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. Ask yourself these questions:
• What kind of source is this? (A photograph? Letter? Chart?)
• What do I notice about this source?
• Who made this source? Where and when?
• What do I notice that I can’t explain?
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Step 2: Reflect
After you’ve studied the source, take some time to think about it. Questions to ask include:
• Why was it made?
• Who was this made for?
• What else was happening at the same time? (This is called "context")
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Step 3: Question
You looked at the source and thought about it. Now think of questions that can help you figure out more. Use the "wh" questions of "who, what, when, where, and why". Also think about "how".