Gather and evaluate sources

A research question only becomes a real answer once you gather evidence. Evidence comes from sources — and not every source is equally useful or trustworthy. Step 2 of the capstone is learning to find sources and then test whether they should be believed.

Primary sources

A primary source is a first-hand record created during the event you are studying, by someone who saw or lived it. Diaries, letters, photographs taken at the time, original government documents, treaties, speeches in their original recording, archaeological artifacts, and the original newspaper from the day are all primary sources. Their power is that they bring the past directly into the room.

Secondary sources

A secondary source is created later by someone who studies primary sources and writes about them. Textbooks, scholarly biographies, encyclopedia entries, documentary films, and museum exhibition guides are secondary. They digest, interpret, and explain — but they are one step removed from the event itself. A strong research project uses both: primary sources for the original evidence, secondary sources to understand the wider context.

The five evaluation tests

1. Authority — WHO made this source? What expertise or experience do they have? An eyewitness diary has different authority from a random blog.
2. Accuracy — Can the facts be checked against other sources? Do dates, names, and quoted figures hold up?
3. Currency — WHEN was the source made or updated? For some topics (medical, scientific, statistical) an older source can be out of date.
4. Purpose — WHY was this source made? To inform, to entertain, to sell something, to persuade voters? Purpose shapes content.
5. Bias — Does the source push one viewpoint while ignoring or distorting others? Every source has a perspective; the question is how openly it admits it.

Spotting bias and propaganda

Bias is a leaning toward one side. It is not automatically bad — every author has a perspective — but you should be aware of it. Propaganda is a stronger version: a source designed to push a single belief, often by exaggerating, hiding contrary evidence, or appealing only to emotion. Wartime posters and political campaign ads are classic propaganda. Treat them as primary sources about the people who made them, not as neutral facts about the events they depict.

Citing your sources

A citation is a short note that tells your reader exactly where you got a piece of information. A basic citation includes the author, the title of the work, the year of publication, and where it was published (publisher, journal, website, or archive). Citing protects you from accidentally claiming someone else's ideas as your own, and it lets a careful reader go back and check the original source themselves.