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Questions to Ask of A Primary Source
- What type of document is it? Who created it and why?
- When was the document created? What physical details reveal this?
- What was/is the purpose of the document?
- What was the creator's situation or intention at the time of creation? What is the creator's relationship to the document? What evidence shows this?
- Are there inconsistencies or ambiguities in the document? Does it make an argument? If so, is it supported or warranted? What makes it reliable or unreliable?
- What does the document reveal about the period during which it was created?
- What research questions could this primary source answer?
- What else would you like to know about this document or its topic? How could you find the answers to those questions?
