Primary Sources: Evaluating & Citing Sources

When evaluating primary or secondary sources, the following question might be asked to help ascertain the nature and value of material being considered:

• How does the author know these details (names, dates, times)?  Was the author present at the event or soon on the scene?

• Where does this information come from—personal experience, eyewitness accounts, or reports written by others?

Are the author’s conclusions based on a single piece of evidence, or have many sources been taken into account (e.g. diary entries, along with third-party eyewitness accounts, newspaper accounts)?

The Internet can be a valuable source for supplementing the information you have gathered.

It is important that you evaluate the information you get from the Internet to determine if it is reliable and useful to your research. A few Internet sites that may be useful are listed here: