Document Analysis

What is document analysis? Document analysis is a social research method and is an important research tool in its own right and is an invaluable part of most schemes of triangulation. Documentary work involves reading lots of written material (it helps to scan the documents onto a computer and use a qualitative analysis package). A document is something that we can read and which relates to some aspect of the social world. Official documents are intended to be read as objective statements of fact but they are themselves socially produced.

Sources of Documents: 1. Public records 2. The media 3. Private papers 4. Biography 5. Visual documents

The term 'biography' has two meanings in social research. Firstly, it is a particular style of interviewing, where the informant is encouraged to describe how his or her life (or some aspect of it) has changed and developed over time. In doing so, they reflect his/her own conception of self, identity and personal history. Secondly, 'biography' refers to a work that draws on whatever materials are available to an author to represent an account of a person's life and achievements. Narrative analysis is used to elicit results. This is a form of analysis used for chronologically told stories. It focuses on how elements are sequenced, why some elements are evaluated differently from others and how the past shapes perceptions of the present and how the present shapes perceptions of the past and of course, how both shape perceptions of the future. It is especially used in feminist research.

Types of Analysis Quantitative: Content Analysis

Qualitative: Semiotics Discourse analysis Interpretative analysis Conversation analysis Grounded Theory

Content Analysis Content analysis is like a social survey but uses a sample of images rather than people.

1. Choose a question which can be measured with variables and use a coding scheme to capture them. 2. Make a sampling frame, choosing the cases to analyse that are representative and unbiased. To get a sampling frame, search for relevant cases in contemporary or historical archives. The sample has to be representative, yet small enough for analyzing in depth. Very often you are counting words - e.g. how many times does the word 'hooligan' appear in articles sensationalising the reporting of disturbances at football matches? 3. Code all the cases and analyze the resulting data. 4. Produce semi-quantitative results using cross-tabulations, charts or graphs and where there are few cases, use tables. 5. Report in a standard 'scientific' format.

Content analysis is formal and systematic. It lends structure to your research. Variables are categorised in a precise manner so you can count them. However, content analysis ignores context and multiple meanings.

Semiotics Semiotics is a science that studies the life of signs in society. It is the opposite to the postivist method of content analysis. It is used a lot in media analysis.

In semiotics, the analyst seeks to connect the signifier (an expression which can be words, a picture or sound) with what is signified (another word, description or image). The use of language is noted as it is considered to be a description of actions. As part of language, certain signs match up with certain meanings. Semiotics seeks to understand the underlining messages in visual texts. It is related to discourse analysis and forms the basis for interpretive analysis.

Discourse Analysis This is concerned with the production of meaning through talk and texts. Language is viewed as the topic of the research and how people use language to construct their accounts of the social world is important.

Intrepretative Analysis This aims to capture hidden meaning and ambiguity. It looks how messages are encoded, latent or hidden. You are also acutely aware of who the audience is.

Conversation Analysis This is concerned with the underlying structures of talk in interaction and with the achievement of interaction.

Grounded Theory This is inductive, interpretative and can be social constructionalist. Central focus is on inductively generating novel theoretical ideas or hypotheses from the data. These new theories arise out of the data and are supported by the data. So they are said to be grounded.

Evaluation and Interpretation Authenticity Is it genuine, complete, reliable and of unquestioned authorship? Credibility Is the document free from error or distortion?

Representativeness Can the documents available be said to constitute a representative sample of the documents that originally existed? Meaning What is the surface meaning? Is there a deeper/semiotic meaning?

Further reading Berger A. Media Analysis Techniques. The Sage Commtext Series, Newbury Park: 1991. Bryman A. Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press:2001. See chapters 17-19. Gribbs G. Qualitative Data Analysis: Explorations with Nvivo. Open University Press:2002. Leedy, P. Practical Research: Planning and Design. 6th Edition. Merril, New Jersey, 1997. Seale, C. Researching Society and Culture. Sage:2001. See chapters 18 - 21. Wimmer, R.D. & Dominick, J. R. Mass Media Research: An Introduction. Belmont:1983.

Heffernan, C. 2001. "The Irish media and the lack of public debate on new reproductive technologies (NRTs) in Ireland", Health, 5 (3):355-371.http://hea.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/5/3/355

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Writing a document analysis Document analysis is a key skill in historical interpretation. It is not a mere summary or description of what happened, but rather an analysis of the motivation, intent and purpose of a document within a particular historical context.

The key initial questions you need to consider are:

What type of document is it?

Does it have any particularly unique characteristics? When was it written? Who was the author and what was his/her position? For whom (what audience) was the document written? What is the purpose of the document? Why was the document written? What evidence is there within the document that indicates why it was written? Sample extract

... Newspapers reporting the events are at first notable for their restraint, but in May 1851 The Sydney Morning Herald declared the gold fever has fairly set in and predicted a most lawless state of society up there (ref). The impact of the discovery was immediate and widespread, and brought mixed blessings. One significant early effect was the visible diminution of the populations of Sydney and Paramatta (ref). In the city, goods on sale consisted mainly of clothing and tools for the diggings (ref). A report in The Times of London described Sydney as becoming deserted with auction prices very low (ref).

What can you learn about document analysis from what markers say?

Your use of evidence your discerning comments about what it provided and not, and its consequences upon ones understanding of the period was well done. It is thoroughly and correctly documented, although I think you could have quoted somewhat more from the sources to convey a better idea of what kinds of documents they were. Avoid slotting in quotations without telling your reader who the speaker is. It is not enough to name the speaker in the footnotes. Nevertheless, you are acutely aware of the historical debate a strong point in favour of this analysis. Your synopsis is crisp and to the point, and establishes clearly the general parameters of your argument. Similarly, your introduction deals with both the context of the period, and the documents you use to explore that context. Well done. This essay tackles with vigor a complex period. But it seems to get carried away by its critique of the Scullin Government to the point where it fails to distinguish between the federal and state

governments, and the documents and their origins are lost to view [for the reader]. But for your excellent documentation, one could mistake this for a general essay on the Depression, rather than an examination of primary sources. So in reviewing your draft document analysis, ask yourself:

In the introduction have I placed the document in its historical context and identified the kind of document it is? Where I use quotes, do I identify the writer and his/her position to the reader? Throughout, are my documents lost to view to the reader? Have I thoroughly analysed both what the evidence says and what it does not say? Have I discussed how reliable the document is as a source of evidence and understanding? Have I identified to the reader how the evidence develops or doesn't develop a better understanding of the historical period? Have I thoroughly and correctly documented my sources of information?

J. Kelly Robison

Document Analysis Example

The following two essays are a primary document and a student's response to that document. Read the document first, then anaylize how the student responded to the document. You will note that the student has intertwined a summary of the main points of the document and an anaylsis of how the document fits into the general scheme of the time period-the era immediately after World War II and the beginnings of the Cold War.

ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN

MARCH 12, 1947

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Congress of the United States:

The gravity of the situation which confronts the world today necessitates my appearance before a joint session of the Congress. The foreign policy and the national security of this country are involved.

One aspect of the present situation, which I wish to present to you at this time for your consideration and decision, concerns Greece and Turkey.

The United States has received from the Greek Government an urgent appeal for financial and economic assistance. Preliminary reports from the American Economic Mission now in Greece and reports from the American Ambassador in Greece corroborate the statement of the Greek Government that assistance is imperative if Greece is to survive as a free nation.

I do not believe that the American people and the Congress wish to turn a deaf ear to the appeal of the Greek Government.

Greece is not a rich country. Lack of sufficient natural resources has always forced the Greek people to work hard to make both ends meet. Since 1940, this industrious and peace loving country has suffered invasion, four years of cruel enemy occupation, and bitter internal strife.

When forces of liberation entered Greece they found that the retreating Germans had destroyed virtually all the railways, roads, port facilities, communications, and merchant marine. More than a thousand villages had been burned. Eighty-five per cent of the children were tubercular. Livestock, poultry, and draft animals had almost disappeared. Inflation had wiped out practically all savings.

As a result of these tragic conditions, a militant minority, exploiting human want and misery, was able to create political chaos which, until now, has made economic recovery impossible.

Greece is today without funds to finance the importation of those goods which are essential to bare subsistence. Under these circumstances the people of Greece cannot make progress in solving their problems of reconstruction. Greece is in desperate need of financial and economic assistance to enable it to resume purchases of food, clothing, fuel and seeds. These are indispensable for the subsistence of its people and are obtainable only from abroad. Greece must have help to import the goods necessary to restore internal order and security, so essential for economic and political recovery.

The Greek Government has also asked for the assistance of experienced American administrators, economists and technicians to insure that the financial and other aid given to Greece shall be used effectively in creating a stable and self-sustaining economy and in improving its public administration.

The very existence of the Greek state is today threatened by the terrorist activities of several thousand armed men, led by Communists, who defy the government's authority at a number of points, particularly along the northern boundaries. A Commission appointed by the United Nations security Council is at present investigating disturbed conditions in northern Greece and alleged border violations along the frontier between Greece on the one hand and Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia on the other.

Meanwhile, the Greek Government is unable to cope with the situation. The Greek army is small and poorly equipped. It needs supplies and equipment if it is to restore the authority of the government throughout Greek territory. Greece must have assistance if it is to become a self-supporting and selfrespecting democracy.

The United States must supply that assistance. We have already extended to Greece certain types of relief and economic aid but these are inadequate.

There is no other country to which democratic Greece can turn.

No other nation is willing and able to provide the necessary support for a democratic Greek government.

The British Government, which has been helping Greece, can give no further financial or economic aid after March 31. Great Britain finds itself under the necessity of reducing or liquidating its commitments in several parts of the world, including Greece.

We have considered how the United Nations might assist in this crisis. But the situation is an urgent one requiring immediate action and the United Nations and its related organizations are not in a position to extend help of the kind that is required.

It is important to note that the Greek Government has asked for our aid in utilizing effectively the financial and other assistance we may give to Greece, and in improving its public administration. It is of the utmost importance that we supervise the use of any funds made available to Greece; in such a manner that each dollar spent will count toward making Greece self-supporting, and will help to build an economy in which a healthy democracy can flourish.

No government is perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be pointed out and corrected. The Government of Greece is not perfect. Nevertheless it represents eighty-five per cent of the members of the Greek Parliament who were chosen in an election last year. Foreign observers, including 692 Americans, considered this election to be a fair expression of the views of the Greek people.

The Greek Government has been operating in an atmosphere of chaos and extremism. It has made mistakes. The extension of aid by this country does not mean that the United States condones everything that the Greek Government has done or will do. We have condemned in the past, and we condemn now, extremist measures of the right or the left. We have in the past advised tolerance, and we advise tolerance now.

Greece's neighbor, Turkey, also deserves our attention.

The future of Turkey as an independent and economically sound state is clearly no less important to the freedom-loving peoples of the world than the future of Greece. The circumstances in which Turkey finds itself today are considerably different from those of Greece. Turkey has been spared the disasters that have beset Greece. And during the war, the United States and Great Britain furnished Turkey with material aid.

Nevertheless, Turkey now needs our support.

Since the war Turkey has sought financial assistance from Great Britain and the United States for the purpose of effecting that modernization necessary for the maintenance of its national integrity.

That integrity is essential to the preservation of order in the Middle East.

The British government has informed us that, owing to its own difficulties can no longer extend financial or economic aid to Turkey.

As in the case of Greece, if Turkey is to have the assistance it needs, the United States must supply it. We are the only country able to provide that help.

I am fully aware of the broad implications involved if the United States extends assistance to Greece and Turkey, and I shall discuss these implications with you at this time.

One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion. This was a fundamental issue in the war with Germany and Japan. Our victory was won over countries which sought to impose their will, and their way of life, upon other nations.

To ensure the peaceful development of nations, free from coercion, the United States has taken a leading part in establishing the United Nations, The United Nations is designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members. We shall not realize our objectives, however, unless we are willing to help free peoples to maintain their free institutions and their national integrity against aggressive movements that seek to impose upon them totalitarian regimes. This is no more than a frank recognition that totalitarian regimes imposed on free peoples, by direct or indirect aggression, undermine the foundations of international peace and hence the security of the United States.

The peoples of a number of countries of the world have recently had totalitarian regimes forced upon them against their will. The Government of the United States has made frequent protests against coercion and intimidation, in violation of the Yalta agreement, in Poland, Rumania, and Bulgaria. I must also state that in a number of other countries there have been similar developments.

At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one.

One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.

The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio; fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.

I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.

I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.

I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.

The world is not static, and the status quo is not sacred. But we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter of the United Nations by such methods as coercion, or by such subterfuges as political infiltration. In helping free and independent nations to maintain their freedom, the United States will be giving effect to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

It is necessary only to glance at a map to realize that the survival and integrity of the Greek nation are of grave importance in a much wider situation. If Greece should fall under the control of an armed

minority, the effect upon its neighbor, Turkey, would be immediate and serious. Confusion and disorder might well spread throughout the entire Middle East.

Moreover, the disappearance of Greece as an independent state would have a profound effect upon those countries in Europe whose peoples are struggling against great difficulties to maintain their freedoms and their independence while they repair the damages of war.

It would be an unspeakable tragedy if these countries, which have struggled so long against overwhelming odds, should lose that victory for which they sacrificed so much. Collapse of free institutions and loss of independence would be disastrous not only for them but for the world. Discouragement and possibly failure would quickly be the lot of neighboring peoples striving to maintain their freedom and independence.

Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching to the West as well as to the East.

We must take immediate and resolute action.

I therefore ask the Congress to provide authority for assistance to Greece and Turkey in the amount of $400,000,000 for the period ending June 30, 1948. In requesting these funds, I have taken into consideration the maximum amount of relief assistance which would be furnished to Greece out of the $350,000,000 which I recently requested that the Congress authorize for the prevention of starvation and suffering in countries devastated by the war.

In addition to funds, I ask the Congress to authorize the detail of American civilian and military personnel to Greece and Turkey, at the request of those countries, to assist in the tasks of reconstruction, and for the purpose of supervising the use of such financial and material assistance as may be furnished. I recommend that authority also be provided for the instruction and training of selected Greek and Turkish personnel.

Finally, I ask that the Congress provide authority which will permit the speediest and most effective use, in terms of needed commodities, supplies, and equipment, of such funds as may be authorized.

If further funds, or further authority, should be needed for purposes indicated in this message, I shall not hesitate to bring the situation before the Congress. On this subject the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government must work together.

This is a serious course upon which we embark.

I would not recommend it except that the alternative is much more serious. The United States contributed $341,000,000,000 toward winning World War II. This is an investment in world freedom and world peace.

The assistance that I am recommending for Greece and Turkey amounts to little more than 1 tenth of 1 per cent of this investment. It is only common sense that we should safeguard this investment and make sure that it was not in vain.

The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil soil of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died.

We must keep that hope alive.

The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms.

If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world -- and we shall surely endanger the welfare of our own nation.

Great responsibilities have been placed upon us by the swift movement of events.

I am confident that the Congress will face these responsibilities squarely.

The Truman Doctrine Speech

Even though World War II was over, another war had just begun. National security became a very important issue among the American people. After the "Truman Doctrine," a national security policy of containment became very popular. The term containment came from George Kennan who said that the main element in any U.S. policy "must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment" of the Soviet Union's expansive tendencies. Containment quickly became the focus of U.S. foreign policy.

In the "Truman Doctrine," President Truman explained to Congress that Greece had suffered tremendously in World War II. Railways, roads, villages, and people had been destroyed and needed to be rebuilt. Greece, however, did not have the money to do this and Great Britain could no longer support them. Because of this, the economic and financial aid of the United States was necessary not only for the well-being of Greece but also for the entire world. Truman suggests that the "seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want."

Greece's neighbor, Turkey, was also at risk of being taken over by a non-democratic government if it too did not receive U.S. assistance. Turkey did not suffer the extensive damage during World War II that Greece did, but immediate aid was still necessary. Turkey was seeking financial assistance "for the purpose of effecting that modernization necessary for its national integrity." This was important in maintaining order in the Middle East. Once a totalitarian government has planted roots in one country it is a lot easier to branch out to other nations. This is why they must be contained and not be allowed to grow. These regimes "undermine the foundations of international peace and hence the security of the United States."

As has always been the case, the United States was concerned about how foreign affairs might effect it as a country as well as the rest of the world. After the "Truman Doctrine," the National Security Act of 1947 was passed. This set up the new Department of Defense which included the CIA. The U.S.'s outlook on foreign policy changed when they realized that the things that other countries do could have serious repercussions at home.

SAMPLE HISTORICAL DOCUMENT ANALYSIS C.T. Evans

Instructions Listen to some further instructions about the analysis of historical documents as a mp3 file. You can also read the information as a txt file.

Here is a suggested sample document analysis. Some general questions to ask as you read and examine any historical document in this course. Who wrote the document? Until you know this, you really know very little about the document. Sometimes you can figure out the author from the document itself. Was the author a political or private individual? Was he educated or not? Was it a joint author? Was there no single author, but is the document something that evolved over time? Who was the intended audience? This will tell you about the author's use of any specific language or concepts and the knowledge that he assumed on the part of the audience. It is no revelation that a document intended for a five-year-old child will be different than something intended for a mature adult. What is the story line? What is going on in the document? What is the information in the document? Why was the document written? Everything is written for a reason. Is the document just a random note, or a scholarly thesis? What type of document is this, or what is its purpose? A phone book is different than a diary, and both are different than an inscription on a grave. Thus, one can expect to extract different kinds of information from different kinds of documents. What are the basic assumptions made by the author? For example, did the author assume that the reader could understand certain foreign or engineering terms in the language? Can you believe this document? Is it reliable? Is the information likely or reliable? What can you learn about the society that produced this document? This is what you will be concentrating on in this class. All documents reveal information about the people who produced them. It is embedded in the language and assumptions of the text. Your task in this course will be to learn how to "read," or analyze, a document to extract information about a society. You might wish to analyze each document in terms of various aspects of a society (economic, political, religion, social structure, culture, etc.). This is not something that comes easily, but with practice you will be able to uncover what is really in a document.

Finally, What does this document mean to you? You might also consider this as the "so what does it mean to me" question, but it still requires an answer even if the answer is going to be a resounding, "who cares.".

Thus, the NINE questions of analyzing a historical document are: Who wrote the document? Who was the intended audience? What was the story line? Why was the document written? What type of document was it, or what was its purpose? What were the basic assumptions made by the author? Can I believe this document? What can I learn about the society that produced this document? What does this document mean to me?

Please proceed to the sample document analysis of Hammurabi's code of laws (next).

Suggested steps to analyze the Hammurabi document Read the background information on Hammurabi. Scan the entire Hammurabi document. Review any specific questions to consider on Hammurabi noted by your instructor. Review the document analysis questions from above and focus on the question: What can I learn about the society that produced this document?

My sample analysis of the Hammurabi sample document

First, I'll answer some of the specific questions. Who was Hammurabi? This is a factual answer. Hammurabi (d. 1750 bce) was a ruler of Old Babylon from 1792 to 1750 bce. His principal achievement was the unification of Mesopotamia through control of the Euphrates River. Why did he create a law code? This is an interpretive answer. The code was a compendium of earlier laws, and he probably created it because he was the ruler, and a uniform code that applied to everyone helped him rule. He probably also created it because of confusion over the use of earlier laws, i.e., which one was the valid law. One could also say that he created a law code because he needed one. (Now it might seem simple to say that, but one does not create a law against falling into the sun unless that is happening with some frequency and unless you consider it to be a problem.) One should therefore assume that these particular laws became laws to deal with crimes/situations that occurred with some frequency in Babylonian society and that were regarded by someone (at the very least, the king) as dangerous to that society. Is this particular law code "fair?" This is an evaluative answer. Implied is a comparison of Hammurabi's code with your awareness of current law codes. Yes, it is fair. There are numerous provisions in the code to attest to the honesty of judges and witnesses. Why is the code so detailed? This is an interpretive answer. Because justice is not simple. There are always exceptions to a law or extenuating circumstances. If one is going to have a criminal code, then it must cover everything. Look at current criminal codes and how complicated they are. Does the code provide any insight about the administration of justice? This is an analytical answer, requiring you to analyze parts of the code to reach a decision. Very little.

Second, I'll tackle the more difficult question, "What can you learn about the society that produced this document?" (Looking only at the first six articles of the code, for example.)

1. If a man weaves a spell and puts a ban upon another man and has not justified himself, he that wove the spell upon him shall be put to death. Notice that almost all the laws use "man" not "woman" as the active subject. This indicates something about the nature of gender relations in Mesopotamia. The fact that any man could "weave a spell" also tells something about the nature of religion, that there was a level at which all could participate, but also that there were defined rules to follow. This law indicates that "weaving a spell" could be a very serious offense that could lead to death if the spell was applied improperly. This particular law does not say how you prove this, but that is contained in the next article! This is very impressive and shows how various eventualities had to be completely pre-thought for this law code, a very complex task).

2. If a man has put a spell upon another man and has not justified himself, he upon whom the spell is laid shall go to the holy river. He shall plunge into the holy river, and if the holy river overcomes him, he who wove the spell upon him shall take to himself his house. If the holy river makes that man to be innocent, and has saved him, he who laid the spell upon him shall be put to death. He who plunged into the holy river shall take to himself the house of him who wove the spell upon him. This reminds one of the trial by ordeal (usually fire or water) procedures used by the church during the Middle Ages.

3. If a man, in a case pending judgment, has uttered threats against the witnesses, or has not justified the word that he has spoken, if that case be a capital suit, that man shall be put to death. Indicates that there was a system in place to protect witness. This is only a very recent innovation in modern law codes.

4. If he has offered corn or money to the witnesses, he shall himself bear the sentence of that case. No bribery allowed.

5. If a judge has judged a judgment, decided a decision, granted a sealed sentence, and afterwards has altered his judgment, that judge, for the alteration of the judgment that he judged, shall be put him to account, and he shall pay twelvefold the penalty which was in the said judgment, and in the assembly one shall expel him from his judgment seat, and he shall not return, and with the judges at a judgment he shall not take his seat. Judges have to follow the rules and can not take arbitrary action. Obviously this happened quite frequently.

6. If a man has stolen the goods of a temple or palace, that man shall be killed, and he who has received the stolen thing from his hand shall be put to death. It was a very serious matter to "mess with" the priests who enjoyed a protected, and lucrative, status in Mesopotamian society. Obviously the priests had wealth, and they wanted to make sure that it was protected by the king. (It was never a good idea for a king not to protect his religious leaders, because they could always call down the wrath of a god or gods upon the king, making the people lose faith in the king).

Document Analysis Templates Rationale: Analyzing historical documents requires students to identify the purpose, message and audience of a text. Document Analysis Forms are graphic organizers that guide students through a process of identifying important background information about a document (e.g. author/creator, date created, place, format, etc.) and using this data to determine the bias or perspective of a text.

Procedure: Step one: Constructing your Document Analysis Form Document Analysis Forms typically ask students to record the same basic information such as:

Author/creator Context (place and time when the document was created) Intended audience Purpose for the documents creation Type of document (photograph, pamphlet, government-issued document, newspaper article, diary entry, etc.) Main points expressed in the document General message of the document (What is it trying to say? What perspective does it represent?)

Significance (So what? Why is this document important?) You can customize your Document Analysis Form based on the type of documents students are working with. You can decide to label categories as phrases or questions (or both). Click here for examples of three different Document Analysis Forms: SOAPSTone APPARTS National Archives Document Analysis Worksheet

Step two: Helping students use a Document Analysis Form Students can work on Document Analysis Forms on their own or in small groups. To ensure accountability, it is often best if students have to complete their own forms, even if they are working in small groups. Showing students an exemplar of a completed Document Analysis Form or modeling how to complete one helps students better understand what accurate, thorough answers look like.

Step three: Sharing information Completing these forms is just the first step of document analysis. Students learn much more when they have to explain their ideas and hear other interpretations. After students have had the opportunity to work with their classmates, they can revise and update the information on their forms. Sharing their analysis can also stimulate interesting discussions about the message and the significance of a document. In this way, completing Document Analysis Forms can be viewed as a pre-discussion activity.

Example: For an example of how Document Analysis Forms are used in a lesson, see lessons two and three of the unit A Pivotal Moment in the Civil Rights Movement: The Murder of Emmett Till.

Related Websites: The National Archives (www.archives.gov), Teaching with Documents.

Document analysis example

Ive been getting a lot of questions about what the essays should look like. So, heres an example from a similar document study. In this study, the document analyzed was a speech by a nineteenth-century American labour leader dealing with immigration. I will be at a conference all day today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday). If you send me an email during that time, I may not be able to get back to you right away. Thesis statement (in the introduction) Dennis Kearnys speech shows that American labor leader in the late nineteenth century supported Chinese exclusion because they thought Chinese immigrants took away jobs from white workers. [notice here that the author of the essay is basically saying that this document says X about Y, in Z period] Paragraph in the body of your paper: Kearny blames white workers unemployment in part on the slave mentality of Chinese workers. He argues that corporations go as far as China to recruit workers because it is easier to control them as serfs.1 He claims that their character predisposes them to obedience: They are wipped curs, abject in docility, mean, contemptible and obedient in all things.2 As Eric Foner shows in the texbook, this attitude was shared by the majority of working class white men.3 This notion of innate difference between the white and Asian races justified Chinese exclusion. [Body paragraphs expand and give evidence for the argument raised in the thesis statement - notice here how she uses information from the textbook to help contextualize her argument]
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Dennis Kearney, President, and H. L. Knight, Secretary, Appeal from California. The Chinese Invasion. Workingmens Address, Indianapolis Times, 28 February 1878. 2 Ibid. 3 Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Volume 2, Seagull Edition (New York: W.W. Norton, 2005), 75. Purpose of the assignment This is an exercise to allow you to think about how historians use primary sources (that is, direct historical evidence) to understand the past. The most persuasive historical arguments are those based directly on this sort of evidence. As explained in tutorial, you will build an argument about an aspect of Jewish history based on the document assigned. For background, use the lectures and the textbook. You should, however, rely primarily on the document itself for your essay. While reading the document, be alert for themes, comparisons, issues that arise. These will form the basis of your paper. In answering the main question of the assignment, What does this document tell me about Jewish history?, you must always think about where the evidence comes from: Who produced it? When? Why? What was the documents purpose? You may not be able to answer all of these questions fully, but you should take advantage of lectures and your textbook to try to understand the context. Also, remember that being critical doesnt mean dismissing the document out of hand. A bias doesnt invalidate a document. If it did, we would have no medieval Jewish history since the most detailed documentation available about Jews in the Middle Ages come from non-Jewish sources. Bias just means

you need to handle the document more carefully and not take it at face value. Writing the Essay The purpose of a historical essay is to put forward an argument, clearly, logically, and concisely. According to proper historical method, your argument will be based on the evidence from the document, and you will present both the argument and the evidence to the reader in your essay. You do not have to summarize the document for this assignment. You can assume the reader knows the content of the document. Although each essay will be short, it should still have a proper form: a short introduction, a middle section or body where you will develop your points, and then a conclusion, drawing the material together. Presentation of your ideas is important. Be sure to write carefully, and once you finished a rough draft, revise it, thinking about whether or not you have said things as clearly as you can. Others will find your ideas more persuasive if they are presented clearly. Use criticisms of the first Document Analysis assignment to improve your second assignment. You can present the evidence both by quoting the document, as in the example above, and by providing references to it. Every time you refer to a specific point in the document you are analyzing, use footnotes or endnotes to provide references. Remember that the whole point of providing such notes is for another reader to be able to retrace your steps, so make the notes clear. No bibliography is necessary. Each paper should be double-spaced, include a cover page, and use 1-inch margins, Times 12 point font, and page numbers.

October 16 2009 07:15 am | assignments and primary sources Trackback URI | Comments RSS Leave a Reply Name (required) Mail (hidden) (required)