Analysis and contextualization of a primary source on a topic, theme or an event in the late Ottoman Empire

Analysis and contextualization of a primary source on a topic, theme or an event in the late Ottoman Empire

Analysis and contextualization of a primary source on a topic, theme or an event in the late
Ottoman Empire.
Requirements and criteria
o Please pick one text to focus on. This can be a text we already covered, or one which has not
been discussed yet. You can also use a text that was not on the syllabus Just chose a text on the
topic that interests you most or one that relates to your dissertation, please don’t waste energy in
trying to “chose strategically.”
o If you have a very intense interest in a text on a topic area outside of the weekly class topics,
please let me know and we’ll discuss if your choice could be a viable option.
– Analyse the primary source (or one of them if there are several) for the week you have chosen.
– Cover the following questions: Who is the author? What kind of text is it (type or genre)? When
was it written, and is that date significant (context)? Why was it written (the context and
purpose)? Are there any problems for us in using this text as a source (e.g. bias)? Why is this
source useful for the study of a specific historical phenomenon (or not)?
– Pay close attention to the last point above: How useful is this primary source for the historian,
what could possible pitfalls in using it be?