Poiybis-Rome at the End of the Punic Wars (Primary source analysis paper)

Poiybis-Rome at the End of the Punic Wars (Primary source analysis paper)

Primary Source Analysis Paper

For your research essay, you will conduct a primary source analysis.

Primary sources form the base that supports historians’ reconstructions of the past. To use primary sources with confidence, historians need to be alert to potential causes of bias, distortion, and inaccuracy in the sources.

According to the American Library Association, “Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. Primary sources may include: letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons. These sources serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used along with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical research” (American Library Association, n.d.).

For this assignment, you will begin by selecting a primary source from this list that is from 1500 CE or earlier: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/asbook.asp

Once you have selected your primary source, you will analyze it (and write your analysis) using the following guidelines:

The student will use a primary source provided by the instructor to create a 2-3 page, double-spaced, critical analysis paper worth 20 points. YOU MUST INCLUDE THE SOURCE INFORMATION IN YOUR ESSAY AND YOU SHOULD INCLUDE A LINK TO THE SOURCE ON YOUR REFERENCE PAGE. You should begin your analysis by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Why was the text written? When was it written?
2. For whom was the text written? Who is the intended audience?
3. What was the purpose of the text?
4. Does the text represent an accurate account of the time it was written?
5. What are the historical circumstances within which the text was written?
6. What is the significance? How does it contribute to our understanding of this historical period?
7. How does it compare to other sources?
8. What does the text tell us about society at the time it was written?

Consider other analytical questions as well, which may come as a result of answers to the above questions. The asking and answering of these kinds of questions constitutes critical analysis in history.

Once you have thoroughly analyzed the primary source document, your primary source analysis essay should:

1. Contain a strong, clear thesis statement that indicates what the essay will argue. Thesis statements for this assignment might answer the following questions: What conclusions have you drawn from your analysis of primary source material? What does your analysis suggest about the topic? What does your analysis suggest about the history of the time period?
2. Be organized clearly. The organization should reflect the thesis statement, and the relationships among paragraphs should be clear and easy to understand.
3. Demonstrate your ability to analyze primary source material. The essay should demonstrate that you have considered the following questions for all of your primary source material: How would you characterize the author’s perspective? How might this have influenced the content of the source?
4. Demonstrate your ability to analyze primary source material. The essay should demonstrate that you have considered the following questions for all of your primary source material: For whom was the source produced? How might this have influenced the content of the source?
5. Demonstrate your ability to analyze primary source material. The essay should demonstrate that you have considered the following questions for all of your primary source material: Why was the source produced? How might this have influenced the content of the source?
6. Demonstrate your ability to analyze primary source material. The essay should demonstrate that you have considered the following questions for all of your primary source material: When was the source produced? How might this have influenced the content of the source?
7. Be persuasive. The evidence that it presents should support the thesis statement.

NOTE: You can organize your essay with an introduction, four main paragraphs (each representing a point of analysis from the rubric), and a conclusion

The primary source analysis essay will be evaluated using the following rubric: