referred to as
broadsides), maps
Progress of His Majestys Armies in New
York, Printed in London 1777
George Washington
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Primary Sources
Artifacts Buildings, Tools, Clothing
Women in colonial period clothing
Utensils made of copper, brass, tin, and iron
hang from the lintel of a kitchen fireplace.
Man in colonial period clothing
Magazine for storing arms
(Underlined words pertain to sources available in
the 18th century.)
10
Primary Sources

• Understand the source
• What is it?
• Who wrote or made it?
• When was it written or made?
• Where was it written or made?
• How was it written or made?
• What evidence does this source contribute to my
  research?

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Interpret the source

• Did the creator have firsthand knowledge of the
  event or issue?
• What biases or hidden agendas did the creator
  have?
• Is the document meant to persuade or inform?
• Was the source originally meant to be private or
  public?
• When was the source created? Soon after the
  event, years later?
• Who created the source and for what original
  purpose?

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Interpret the source

• Why was this document/object written or made?
• What questions does this source raise? What dont
  we know about this source?
• What other information do we have about this
  document or object?
• What other sources are like this one?
• What other sources might help answer our
  questions about this one?

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Interpret the source

• What else do we need to know in order to
  understand the evidence in this source?
• What have others said about this or similar
  sources?
• How does this source help me to answer my key
  historical questions?
• How does evidence from this source alter or fit
  into existing interpretations of the past?

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Using Research Sources

• Secondary Sources
• Start your research with secondary sources to
  learn the story.
• Secondary Sources
• Are accounts of the past created by people
  writing about events after they have happened.
• Are what historians (and history students)
  create.
• Secondary Sources include
• Books
• Encyclopedias
• Articles
• Websites
• Secondary Sources
• Provide an introduction to a topic.
• Provide historical/broader context for a topic.
• Show how has a topic been interpreted by other
  historians.
• Provide hints on where to find primary evidence.
• Provide information which enables historians to
  make sense of primary sources

15
Using Research Sources

• Primary Sources
• Use primary sources as the basis for
  interpretation.
• Primary Sources
• Are left behind by participants or observers
• Make personal connections to the past
• Are evidence used by historians to support their
  interpretation of the past
• Primary Sources Include
• Published materials Books (including memoirs),
  magazines, newspapers written at the time of the
  event
• Unpublished materials Diaries, letters,
  manuscripts
• Records Government documents, census data, birth
  certificates, organizational minutes, business
  reports
• Images Photographs, film, art and posters,
  advertisements, maps
• Audio Oral Histories, Interviews, Recordings
• Artifacts Buildings, Tombstones, Clothing
• Understand Your Primary Sources
• What are they?
• Who wrote or made them?
• When were they written or made?
• Where were they written or made?

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Using Research Sources

• Interpret Your Primary Sources
• Did the creator have firsthand knowledge?
• What biases or hidden agendas did the creator
  have?
• Is the document meant to persuade or inform?
• Was the source originally meant to be private or
  public?
• When was the source created? Soon after the
  event, years later?
• Who created the source and for what original
  purpose?
• Why was this document/object written or made?
• What questions does this source raise? What dont
  we know about this source?
• What other information do we have about this
  document or object?
• What other sources are like this one?
• What other sources might help answer our
  questions about this one?
• What else do we need to know in order to
  understand the evidence in this source?
• What have others said about this or similar
  sources?
• How does this source help me to answer my key
  historical questions?
• How does evidence from this source alter or fit
  into existing interpretations of the past?

17

• The preceding slide show was adapted by Rachel
  Redfield, Zeiger Elementary Librarian of the
  Puyallup School District, from a PowerPoint slide
  show created by the Puget Sound Regional Branch
  of the Washington State Archives for students who
  participate in the annual Washington History Day
  competition.
• Washington History Day http//www.washingtonhistor
  y.org/HistoryDay/default.aspx
• Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Washington
  State Archives http//www.secstate.wa.gov/archives
  /archives_puget.aspx

Records Management Assistance Michael
SaundersPhone [phone]Fax (425)
564-3945Mailing Address Puget Sound Regional
ArchivesPritchard-Fleming Building3000
Landerholm Circle SE, MS-N100Bellevue, WA
98007-6484