How do I carry out a successful and effective primary source analysis?

To be successful and effective when carrying out a primary source analysis, you must first understand what a primary source actually is. In historic or literary terms, a primary source is a document or image created at the time period you are studying, for example in the 1930's if you are studying the origins of the Second World War. Therefore, you must make sure you answer three main questions by following three 'mini' subheadings, as follows: Nature - What is the nature of the source? (e.g. newspaper, diary, biography, political document, letter, photo) Origin - What is the origin of the source? (when was the source produced AND who produced it?) Purpose - Why was the source actually produced? Who was it produced for? Is it given a particular message to a particular audience (e.g. Hitler writing Mein Kampf to the nationalists of Germany to progagate them into voting him into his chancellorship in 1933). Although you may split the above into three body paragraphs, you may also consider 'pulling the source apart', in which you will chose a theme, such as antisemitism, and then pick a quote to support what you are saying. You should then follow the below structure to organise and reflect what you are trying to say: PEEL!

P - POINT E - EVIDENCE E - EXPLANATION L - LINK