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writing in history

putting sources into historical context

In order to fully understand a source, you must place it within the context of the time in which it was produced. Contextualizing a historical source involves paying attention to the people who produced it, the time in which they worked, what was going on during that time, and how what was going on may have influenced the production of the source. It also involves understanding how the source's language, concepts, and terms were used during that historical context, since meanings change over time. In short, contextualizing a source increases a writer's credibility since it demonstrates the writer’s willingness to understand the source and its time period on its own terms. (For more on demonstrating this kind of understanding, see “analyze rather than judge” in choosing an appropriate tone).

some questions to consider when contextualizing a source

  • Who produced the source?
  • What is the genre of the source? How might this shape its content and viewpoint?
  • When was it produced? How does the timing of its production relate to other events?
  • How might political, social, religious, or economic events occurring at the same time have influenced the production of the source?
  • How might common beliefs or trends during this time period have influenced the production of the source?
  • What terms or phrases are unclear? Is this because of the time period?

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Last modified on September 3, 2009
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