Find Primary Sources: Evaluating Primary Sources

Before relying on website information, examine and understand the purpose of the website. While the purpose might not affect the accuracy of the primary source material it contains, it might indicate that the material has been altered or manipulated in some way to change or influence its meaning. Sometimes sites use primary source material to persuade the reader to a particular point of view, distorting the content in obvious or subtle ways. Websites can also use primary source material haphazardly, without appropriately choosing, inspecting, or citing the work.

Look for websites with a non-biased, balanced approach to presenting primary source content. Websites produced by educational or governmental institution often are more reliable than personal websites, but government sites may be subject to propaganda.

Questions for Evaluating Primary Resources

• Who is the author or creator?
• ​What biases or assumptions may have influenced the author/creator? What is its purpose?
• Who was the intended audience?
• What is the origin of the primary source?
• What was the significance of the source at the time it was created?
• Has the source been edited or translated, or altered in some way from the original?
• What questions could be answered about the time period by using this source?
• What, if any, are the limitations of the source?
• Does your understanding of the source fit with other scholars’ interpretations, or does it challenge their argument?
• How does the account compare to that in other sources you have (both primary and secondary)?

Based on the RUSA Guidelines from ALA