A P P A R T S

analyzing primary source documents

Author

Who created the source?

What do you know about the author?

What is the author's point of view?

Place and Time 

Where and when was the source produced?

How might this affect the meaning of the source?

Prior Knowledge

Beyond information about the author and the context of its creation, what do you know that would help you further understand the primary source?

Audience

For whom was the source created and how might this affect the reliability of the source?

Reason

Why was this source produced and how might this affect the reliability of the source?

The Main Idea

What point is the source trying to convey?

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Significance

Why is this source important?

Ask yourself, "So what?" in relation to the question asked.