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Good reading is about asking questions of your sources. Keep the following in mind when reading primary sources. Even if you believe you can't arrive at the answers, imagining possible answers will aid your comprehension. Reading primary sources requires that you use your historical imagination. This process is all about your willingness and ability to ask questions of the material, imagine possible answers, and explain your reasoning.

As a historian, you will want to ask:

What can I know of the past based on this material?

How can I be sure about it?

How do I know these things?

Evaluating primary source texts: I've developed an acronym that may help guide your evaluation of primary source texts: PAPER.

Purpose and motives of the author
Argument and strategy she or he uses to achieve those goals
Presuppositions and values (in the text, and our own)
Epistemology (evaluating truth content)
R elate to other texts (compare and contrast)

Ask the questions that come under each of these headings.

Purpose

Who is the author and what is her or his place in society (explain why you are justified in thinking so)?

What could or might it be, based on the text, and why?

What is at stake for the author in this text?

Why do you think she or he wrote it?

What evidence in the text tells you this?

Does the author have a thesis? What is that thesis?

Argument

How does the text make its case?

What is its strategy for accomplishing its goal? How does it carry out this strategy?

What is the intended audience of the text? How might this influence its rhetorical strategy?

What arguments or concerns does the author respond to that are not clearly stated?

Do you think the author is credible and reliable?

Presuppositions

How do the ideas and values in the source differ from the ideas and values of our age?

What presumptions and preconceptions do you as a reader bring to bear on this text? For instance, what portions of the text might you find objectionable, but which contemporaries might have found acceptable?

How might the difference between our values and the values of the author influence the way you understand the text?

Epistemology

How might this text support one of the arguments found in secondary sources you've read?

What kinds of information does this text tell you without knowing it's telling you?

Relate

Now choose another of the readings, and compare the two, answering these questions:

What patterns or ideas are repeated throughout the readings?

What major differences appear in them?

Which do you find more reliable and credible?

Here are some additional concepts that will help you evaluate primary source texts:

Texts and documents, authors and creators:

You'll see these phrases a lot. I use the first two and the last two as synonyms. Texts are historical documents, authors their creators, and vice versa. "Texts" and "authors" are often used when discussing literature, while "documents" and "creators" are more familiar to historians.

Evaluating the veracity (truthfulness) of texts:

For the rest of this discussion, consider the example of a soldier who committed atrocities against non-combatants during wartime. Later in his life, he writes a memoir that neglects to mention his role in these atrocities, and may in fact blame them on someone else. Knowing the soldier's possible motive, we would be right to question the veracity of his account.

The credible vs. the reliable text:

Reliability refers to our ability to trust the consistency of the author's account of the truth. A reliable text displays a pattern of verifiable truth-telling that tends to render the unverifiable parts of the text true. For instance, the soldier above may prove to be utterly reliable in detailing the campaigns he participated in during the war, as evidenced by corroborating records. The only gap in his reliability may be the omission of details about the atrocities he committed.

Credibility refers to our ability to trust the author's account of the truth on the basis of her or his tone and reliability. An author who is inconsistently truthful -- such as the soldier in the example above -- loses credibility. There are many other ways authors undermine their credibility. Most frequently, they convey in their tone that they are not neutral (see below). For example, the soldier above may intersperse throughout his reliable account of campaign details vehement and racist attacks against his old enemy. Such attacks signal readers that he may have an interest in not portraying the past accurately, and hence may undermine his credibility, regardless of his reliability.
An author who seems quite credible may be utterly unreliable. The author who takes a measured, reasoned tone and anticipates counter-arguments may seem to be very credible, when in fact he presents us with complete fiction. Similarly, a reliable author may not always seem credible. It should also be clear that individual texts themselves may have portions that are more reliable and credible than others.

The neutral text:

We often wonder if the author of a text has an "ax to grind" which might render her or his words unreliable.

Neutrality refers to the stake an author has in a text. In the example of the soldier who committed wartime atrocities, the author seems to have had a considerable stake in his memoir, which was to expunge his own guilt. In an utterly neutral document, the creator is not aware that she or he has any special stake in the construction and content of the document.

No texts are ever completely neutral. People generally do not go to the trouble to record their thoughts unless they have a purpose or design which renders them invested in the process of creating the text. Some historical texts, such as birth records, may appear to be more neutral than others, because their creators seem to have had less of a stake in creating them. (For instance, the county clerk who signed several thousand birth certificates likely had less of a stake in creating an individual birth certificate than did a celebrity recording her life in a diary for future publication as a memoir.) Sometimes the stake the author has is the most interesting part of a document.

If you take these factors into account, you should be able to read and understand the historical implications of your primary source.

This page was adapted from the website by Patrick Rael, " Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students,"(Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004). www.bowdoin.edu/writing-guides/

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How to Read a Primary Source | History | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | The University of Iowa

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Good reading is about asking questions of your sources. Keep the following in mind when reading primary sources. Even if you believe you can’t arrive at the answers, imagining possible answers will aid your comprehension. Reading primary sources requires that you use your historical imagination. Thi…

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CLOSE

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. - People who got spinach on their sandwich or salad at a Subway restaurant in Lincoln City earlier this month may have unknowingly eaten food tainted by a dead rodent.

But the state health department said it didn't put anyone in danger of getting sick.

"They [health inspectors] consulted with physicians and we followed their advice that, although it is not very appetizing, the risk of someone becoming sick due to eating lettuce with those particular circumstances were very low," explained Cheryl Connell, Dir. Of Lincoln County Health and Human Services.

Matt Jones saw the dead animal in his friend Jay's sandwich and snapped a photo.

"It's the funniest thing I've ever seen, but it's also the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," Jones said, recalling his initial reaction. "I laughed because I was like, there is no way this just happened."

The incident happened on Tuesday, October 6, just before 2 p.m., in a Subway in Lincoln City.

Jones said the employee made his teriyaki chicken sandwich (complete with a splash of spinach) and then started working on his friend Jay's Italian sub.

Apparently Jay wanted some spinach, too. So the employee scraped the last spoonful out of the bin and plopped it onto the bread, Jones said.

"I got my drink, turned around and they were in shock like something happened," Jones said. "There was a mouse in there. It was gross."

KGW called Subway franchise headquarters for comment, and they issued this statement:

"As soon as the customer alerted the owner about what happened, they were immediately given a full refund and an investigation was launched. To be cautious, all of the products in the sandwich unit were disposed of and a thorough cleaning took place, in which the Health Department gave the restaurant a clean bill of health. There were no other complaints made."

The county health department was immediately notified and "arrived promptly" to conduct an investigation, Connell said.

The inspector studied the dead rodent, the bin it came from and also searched the entire restaurant for any sign of contamination or droppings.

"The investigation determined that the rodent problem did not come from inside the facility. It was probably in a bag of the bagged spinach product, not from the facility itself," Connell said. "Everything was sanitized and cleaned properly afterwards."

As for Jones, he returned his sandwich and both he and Jay got full refunds. Jones also called Subway headquarters to file a complaint. He said they didn't want to sue, just wanted to make sure people were properly notified.

"How many sandwiches prior to that were served and eaten from that same tub of spinach?" he questioned. "I told them they should notify anyone who purchased a sandwich with spinach in it that day and they laughed at me, said it would be impossible for them to track everyone down."

Connell explained Tuesday that since the State Public Health Division determined this case was not a public health emergency, there was no need to contact other people who had consumed the spinach. Case closed.

KGW contacted Subway headquarters again on Tuesday, to identify the vendor which supplies the Lincoln City restaurant with bagged spinach. Alison Goldberg, Communication Specialist with Subway Franchise World Headquarters, LLC emailed this response: "We don't share information about our suppliers as this is proprietary."

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1LsVkLJ

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'Rat'-atouille sandwich shocks hungry Subway fan

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CLOSE LINCOLN CITY, Ore. - People who got spinach on their sandwich or salad at a Subway restaurant in Lincoln City earlier this month may have unknowingly eaten food tainted by a dead rodent. But the state health department said it didn't put anyone in danger of getting sick.

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Some things to consider in evaluating the quality of research sources:
C urrency: the timeliness of the information

How recent is the information?

Can you locate a date when the page(s) were written/created/updated?

Based on your topic, is the information current enough?

R eliability: importance of the information

What kind of information is included in the Web site?

Is the content primarily fact, or opinion? Is the information balanced, or biased?

Does the author provide references for quotations and data?

If there are links, do they work?

A uthority: the source of the information

Can you determine who the author/creator is? is there a way to contact them?

What are their credentials (education, affiliation, experience, etc.)?

Who is the publisher or sponsor of the site? Are they reputable?

A ccuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information

Is it accurate? Is it supported by evidence?

Is the information balanced or biased?

Was it peer-reviewed?

Can you verify the information from another reliable source?

Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?

Can you determine who the author/creator is? is there a way to contact them?

P urpose: the reason the information exists

What's the intent of the Web site (to persuade, to sell you something, etc.)?

What is the domain (.edu, .org, .com, etc.)?

Are there ads on the Web site?

How do they relate to the topic being covered (e.g., an ad for ammunition next to an article about firearms legislation)?

Is the author presenting fact, or opinion? Who might benefit from a reader believing this Web site?

Based on the writing style, who is the intended audience?

The CRAAP Test was developed by librarians at California State University, Chico.

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Library Guides: Start Your Research: Evaluate Your Info

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Some things to consider in evaluating the quality of research sources: C urrency: the timeliness of the information How recent is the information? Can you locate a date when the page(s) were written/created/updated? Based on your topic, is the information current enough? R eliability: importance of the information What kind of information is included in the Web site?

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Subway in US does serve Spinach in their subways.

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Our Types of Sandwich Bread & Toppings Menu | SUBWAY® | SUBWAY.com - United States (English)

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Subway® makes your sandwich just the way you want it, and part of that is having different types of freshly baked bread available and a variety of sandwich toppings! View the options of sandwich bread and sandwich toppings you can choose from at Subway.

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Whether you're covering the news or reading/watching/hearing it, the credibility of your sources is key to evaluating the information. Do you trust the sources? Are there enough sources? Enough knowledgeable sources? Are all the questions answered? Is the news credible enough?

Here are questions you should ask in evaluating the sources used in information you read, see and hear:

Who is the source of this information? Is that clear to the audience, or might the source simply be the person reporting the news?

What would this source know? Does he or she have training in the area? A job title that would indicate knowledge?

When did the source get this knowledge? Recently? So long ago that situations might have changed?

Where did the source get this knowledge? Does he or she have a degree in this field? Training? Work experience? Was the source involved first-hand? If so, does this make his or her views more credible ... or less?

Why use this source? Does he or she have the necessary expertise to be trustworthy? Does this fill in a gap in the audience's understanding?

How transparent is the reporting? Can the audience determine the sources of information and why they are good choices?

How does this source know this information? Could I confirm the source's information through government records, other documents, further reporting or other sources?

What is the past reliability and reputation of this source?

What is the source's motive for providing the information? What does this source have to gain or lose? Will this information make the source look better, worse, guilty or innocent?

Taken from Sources, Verification and Credibility, a self-directed course at Poynter NewsU. Take the full course Have you missed a Coffee Break Course? Here's our complete lineup. Or follow along on Twitter at #coffeebreakcourse.

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9 questions to help you evaluate the credibility of news sources

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Whether you're covering the news or reading/watching/hearing it, the credibility of your sources is key to evaluating the information. Do you trust the sources? Are there enough sources? Enough knowledgeable sources? Are all the questions answered? Is the news credible enough?

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See all the wonderful things Liyin Lim has made

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1. One team member to click "remake"
2. Share as public
3. Copy all posts
4. Add as contributors your team mates and facilitator
5. Start discussing & posting

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Recently, a consumer health watchdog group found levels of lead and cadmium in some of the chocolate brands we eat

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All Singapore Stuff - Real Singapore News

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A man got a nasty bonus surprise after opening a 6 inch sandwich bought from Subway. He found an entire rat hidden among the spinach inside the subway sandwich.

The customer, Jones was horrified and afraid that the spinach used by the store may have been contaminated by the rodent. The health department turned up for inspections looking for rat droppings and other dead rodents. Investigations determined that the rodent problem did not come from the store but was probably from the bagged spinach.

The customers received an apology from Subway and a full refund.

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MAN FINDS DEAD RAT IN HIS 6 INCH SUBWAY SANDWICH

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A man got a nasty bonus surprise after opening a 6 inch sandwich bought from Subway. He found an entire rat hidden among the spinach inside the subway sandwich. The customer, Jones was horrified and afraid that the spinach used by the store may have been contaminated by the rodent.

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We often read about food scares in the news and increasingly, on blogs and social media.

Discuss the three examples:

What would you do to evaluate how credible these articles are?

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China's history with food safety is a rocky one, but even in the annals of robbery and abuse, this will go down in infamy.

Various reports in Singapore media have said that Chinese companies are mass producing fake rice made, in part, out of plastic, according to one online publication Very Vietnam.

The "rice" is made by mixing potatoes, sweet potatoes and plastic. The potatoes are first formed into the shape of rice grains. Industrial synthetic resins are then added to the mix. The rice reportedly stays hard even after being cooked.

The Korean-language Weekly Hong Kong reported that the fake rice is being sold in the Chinese town of Taiyuan, in Shaanxi province.

"A Chinese Restaurant Association official said that eating three bowls of this fake rice would be like eating one plastic bag. Due to the seriousness of the matter, he added that there would be an investigation of factories alleged to be producing the rice," Very Vietnam noted.

Unfortunately, it's not the first time fake rice has been sold in China, according to China's Global Times.

Previously, a company in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province had added flavoring to ordinary rice to synthesize "Wuchang rice," which is regarded to be the best rice in the country.

About 300,000 people were injured and at least six infants died in 2008 when Chinese milk and infant formula was found to be adulterated with melamine, which was thought to help the milk pass nutrition tests.

Later that year, melamine was also discovered in Chinese eggs.

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China's poor treated to fake rice made from plastic: report

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China's history with food safety is a rocky one, but even in the annals of robbery and abuse, this will go down in infamy. Various reports in Singapore media have said that Chinese companies are mass producing fake rice made, in part, out of plastic, according to one online publication Very Vietnam.