Types of Sources and Evaluation - HIST 1301, 1302, 2321, 2322 - Historical Film Analysis (Dr. Melissa Esmacher) - Library Research Guides at El Paso Community College

Type of Sources

What are primary sources?

Primary sources are the raw materials of historical research - they are the documents or artifacts closest to the topic of investigation. Often they are created during the time period which is being studied (correspondence, diaries, newspapers, government documents, art) but they can also be produced later by eyewitnesses or participants (memoirs, oral histories). You may find primary sources in their original format (usually in an archive) or reproduced in a variety of ways: books, microfilm, digital, etc.

What are secondary sources?

Secondary sources are interpretations of events written after an examination of primary sources and usually other secondary sources, such as interviews, books, and magazine/newspaper/journal articles. The annotated bibliographies and papers you produce are considered secondary sources.

Interviews as a Primary Source

An interview can be an effective primary source for your Borderlands annotate bibliography and research paper. If you selected an author that is still alive or an expert in the related field of your selected topic, or some other person who has knowledge of your topic can allow for you to gather unique information not available elsewhere. As you incorporate your interview content into your paper paper, start with a transition such as according to, admitted by, declared by, pointed out or other attributions. You should also be specific to the type of interview you are working with, if the interviewee is the subject matter of your selected topic. This way, you will build a stronger ethos in your research paper. Moreover, the body of your essay should clearly set up the quote or paraphrase you use from the interview responses, which should also be included in your annotated bibliography.

Be sure that you quote accurately.
Keep a record of the date and place of the interview as well as the name and title of your source.
Ask permission to record the interview.

The SIFT Method

The SIFT Method

Stop, Investigate, Find and Trace

STOP and ask

Before you share the article, the video, or react strongly to a headline, pause and ask yourself and become a fact checker:

To investigate a claim, start by Googling it.
Are you familiar with the website or information source?
What do you know about the reputation of the website or the truthfulness of the claim being made?
What else have they written?
What is the purpose?
Consider cognitive bias.

INVESTIGATE the source before you read

Look up the source using a reference source like Credo Reference
What do other sources say about your source?
Try a fact checking site
What about the author?
Is it worth your time?

FIND better coverage

Do trusted sources have a similar claim?
Can you find better coverage (trusted, in-depth, or varied?)
Scan sources for experts’ consensus about this claim?

TRACE the original source or context

If not a primary source, can you find the original source?
What is the original context?
Has it been accurately reported or presented?

Images, Video, and Media can also be altered, taken out of context, or misrepresented.

Do a Google reverse image search to locate the origins of photo. If you're on a computer, right-click over the image and select Search Google for Image from the pop-up menu. You will see where that photo has been used and often find its origins.
Fact check the video to see if a video has been altered or manipulated. Google the title of the video and you will find that many reputable news sources fact checked the video and determined wether or not it had been manipulated.

Your conclusion:

Is this information likely true?
Is there a better source for this information? Why? Where?

Source: Information adapted by Lorely Ambriz, EPCC Northwest Head Librarian from the SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield, with a CC BY 4.0 license – Fall 2023.

SIFT Worksheet - EPCC NW Library

Your Fact-Checking Toolbox

Snopes
Snopes’ fact-checking and original investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis.
FactCheck.org
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
PolitiFact
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.
Washington Post Fact Checker
A weekly review of what's true, false or in-between in politics, from The Post's famous fact-checking team.
Google Fact Checker Explorer
Fact Check Explorer is a Google tool powered by claim review mark up (which helps Google detect and display a fact check), in which you can find fact checks which have been investigated by independent organizations from around the world. It’s used by journalists, fact checkers and anyone who wants to get to the bottom of a story.
Media Bias Fact Check
Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC) is an independent online media outlet. MBFC is dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. MBFC’s aim is to inspire action and a rejection of overtly biased media.
NPR Fact Check
more...less...
NPR (national public radio) is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed public. Every day, NPR connects with millions of Americans on the air, online, and in person to explore the news, ideas, and what it means to be human. Through its network of member stations, NPR makes local stories national, national stories local, and global stories personal.

HIST 1301, 1302, 2321, 2322 - Historical Film Analysis (Dr. Melissa Esmacher): Types of Sources and Evaluation