Writing Assignment
This writing assignment is due on Friday, May 5, 2022. It is worth 35% of your course grade. It
should be 1.5-2 pages and it requires you to evaluate a primary source. Use Document 13-3 in the
assigned primary source text: Mary Wiesner-Hanks et. al, Sources of World Societies, vol. I, 12th
edition (Bedford/St. Martins, 2021) ISBN:9781319297435.
Please do not plaigraize, please cite all sources. Thank you so much for your assisstance.
Writing a Primary Source Evaluation
II. WHAT IS A PRIMARY SOURCE EVALUATION?
Essentially, this is an essay in which you analyze and interpret a primary source. As you read a
primary source, you should ask yourself the following questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Asking these questions about the document will enable you to make a judgment as to: a) what you
can know about the past based on the document; and b) whether the information provided in the
document is reliable.
III. FORMAT
❖ The primary source evaluation must be 1.5-2 pages long, double-spaced, written in a 12-
point font and with 1-inch margins top/bottom and left/right. Because this is a short paper,
any quotations should be short. No block quotes. Use footnotes to cite any quotations (direct
quotations as well as paraphrased quotes).
❖ This paper must be written in formal English.
Citation: Provide a proper citation using the Chicago Manual of Style 15th edition bibliography format
(see sample citation below).
Vital Statistics: Here you will need to briefly explain what the source is. That is, who created it, when
was it published, what format does it take, etc.( This source is a letter/diary/journal, etc.)
Summary: This section should be a synopsis of the source. You should briefly summarize the
document. That is, explain what the document describes and says. Do not become overly detailed so
that the main points become obscured. do not include the subheadings in your paper).
Analysis and Interpretation: This section is the most important one. In it, you need to analyze the
document with a critical eye, exploring hidden meanings or dominant themes or underlying values.
Consider some of the questions outline above. Finally, explore what the document reveals about the
period under consideration and the themes of World history it reveals. What interpretations can you
make? What conclusions can you draw? This task of interpretation is what historians do.