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Primary Sources: Analysis

Citing Primary Sources

Citing primary sources can be somewhat confusing, especially if you are new to researching. The Library of Congress provides a helpful primary source citation guide that will assist you in citing various formats of resources according to the style guidelines of APA, MLA, and Chicago. 

Reflecting on Primary Sources

When evaluating a primary source for potential use in your research, it is important to consider the source's context. Who is the author/creator of the source? What biases would this person have? For what purpose was the resource made? 

The Library of Congress has compiled various questions that you can ask yourself when analyzing a primary source. You can access the primary source analysis tool on their website, or read below for a sample from their list of questions. These will help you to contextualize the primary source material that you are considering. 

When you have first located a source that you might want to use, ask yourself:

  • What do you notice first?
  • Can you find something small but interesting about this source?
  • What do you notice that you didn't expect?
  • What do you notice that you can't explain?

Once you've read or examined the source, take some time to reflect upon the experience. Ask yourself:

  • Where do you think this source came from?
  • Why do you think somebody made this?
  • What do you think was happening when this was made?
  • Who do you think was the audience for this item?
  • Why do you think this item is important?
  • If somebody made this today, what would be different?
  • What can you learn from examining this?

Avoiding Plagiarism

It is expected that you consult and use others' research in your writing; however, when you do, you must cite the source of the information. To fail to do so is plagiarism. The following paragraphs should help you determine when you must cite and when a citation isn't necessary.

When to Cite

Whenever you are presenting the words, ideas, images, or data of someone other than yourself, you must cite the source. This includes paraphrases, because even though the words are your own, the idea you're presenting is not. When paraphrasing, ensure that the wording is actually your own; simply rearranging a few of the author's words or replacing them with a few synonyms is not paraphrasing and constitutes plagiarism. When quoting directly, place quotation marks around the author's exact words.

Most citation styles require both an in-text citation (placed immediately following the words, idea, etc. borrowed from another source) and a bibliography or reference list entry at the end of your paper. See our Cite Sources guide for instructions on how to cite properly.

When Not to Cite

If the wording is your own and the idea being expressed is your own, no citation is necessary. It is not plagiarism, as you are not presenting the ideas or words of someone else.

In addition, if an idea or fact is widely known and not disputed, it is considered common knowledge and does not need to be cited. This information is generally known by everyone within the discipline and can be found in numerous sources. When unfamiliar with a discipline, as many students are, it can be difficult to know what is common knowledge and what is specialized knowledge that requires a citation. It is always best to err on the side of caution. When in doubt, cite it.