Incorporated and adapted from SAA-RBMS Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy
Conceptualize
- distinguish primary sources from secondary sources for a research question
- demonstrate understanding of the relatedness of primary and secondary sources for research
- articulate possible primary sources for a given research project
- draw on primary sources to generate and refine research questions
- understand that research is an iterative process and finding new sources may change the research question
Find and Access
- identify possible locations of primary sources
- use appropriate, efficient, and effective search strategies to locate primary sources
- become familiar with the most common ways primary sources are described (catalog records, finding aids, etc.)
- distinguish between online resources for locating primary sources (databases, catalogs) and digital archives or digital collections
- understand that some historical records may never have existed, may not have survived, or may not be collected or publicly accessible
- understand that existing records have been shaped by the selectivity of individuals (collectors, archivists, donors, publishers, educators, etc.)
- recognize the policies that shape access to primary sources and the ways these differ across repositories, databases, and collections
Read, Understand, Summarize
- examine primary sources, which may require new skills (reading a script, font, or language, access to technology, new vocabulary, etc.)
- summarize key content including how the source was created, by whom, when, and what it is
- understand that sources may exist in a variety of iterations (excerpts, translations, new publications, new adaptations)
Interpret, Analyze, Evaluate
- assess appropriateness of a primary source to meet research goals
- critically evaluate the perspective of the creator (tone, subjectivity, biases, etc.)
- consider how the perspective of the creator relates to the original purpose and audience of the source
- situate a primary source in context
- identify and interrogate the reasons for gaps, silences, and evidence of power relationships in the documentary record
- consider how those gaps, silences, and evidence of power relationships impact the research process
- factor physical elements into the interpretation of primary sources
- consider the relationship between the material elements and the informational content
- demonstrate historical empathy, curiosity about the past, appreciation of historical sources
Use and Incorporate
- synthesize a variety of sources in order to construct a research argument
- use primary sources in a manner that respects privacy and cultural contexts
- use strong citation practices
- adhere to copyright and privacy laws