原始数据PrimarySources论文.doc

原始数据PrimarySources论文 WorksheetforAnalyzingPrimarySources Peoplelivinginthepastleftmanycluesabouttheirlives.Historianscombineallofthesecluesor“primarysources”togetherinordertofashionahistoricalrecord. WhatisaPrimarySource?Primarysourcesaretheoriginaldocumentsormaterialsproducedbythepeopleinvolvedinthesubjectthatisunderhistoricalinvestigation.Sourcescanincludewrittenandoralmaterials(governmentdocuments,newspaperarticles,maps,memoirs,speeches,literature,courttranscripts,lectures,letters,interviews),visualmaterial(paintings,photographs,drawings),andmaterialobjects(tools,furniture,sculpture,buildings,coins);theyarethemainbuildingblocksforlearningaboutandinterpretingthepast,piecesofevidencethatshowwhatpeoplethought,howandwhytheyacted,andwhattheymanagedtoaccomplish. Historiansuseprimarysourcestoprovidedeeper,broaderandmoretexturedcontextstotheeventsandpeoplethattheywriteabout.Often,closestudiesofsourcematerialprovidescolorandflavortohistoricalunderstandingthatisabsentfromsecondarysources(historicaltextsproducedbyscholarswhodidnotliveinthetimeorplaceofthematterunderinvestigation,likehistorytextbooksoraprofessorslecturesbasically,ahistorianspreparedpresentationofhis/herreconstructionandinterpretationofthepast).Itisassumedthatthecarefulexaminationofprimarysourcescanprovidecluesastohowandwhyeventstookplace,whatactionsweretaken,andthesignificanceoftheseeventsandaction. However,aclueisnot“proof”;historiansmustalsobeawareofthesourceslimitationsandbecriticalofthesourcesavailablebylookingforfalsehoods,forgeries,errors,inconsistencies,shadesofmeaning,andthehistoricalactorsmotivesforproducingthedocument,image,orobjectunderscrutiny.Intheprocessofsiftingthroughmaterials,historiansusuallyhavesometentativeconclusionsalreadyinmindthatguidethesearchforandresearchinsourcematerials. Analyzingsourcesisanactiveprocessthatintroducesyoutohowhistorianscrafthistoryfromtheevidenceandinterpretations.Amongotherthings,primarysourcesexposethehistoriantocrucialinsightintotheimportanceofmultipleperspectivesongreatissuesofthepastandpresent.History,afterall,dealswithmattersthatwerefuriouslydebatedbytheparticipants;interpretationsofthepastarefuriouslydebatedaswell,amonghistorians,policymakers,politicians,andordinarypeople.Bydealingdirectlywithprimarysources,historiansaskquestions,thinkcritically,makeintelligentinferences,anddevelopreasonedexplanationsandinterpretationsofeventsandissuesinthepastandpresent.Inadditiontoaidingyouinunderstandingthepast,thisassignmentmayalsoprovideyouwithskillshelpfulinengagingwithinstancesofevidence,event,andmeaninginyourpresentcircumstances. Thisexercisewillhelpyoutobetterunderstandthetasksandchallengesthathistoriansfacewhentheystrivetodiscoverwhatpeoplethoughtanddidinthepastandprovideyouwithinsightintohowhistorysstoriesareshapedbythekindsofquestionshistoriansask,thesourcesthattheyuse,andthemethods(andmethodologies)usedtosynthesizetheevidencewithahistoriansideas. AnalyzingSources:Beforeyourworkasahistorianbegins,askyourselfsixbasicquestions.Theanswerstothesequestionsallowyoutocriticallyevaluatewhatcanbelearnedfromthesourceunderanalysis: Whatisthissource?(letter,diary,treatise,photograph,etc.) Whorecordedorproducedit? Whenwasitrecordedorproduced? Wherewasitrecordedorproduced? Howwasitrecordedorproduced?Wasitcreatedthroughaspur-of-the-momentact,aroutinetransaction,orathoughtful,deliberateprocess?H owdiditcometobepreserved? Whatarethreeimportantthingsthattheproducerofthesourcesoughttocommunicate? Then,takeyourinvestigationtoadeeperlevelbyaskingmoresubstantive,probingquestions:/liuxuelunwen/ Whydoyouthinkthisdocumentwaswritten?Whatevidenceinthedocument helpsyouknowwhyitwaswritten?Quotefromthedocument. Whowastheintendedaudience?Wasitapersonaldiaryintendedtobekept private?Wasthedocument,imageorobjectpreparedforpublicscrutiny oruse? Whatquestionsdoesthissourceraiseforyou? Isitareliablesource?Whyorwhynot?Didtherecorderwishtoinformor persuadeothers?Didtherecorderhavereasonstobehonestordishonest? seesectionbelowonreliabilityandbias Whatdowenotknowaboutthissource? Whatothersourcesmighthelpanswerourquestionsaboutthisone?Whatkinds ofsourceswouldyouliketohave(inaperfectworld)tocomparewiththis one?Arethereothersourcesinexistencelikethisonethatcanbeusedfor comparison? Whatotherinformationdowehaveaboutthisdocument?Whatelsedoweneedto knowinordertounderstandtheevidenceinthissource? IdentifyingReliability&Bias:Someprimarysourcesmaybejudgedmorereliablethanothers,buteverysourceisbiasedinsomeway.Everydocumenthasacreator,andeverycreatorhasapointofview,blindspots,andbiases.Asourcescreatorhadopinionsorintereststhatprobablyinfluencedhowandwhatwasrecorded.Asaresult,historiansreadsourcesskepticallyandcritically.Theyalsocross-checksourcesagainstotherevidenceandsources. Tojudgethequalityofaprimarysourcesreliability,historiansusewhatsomecallthetimeandplacerule.Thisrulesaysthatthecloserintimeandplaceasourceanditscreatorweretoaneventinthepast,thebetterthesourcewillbe.Basedonthetimeandplacerule,betterprimarysources(startingwiththemostreliable)mightinclude: Directtracesoftheevent; Accountsoftheevent,createdatthetimeitoccurred,byfirsthandobservers,witnesses,andparticipants; Accountsoftheevent,createdaftertheeventoccurred,byfirsthandobservers,witnesses,andparticipants; Accountsoftheevent,createdaftertheeventoccurred,bypeoplewhodidnotparticipateorwitnesstheevent,butwhousedinterviewsorevidencefromthetimeoftheevent. Thehistorianssecondruletocheckreliabilityisthebiasrule.Itacknowledgesthateverysourceisbiasedinsomewayandthetotalobjectivityisanepistemologicalimpossibility.Documentstellusonlywhatthecreatorofthedocumentthoughthappened,orperhapsonlywhatthecreatorwantsustothinkhappened.Asaresult,historiansfollowthefollowingguidelineswhentheyreviewevidencefromthepastforbuiltinbias: Everypieceofevidenceandeverysourcemustbereadorviewedskepticallyandcritically. Nopieceofevidenceshouldbetakenatfacevalue.Thecreatorspointofviewmustbeconsidered. Eachpieceofevidenceandsourcemustbecross-checkedandcomparedwithrelatedsourcesandpiecesofevidence. ANoteonImages,VisualDocuments&VisualRecords:Visualdocumentsincludephotographs,films,paintings,andothertypesofartwork.Becausevisualdocumentscapturemomentsintime,theycanprovideevidenceofchangesovertime.Visualdocumentsincludeevidenceaboutacultureatspecificmomentsinhistory:itscustoms,preferences,styles,specialoccasions,work,andplay.Likeotherprimarysourcedocuments,avisualdocumenthasacreatorwithapointofview-suchasapainter,sculptor,orfilmmaker.Evenphotographswerecreatedbyphotographersusingfilmandcamerastocreatedesiredeffects. Thinkaboutthecreatorspointofviewwhenyoureviewvisualdocument s.Whatwasthecreatorspurpose?Whythispose?Whythatperspective?Whythatframing?Whythisdistance?Whythissubject?Whatwasincluded?Whatwasexcluded?Usingvisualdocumentsasprimarysourcesrequirescarefulanalysisofthecontentandthepointofviewofthecreator. YOURPRIMARYSOURCEASSIGNMENTFORHIS101/liuxuelunwen/ (SUMMERSESSION:duebeforenoonAug14th) Chooseasource.Youcandothisbypokingaroundonthesesites(manysourcesarecross-listedtootherpages,sotheremaybesomerepetitionofsources.Therearelotsoflinksonthesepagestoothersources,likethehistoryofscience,thatIhaventlistedbelowbutyoucanfindeasily): -AncientHistorySourcebook:/halsall/ancient/asbook.html (theblueboxontheleftsideofthepagebreaksdowndifferentregionsandtopics) -MedievalHistorySourcebook:/halsall/sbook.html (thegreenboxontheleftsideofthepagebreaksdowndifferentregionsandtopics) -ModernHistorySourcebook:/halsall/mod/modsbook.html (thegreenboxontheleftsideofthepagebreaksdowndifferentregionsandtopics) -TheAfricanHistorySourcebook:/halsall/africa/africasbook.html (scrolldownforthebreakdownofregionsandtopics) -TheIndianHistorySourcebook:/halsall/india/indiasbook.html (scrolldownforthebreakdownofregionsandtopics) -TheI