When evaluating primary and secondary sources, ask the following questions:
- Who is the author?
- When was it published?
- Where was it published?
- Is the source based on an eyewitness account or a personal experience?
- Is the source based on an interpretation or analysis of source material written by others?
- Is the source from the time period you are studying or written years after the event?
One can often find primary sources listed in the footnotes and bibliographies of secondary sources such as books and journal articles.