Analyzing Primary Sources
SOCC is an acronym that we can use to help us analyze primary source documents like historians.
SOURCE:
When was the document created?
Who created the document?
What kind of document is it? If published, where?
For what audience was the document created?
What’s the significance of these pieces of information?
OBSERVE:
Summarize the content of the document in one or two sentences.
What parts of the text support/verify that summary?
What do we learn about life in this time and place from this document?
CONTEXTUALIZE:
This is probably the hardest part of primary source analysis. Every source needs to be understood within a particular historical context. In order to analyze this source’s context, you must think about the other readings, discussions, and lectures from this semester.
What connections can you draw between this document and other things you’ve studied or learned about in this class ?
CORROBORATE:
Historians don’t make arguments based on one document. We connect documents together and think about what other historians have said in the past on the same topic.
What questions do you have that would help you understand this document further?
What evidence would help you answer your questions? Where would you go next?
