Primary Source Analysis – Assignment
For this assignment, you will need to be able to answer the 5 w’s of Primary Source analysis. Utilize the document assigned in
Week 1’s reading for help with this if you are unclear titled “How to Analyze a Primary Source.” Your writing must use the
template posted in D2L. Each section must be answered thoroughly, analyzed, written in collegiate level spelling/prose/grammar,
and in complete sentences.
How to choose your Primary Source: Your analysis may be of any Primary Source dating from American History 1865-Present.
You must find your own Primary Source and it cannot be one of the examples posted as Required Reading within the course.
In addition to the 5 w’s – You will also need to provide 5 additional questions that came up while you were doing your analysis.
For example, maybe you want to read what else was going on with the author or in the country at the time that may have
contributed to the reason the source was written? The questions should be designed to help create a more well-rounded
understanding of that primary source.
You will then need to do outside research to answer those questions. If you are unable to answer one of the questions because
research was unavailable for that question, then include some other things you could try to locate the answer. Perhaps you could
go to that country and visit an archive? If that’s the case, do some research and find a specific archive available, etc. You are a
detective. Analyze this primary source with thoroughness! Don’t only include questions that cannot be answered. Do your best to
locate the information. Your responses must be detailed, lengthy, and in depth. They must be between 150-200 words each. All of
the content included must be written in full sentences and be full of detail. Responses that are too short will not receive full
credit. You must include in-text citations in either MLA, APA, or Turabian throughout the assignment including a final
bibliography. Your bibliography must be formatted per the example below (notice the spacing, indentation, etc.).
It is critical that you include in-text citations everywhere you used content from a source. If your assignments in this course are
full of in-text citations, I will know you have done your research. The sources you use to do your research must be scholarly
sources. Do not use Wikipedia, do not use encyclopedias (this includes history.com – this is not a scholarly source), do not use
any sources that are not created by experts in the history field (this means you cannot use blogs – make sure to look at the “Who
we are” type tabs for any websites you use to make sure the author(s) have Masters or PhD degrees in history). To be safe, you
can use any Academic Journal article from the BU website, and you’ll know it is a scholarly source (just do not use encyclopedia
pages as those are included in the library as well). If you have any questions about whether a source is scholarly or not, feel free
to email or text it to me for clarification. If it is not scholarly, I will tell you why as well so you can help learn to spot those.
Your assignment must be submitted as a Word document ATTACHMENT, not a link to an online version of Word. PDFs or any
other submitted formatted will not be graded. Your name and the name of the assignment must be the name of your
saved/submitted final assignment.
This assignment is due before midnight on Sunday of Week 3. Your assignment must be formatted with the following details –
Times New Roman font, Size 12
1-inch margins
Double spaced
Your name, date, course number at the top
File saved and submitted as: First name Last Name, PSA (example: Jacqueline Schultz, PSA)
How you will be graded:
5 w’s included and answered thoroughly = 2 points
5 additional questions included and answered thoroughly = 3 points
Spelling & grammar – 1 point
Formatted correctly – 1 point
Saved as correct file name – 1 point
In-Citations/Bibliography – 1 point
Scholarly sources included & properly formatted – 1 point
Total = 10 points possible
Bibliography must match formatting shown
in example on the right –
