how to analyze a historical text
This sounds like a description of what happened. How to do visual (formal) analysis in art history. Instead, look for documents that give you a German, Austrian, and even French point of view. Before you dive straight into your analysis of symbolism, diction, imagery, or any other rhetorical device, you need to have a grasp of the basic elements of what you're reading. If necessary, do so because it will bring you closer to the author´s intention. Put another way, context is what gives meaning to the details. Where did you obtain/view the record? We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Did the author/informant have reasons to be truthful or untruthful? Take, for example, The Radicalism of the American Revolution. If a bible page, do the events predate the bible's publication? 3. Who Was the Author or Creator of the Document? You could be looking at a newspaper article, a music score, a piece of poetry, a letter, or something else. Discourse analysis is a qualitative and interpretive method of analyzing texts (in contrast to more systematic methods like content analysis). Art historical analysis (painting), a basic introduction using Goya's Third of May, 1808. What we need to consider, however, is the bias present in the document itself. A pre-printed form? Aus diesem Grund solltest du der sprachlichen Analyse besondere Aufmerksamkeit schenken. HISTORICAL SOURCES AND HOW TO MAKE A HISTORICAL TEXT ANALYSIS 2. Historians use primary documents – documents created during the time period under study – to better understand the past. Or, you might be able to figure out who the author is if you know who it is addressed to. For What Purpose Was the Record Created? Gordon Wood tells you right up front that he thinks the Revolution was radical. Talk about what the documents say and why they might contradict one another. Sprachliche Analyse . Does it mention the fact that Americans consider him a traitor? you shouldn't only use documents authored by German writers. Does the poster try to persuade mainly through words, visuals, or both equally? If undated, clues such as phrasing, form of address, and handwriting can help to identify the general era. Understanding the hierarchy of words may allow you to extract 75 percent of a book”s content while reading only 25 percent of the text. Reading the document closely for the author’s argument, anything the author left out, and the limitations of the document itself can help you determine the document’s credibility. Historical analysis of literature allows readers to gain a better understanding of a text by becoming familiar with the time periods in which the piece takes place and when it was written. For example, if you know the letter is addressed to John Adams, and the author calls him “my husband,” you’d know the author is Abigail Adams. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/analyzing-a-historical-document-1421667. This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA. In diesem Schritt findest du heraus, wie der Redner sein Anliegen vermittelt. Method 2 of 4: Examining Fiction. "Analyzing a Historical Document." For example, the author of a publicity flyer that asks the public to come to a pro-union meeting might say, "Joining the UAW will make your family more financially secure!" If a photograph, does the name, date or other information written on the back appear contemporaneous to the photo? When was this document produced? You can still date the transcript by looking for context clues. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. This article has been viewed 45,676 times. For example, if you’re reading a speech transcript, there might not be an obvious date written on it. Were There Other Individuals Involved? The most important words can be the title. Powell, Kimberly. All of these things can help contextualize the document you're looking at. 6. Books are made of words, but not all words have equal weight. However, the author's description of injured protesters and unconcerned police suggests that the author's subtle argument is that the protesters were right and the police were wrong. Alternatively, he might keep certain things from his wife to stop her from worrying. Definition and Examples, U.S. Naturalization and Citizenship Records, How to Prove Your Family Tree Connections, How to Use Wills and Estate Records to Learn About Your Ancestors, Five Steps to Verifying Online Genealogy Sources, How to Use a Genealogical Data Communication (GEDCOM) File, Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University. To get a 7 in IB English Literature or IB English Language and Literature, you must understand not just how to analyse, but how to analyse properly and correctly. Published 09/27/2013. Content analysis can be used to quantify the occurrence of certain words, phrases, subjects or concepts in a set of historical or contemporary texts. 1. Figuring out what type of document you’re looking at, when it was created, for what purpose, and by whom can all give you clues about the intent of the document. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. By contrast, the author of a newspaper article about civil rights protests might say "The protesters were met with violence when police officers turned water hoses on them. Another important part is evaluating the provenance, purpose, motivation, and constraints of the documents which contain that information within a particular historical context. In analyzing historical events, context can help us understand what motivates people to behave as they did. In this lesson, we will learn how to analyze the purpose of a text. Die sprachliche Gestaltung einer Rede wird gezielt eingesetzt, um den Zuhörer zu überzeugen. "Analyzing a Historical Document." Was the document open to public challenge? If a more personal document such as a letter, memoir, will, or family history, for what audience was it written and why? Many sources were created to serve a purpose or for a particular audience. Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the author have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded? What perception might this author have brought to the document and description of events? Reading a text is an essential part of studying English. A MiddleWeb Blog. How might the record type affect the content and believability of the document? Who served as godparents for a baptism? Was the document created first-hand by the author? By using our site, you agree to our. Each historian, including you, will approach … ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our. Since you know that World War II ended in 1945, you’d know that this document was written ten years later – in 1955. Who posted the bond for a marriage? The following paragraph is the introduction to the analysis. If a manuscript collection or other item residing in a library or historical society, who was the donor? The things that get left out can tell you a lot about who wrote the document and why. A brief history of representing the body in Western painting. For example, let’s say you’re writing a paper on second wave feminism in the United States. It’s so easy to be confused by all the contradictory advice that different IB English teachers and textbooks seem to be spouting out, but it’s not as hard or as confusing as it seems. Was the document meant to be public or private? It previews the main points covered in the body: For example, if you’re looking at a letter, the author’s name might be signed at the bottom. (2020, August 27). That's fine, as long as you cite the original author. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 45,676 times. For example, if the source is an obituary of Benedict Arnold, what do you know about him that gets left out of the obituary? To research the importance of employment issues in political campaigns, you could analyze campaign speeches for … Write out essential questions or learning objectives for the text. We can assign reading to students all we want, but this doesn’t mean that students will process and understand the information that they read. For example, the audience for a letter from a husband to his wife during World War II probably only has an intended audience of one – the wife. Are the characteristics of the document consistent with its time and place? Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. For example, if you're answering the question "What was the cause of the French Revolution," you might want to use primary and secondary historical documents. If the document's creator was a court clerk, parish priest, family doctor, newspaper columnist, or other third party, who was the informant? What is art history and where is it going? We use cookies to make wikiHow great. In-depth analysis and interpretation of a historical document is an important step in the genealogical research process, allowing us to distinguish between fact, opinion, and assumption, and explore reliability and potential bias when weighing the evidence it contains. Considering the credibility of the author. When we read critically or analytically, we might disregard character, plot, setting, and theme as surface elements of a text. Is it contemporary to the events it describes? If it is a letter is it dated? Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. Was the record created or signed under oath or attested to in court? Powell, Kimberly. you might have one document that gives a couple of different answers to the question. Listen to some further instructions about the analysis of historical documents as a mp3 file. If the document is a recorded copy, was the recorder an impartial party? They can also make inferences about the producers and audience of the texts they analyze. What Are the Physical Characteristics of the Document? Analyzing a Historical Document. If a variety of sources are in disagreement with the historical document, then it's a sign that the information presented in the document isn't correct. (Berg & Lure, 2012, p. 305 ) Historical research relies on a wide variety of sources, both primary & secondary including unpublished material. It won’t tell you a lot about how she interacted with the government. k. Perhaps you will have to reformulate your central meaning after the analyses of various aspects of the text. How Has the Document or Record Series Been Maintained? The illustrations : They show caricatures of important events, people or particular stereotypes.To analyze the Cause is the action that creates an outcome; context is the environment in which that action and outcome occur.