Identify the writer’s purpose in composing a source, the broader historical context of the text’s production, the argument or view presented in the source, the ways in which the source might be useful to writing history, and the limits or problems presented by the source.
1. Identify the source and determine the author’s point of view (who is he or she? why is he/she writing? what was the purpose of the source? etc.)
2. Place it the context of a broader historical issue (the emergence of the early modern geopolitical order, the impact of global crises such as the black death or the mini ice age, women’s roles and family life in the early modern period, the role of religion in government and community identity, government and the role of a leader in early modern Asia, etc. (this list is not exhaustive and you are free to pick any other issue that might appeal to you)
3. Pose a question that this source might be used to answer and explain how you would use the source to answer that question.
4. Discuss limits or problems of using this source to answer the question you have posed.