Reading Primary Sources

Reading Primary Sources
Author: Miriam Dobson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 463
Release: 2008-09-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1134086768

How does the historian approach primary sources? How do interpretations differ? How can they be used to write history? Reading Primary Sources goes a long way to providing answers for these questions. In the first part of this unique volume, the chapters give an overview of both traditional and new methodological approaches to the use of sources, analyzing the way that these have changed over time. The second part gives an overview of twelve different types of written sources, including letters, opinion polls, surveillance reports, diaries, novels, newspapers, and dreams, taking into account the huge expansion in the range of written primary sources used by historians over the last thirty years. This book is an up-to-date introduction into the historical context of these different genres, the ways they should be read, the possible insights and results these sources offer and the pitfalls of their interpretation. All of the chapters push the reader beyond a conventional understanding of source texts as mere "reflections" of a given reality, instead fostering an understanding of how each of the various genres has to be seen as a medium in its own right. Taking examples of sources from around the globe, and also including a student-friendly further reading section, this is the perfect companion for every student of history who wants to engage with sources.

What Are Primary Sources?

What Are Primary Sources?
Author: Susanna Keller
Publisher: Britannica Educational Publishing
Total Pages: 35
Release: 2018-12-15
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1508106800

Understanding primary sources helps young people become critical thinkers. After learning about the many different types of primary sources, such as diaries, speeches, oral histories, video clips, photographs, newspaper articles, artifacts, and political cartoons, students will understand that they are able to draw their own conclusions about the content in a historical source. They will become aware of the biases and limitations of voices from and about the past. photographs feature multiple primary sources, while sidebars encourage readers to engage with the text.

Reading the American West

Reading the American West
Author: Mitchell Roth
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Total Pages: 360
Release: 1999
Genre: History
ISBN:

This anthology is from our Primary Sources in American History series, designed to make primary sources widely available in an inexpensive format that encourages analytical thinking. The letters, diary excerpts, speeches, interviews and newspaper articles in Reading the American West let students experience what historians really do and how history is written. Every document is accompanied by a contextual headnote and study questions, and each chapter includes extensive introductions.

The Princeton Guide to Historical Research

The Princeton Guide to Historical Research
Author: Zachary Schrag
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2021-04-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0691215480

The essential handbook for doing historical research in the twenty-first century The Princeton Guide to Historical Research provides students, scholars, and professionals with the skills they need to practice the historian's craft in the digital age, while never losing sight of the fundamental values and techniques that have defined historical scholarship for centuries. Zachary Schrag begins by explaining how to ask good questions and then guides readers step-by-step through all phases of historical research, from narrowing a topic and locating sources to taking notes, crafting a narrative, and connecting one's work to existing scholarship. He shows how researchers extract knowledge from the widest range of sources, such as government documents, newspapers, unpublished manuscripts, images, interviews, and datasets. He demonstrates how to use archives and libraries, read sources critically, present claims supported by evidence, tell compelling stories, and much more. Featuring a wealth of examples that illustrate the methods used by seasoned experts, The Princeton Guide to Historical Research reveals that, however varied the subject matter and sources, historians share basic tools in the quest to understand people and the choices they made. Offers practical step-by-step guidance on how to do historical research, taking readers from initial questions to final publication Connects new digital technologies to the traditional skills of the historian Draws on hundreds of examples from a broad range of historical topics and approaches Shares tips for researchers at every skill level

Reading History

Reading History
Author: Michael Burger
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2022-01-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 1487532385

History students read a lot. They read primary sources. They read specialized articles and monographs. They sometimes read popular histories. And they read textbooks. Yet students are beginners, and as beginners they need to learn the differences among various kinds of readings – their natures, their challenges, and the unique expectations one needs to bring to each of them. Reading History is a practical guide to help students read better. Uniquely designed with the author’s engaging explanations in the margins, the book describes primary sources across various genres, including documents of practice, treatises, and literary works, as well as secondary sources such as textbooks, articles, and monographs. An appendix contains tips and questions for reading primary or secondary sources. Full of practical advice and hands-on training that allows students to be successful, Reading History will cultivate a wider appreciation for the discipline of history.

Understanding Early Modern Primary Sources

Understanding Early Modern Primary Sources
Author: Laura Sangha
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2016-07-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317222008

Understanding Early Modern Primary Sources is an introduction to the rich treasury of source material available to students of early modern history. During this period, political development, economic and social change, rising literacy levels, and the success of the printing press, ensured that the State, the Church and the people generated texts and objects on an unprecedented scale. This book introduces students to the sources that survived to become indispensable primary material studied by historians. After a wide-ranging introductory essay, part I of the book, ‘Sources’, takes the reader through seven key categories of primary material, including governmental, ecclesiastical and legal records, diaries and literary works, print, and visual and material sources. Each chapter addresses how different types of material were produced, whilst also pointing readers towards the most important and accessible physical and digital source collections. Part II, ‘Histories’, takes a thematic approach. Each chapter in this section explores the sources that are used to address major early modern themes, including political and popular cultures, the economy, science, religion, gender, warfare, and global exploration. This collection of essays by leading historians in their respective fields showcases how practitioners research the early modern period, and is an invaluable resource for any student embarking on their studies of the early modern period.

Primary Source Readings in Christian Morality

Primary Source Readings in Christian Morality
Author: Thaddeus Ostrowski
Publisher: Saint Mary's Press
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2008
Genre: Christian ethics
ISBN: 0884899896

Primary Source Readings in Christian Morality presents the living words of the Catholic Church and the wisdom of everyday people addressing the moral issues that impact our lives. One goal of Primary Source Readings in Christian Morality is to help students realize the connection between behavior and character. Additionally, the hope is that students will uncover that the road to authentic happiness and joy involves working on their relationship with God. Within this book you will find writings from: Pope Benedict XVI, The Second Vatican Council, Richard Gula, SS, Pope Paul VI, Ronald Rohlheiser, Erich Maria Remarque, Pope John Paul II, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Doing History

Doing History
Author: Mark Donnelly
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2012-05-23
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1136656944

History as an academic discipline has dramatically changed over the last few decades and has become much more exciting and varied as a result of ideas from other disciplines, the influence of postmodernism and historians' incorporation of their own theoretical reflections into their work. The way history is studied at university level can vary greatly from history at school or as represented in the media and Doing History bridges that gap. Aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students of history this is the ideal introduction to studying history as an academic subject at university. Doing History presents the ideas and debates that shape how we do history today, covering arguments about the nature of historical knowledge and the function of historical writing, whether we can really ever know what happened in the past, what sources historians depend on, and whether historians’ versions of history have more value than popular histories. This practical and accessible introduction to the discipline introduces students to these key discussions, familiarises them with the important terms and issues, equips them with the necessary vocabulary and encourages them to think about, and engage with, these questions. Clearly structured and accessibly written, it is an essential volume for all students embarking on the study of history.

The Knowledge Gap

The Knowledge Gap
Author: Natalie Wexler
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2020-08-04
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0735213569

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.