Primary Source Analysis Guidelines
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Teachings of the Buddha, excerpt. (750-900 words, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, one-inch margins). Write an analysis for the excerpt I attached all the instruction and exceptions. 750 word min
In a sense, these assignments simply ask you to read a primary source and write about it. You will find, though, that sitting down to œwrite about it leaves you wondering where to begin and what exactly you should write about.
At a minimum please address the questions marked in bold font below.
You are welcome (and encouraged) to respond to the other optional questions about the source, or ask your own and see what answers you can uncover. (Note: the bold questions correspond to criteria on the Source Analysis Rubric).
1.
What historical questions can we use this source to answer?
2.
Who is the author(s) of the source? If unknown, what can you generalize about who produced it and how they intended it to be received?
3.
Who is the intended audience of the source?
4.
Can we determine the context in which the source was produced?
5.
How would you characterize the source’s purpose? Was it intended to be a call to some kind of action? A way of promulgating rules or laws? A prescription for ethical behavior? A message to be dispersed throughout a religious community? Other possibilities?
6.
What possible biases should historians be aware of when they study this source?
7.
If you had access to one additional document to better contextualize this one, what kind of document would you choose?
Learning Outcome Assessed:
your ability to critically analyze primary sources and overcomepersonal bias when analyzing religious texts as primary sources.
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