How to analyse a historical source

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to historical source analysis, a crucial skill for understanding the past. It introduces the concept, explains the importance of analyzing the origin, perspective, context, audience, and motive of a source, and provides a step-by-step method using the acronym IOP CAM. The script also demonstrates how to answer key questions about a source and construct a concise analysis paragraph, exemplified by analyzing a Great Depression-era photograph by Dorothea Lange. The goal is to enhance viewers' analytical skills and confidence in historical studies.

Takeaways

• 📚 Source analysis is a crucial skill for understanding historical events and improving academic performance in history studies.
• 🔍 Historical sources were created for specific reasons, often not just for educational purposes, and source analysis helps uncover these reasons.
• 👉 Source analysis involves understanding who created the source, its intended audience, and the context in which it was created.
• 🔑 The acronym IOP (Information, Origin, Perspective) and CAM (Context, Audience, Motive) are helpful tools for remembering the key elements of source analysis.
• 📝 To analyze a source, one must answer six specific questions related to the IOP and CAM elements to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding.
• 🤔 Not all questions may be answerable due to limited information, but striving to answer as many as possible is essential.
• 📝 A source analysis is typically a concise paragraph summarizing the knowledge gained about the historical source.
• 📖 The script provides a step-by-step guide to writing a source analysis, emphasizing the importance of the IOP and CAM acronyms.
• 🌰 An example of a source analysis is given, using a photograph from the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange, to illustrate the process.
• 💻 Online archives and resources like Wikipedia can be valuable for conducting background research on historical sources.
• 📚 The video also mentions additional resources and videos on the history skills website for further guidance on source analysis.

Q & A

What is source analysis in the context of studying history?

Source analysis is the ability to demonstrate a genuine understanding of why a particular historical source was made, including who created it, who it was initially intended for, and the circumstances surrounding its creation.

Why is source analysis important when studying the past?

Source analysis is important because it helps uncover the reasons behind the creation of historical sources, which were rarely made just to be read by students in the future. It allows for a deeper understanding of the past through the context and perspective of the source.

What does the acronym IOP stand for in the context of source analysis skills?

IOP stands for Information Origin Perspective, which are three of the six specific source analysis skills needed to conduct a complete analysis of a historical source.

What are the six specific source analysis skills mentioned in the script?

The six specific source analysis skills are Information Origin Perspective, Context, Audience, and Motive.

What are the six questions one needs to answer to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the six source analysis skills?

The six questions are: 1) What information is stated in the source about the historical topic? 2) Who created the source? 3) From what perspective was the source created? 4) When was the source created and what was happening at this time? 5) Who is the intended audience of the source? 6) For what purpose was the source made?

How can one write a source analysis paragraph effectively?

A source analysis paragraph can be written effectively by demonstrating all the knowledge discovered about the historical source, usually in a short paragraph. It can be structured using the IOP CAM acronym, mentioning Information, Origin, Perspective in the first sentence, and Context, Audience, and Motive in the second.

What is an example of how to write a two-sentence source analysis using the IOP CAM acronym?

An example is: 'This source is a personal letter that describes what trench warfare was like during World War 1 and was written by John Smith, an Australian soldier. Smith wrote the letter on the 26th of April, 1915, to record his experience of the battle and was to be read by his family in Australia.'

What is the historical source analyzed in the provided example in the script?

The historical source analyzed in the example is a famous photograph from the Great Depression, taken by American photojournalist Dorothea Lange.

What was the purpose of the photograph taken by Dorothea Lange during the Great Depression?

The purpose of the photograph was to raise public awareness of the economic toll of the depression and the need for a solution, through its publication in newspapers across America.

How can one conduct background research to analyze a historical source?

One can conduct background research by using online archives, Wikipedia, or other resources to find out who the author was, and what events were happening at the time the source was made.

What additional resources are available for further explanations, examples, and advice on source analysis?

Further explanations, examples, and advice on source analysis can be found on the history skills website mentioned in the script.