Questioning Sources:
When analysing any source for a historical response, it is important that you do not simply take it at face value, but instead question its purpose and validity in order to avoid bias, and to assure that the information collected is thorough and well understood. One strategy that can be employed in order to complete a full analysis of any artefact by asking questions based on the 6 C's:
- Citation: Who is the author, when was it written?
- Content: What is the main idea in this source? Describe in detail what you see/read
- Context: What was happening/is happening in the world/area where/when this was written?
- Connections: How does the information presented in this document link to your prior knowledge?
- Communication: What point of view is this artefact presenting? Is it bias?
- Conclusion: How does this new source contribute to your understanding of history?
- What are the different sides/points of view on this event/argument/person/country/etc.?
- What allegiance might the author/creator of this artefact have?
- How might the outcome/actions of the event/person affected the authors opinion?
- Has this (secondary) source been influenced by any other sources that may have contained bias? How has this affected it?
- What information may have been: exaggerated, included, left out, made up and why might the author have chosen to do so?
- What other sources validate this information by saying similar things?
Analysing Sources:
One of the most important skills necessary for writing a historical response, is the ability to analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources for valuable information. In this section we will look at how we can analyse these primary sources in both written and visual formats.
When analysing a primary source, it is important that we start by first questioning the source to give us a better understanding of its context, meaning, and purpose, using a questioning system such as the '6 C's' can help with this. As a historical researcher you will then need to break down the historical text, looking for key ideas and themes based on what your source represents. Some ideas which are fairly common across primary sources are:
When analysing a primary source, it is important that we start by first questioning the source to give us a better understanding of its context, meaning, and purpose, using a questioning system such as the '6 C's' can help with this. As a historical researcher you will then need to break down the historical text, looking for key ideas and themes based on what your source represents. Some ideas which are fairly common across primary sources are:
- Fashion: hair, makeup, clothes, accessories, armour
- Interactions between people
- Items used. Including what they are, what they're made from, and how they're used
- Language used
- Emotions captured
- Actions captured
Visual primary source:
When analysing a visual source like a painting or a picture, it is important, as with any source, that you break it down into different elements that provide a better understanding of the image as a whole. Below is an example of how this might be done.
In the picture below it is obvious that we are being shown an image of everyday life in Ancient China, and the image may be introduced to you as such. However, by breaking this picture down and looking for the key ideas listed in the analysing sources section, we can get so much more from it!
In the picture below it is obvious that we are being shown an image of everyday life in Ancient China, and the image may be introduced to you as such. However, by breaking this picture down and looking for the key ideas listed in the analysing sources section, we can get so much more from it!
Firstly we can begin by looking at the setting of the image. We know that it is in Ancient China, so we know where, and roughly when it was made. However, by analysing the picture further a tree [see right] can be seen. While simple enough, its presence shows us that the setting for this painting is outdoors, and, given the colour of the 'sky', presumably in Summer or Spring.
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It is then important to look at the similarities and differences between the characters. By doing this we can establish if they have any connection, or perhaps if there is any hierarchy being shown. In this instance we can look at the way the three characters are dressed [see right]. From their garb it can be assumed that they are all females. We can also see that the women on the right are dressed in much nicer, more colourful clothes that look silken, while the lady on the left is in a basic robe. From this we can hypothesis that perhaps the lady on the left is of a lower social class, or is not as rich as the others.
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Continuing to look at similarities and differences we will also note that there are some differences in the way the four ladies have their hair styled [see below]. Leading on from our hypothesis that the lady on the left is of lower social standing, we can now observe that perhaps it was the fashion of the upper class of Ancient Chinese women to wear their hair up. This may have been seen as a symbol of status, and is also less practical for someone performing manual tasks, so t is therefore more suited to a life of leisure.
The actions of the four lady's also gives an indication as to who they are, as well as how leisure time may have been spent [see right]. The lady on the left is serving the other three some sort of drinks. This observation backs up our earlier hypothesis, as it shows that she may in fact be a servant or a slave. The other three women however are participating in, or observing a board game. This not only shows that these ladies lead a life of leisure, but gives an example of how time was spent in Ancient China.
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By observing the body language of the women, as well as where they are looking, we can also hypothesis as to how they are interacting [see right]. For instance, the lady on the left has downcast eyes, and seems to be avoiding eye-contact. This may be out of respect, fear, or servitude. The other three women however are almost completely ignoring the lady on the left, and remain focused on the board game. This shows that while the three ladies on the right acknowledge each others' activities, the fourth lady is almost part of the scenery.
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The final stage in analysing an image such as this is to draw a conclusion about your observations. An example conclusion for this image might be:
'This painting of everyday life in Ancient China shows three noble-class women participating in a board game outside, while a fourth lady, presumably a servant, serves them tea. The three noble class women are shown to be in a relaxed state, and are dressed in colourful silk robes, while their servant is dressed in basic cloth. While the three noble-class women seem to be interacting over the board game being played, their servant is left more or less ignored as she casts her gaze downwards, indicating her servitude.'
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Describing sources:
While being able to break down and analyse a source is arguably the most important element of historical source analysis, it is made redundant if we are unable to effectively communicate our findings and conclusions. One way this can be done is by using the D.E.S. structure which allows for the scaffolding through describing, explaining and suggesting. This structure can be applied to an artefact from any time period. An example is given below.
D.E.S. sentence structure
Describe: Describe what the artefact is Explain: Explain what the artefact may have been used for in its society Suggest: Suggest what conclusion can be drawn about a society that uses this artefact Example: This picture shows a tortoise shell which has been used as an oracle bone to answer difficult questions facing a Shang citizen, indicating that the Shang were probably a superstitious culture. |