|
Origin:
- What is it? (Book? Article? Speech?)
- Who is the author and what is the level of his/her expertise?
- When was this document/writing created?
|
|
Purpose:
- Why was this written? (To explain…)
- Who is the intended audience? (Supporters? Opponents? General Audience?)
- What is the author’s motivation for writing? (Inform? Persuade?)
|
|
Content:
- What information does the source provide?
- What is the tone of the source?
- What information/examples are used to support their point?
|
| Remember: Values & limitations are found in the Origin, Purpose, and Content |
|
Value: (you do NOT have to cover all of these in your explanation)
- Does the author have any special qualifications to testify about or interpret the issue/theory/event?
- Is this an authentic document that has not been changed from its original form?
- Are references and evidence in the writing well documented?
- Is this writing “a product of its times?” Look at the date it was created. What else was going on at that time? (Context!)
- Is there insightful analysis or is it just an overview?
- What is the scope of the document? Year/Years? Decades? 100+ years? (bigger the scope--- probably less value because it is less detailed)
|
|
Limitation: (you do NOT have to cover all of these in your explanation)
- Was the author personally involved in the event?
- Is the account biased? WHY?
- Does the account express only one point of view? Whose voice is missing?
- Is this writing “a product of its times?” Look at the date it was created. What else was going on at that time? (Context!)
- What is this source lacking?
- Was the source intended for an audience? Persuasion? Exaggeration? Propaganda?
|
