Subject Guides

History

Guide Contents

Subject Librarian

Contact:

mtuttle@binghamton.edu
LN 2303

(607) 777-4913

Subjects: German & Russian Studies, History, Medieval, Renaissance & Early Modern Studies, Middle Eastern & Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Russian & East European Studies

How to Evaluate Primary Sources

Primary sources have to be considered in different ways from secondary sources. This is partially because primary sources are often a different format, but they also differ depending on how you use them in your research. Here are some topics to consider when evaluating primary sources:

Authenticity
The authenticity of records and documents is usually presumed, but if questioned it can sometimes be verified by testing physical and stylistic characteristics of a record. Authenticity alone does not automatically imply that the content of a record is reliable.
Authority
As relates to primary sources, authority may refer to the relative credibility and expertise of the creator(s) of a source.
Bias
A prejudice in favor of one thing or person over another. Sources may include the biases of their creator(s) and of the individuals and institutions that collect these sources. A source may reflect unconscious or unintentional bias.
Creator
The individual, family, group, or organization that is responsible for a source's production, accumulation, or formation. Creators of primary sources include artists, authors, and manufacturers.
Cultural Understanding
Considering the viewpoint of those from other cultures, whether in the present or past; considering shared or conflicted history portrayed in the source; and understanding the importance of studying and preserving records created from many points of view.
Historical Context
The ability to appreciate the beliefs, values, and intentions of historical actors and to see and appreciate sources within their particular time period and geographical location.
Mediation
The amount of intervention and contextualization between the user and the source. Mediation could be added content (like a written introduction); translation; or librarians/archivists' organization and arrangement of materials.
Silences
Gaps or missing pieces in the historical record, often caused by those who were unable to write their own records, or whose records were not considered valuable or were suppressed by the dominant culture.