As noted in the course syllabus, one of the assignments in this class (20% of the final grade) is to write
an analysis of a primary source document, as noted here:
Writing Assignment: Document analysis: 20% of final grade
 The other writing assignment will be a document analysis essay, in which you will use the skills
practiced in class and the sections to analyze a primary source (or comparatively analyze two
sources) on a specific topic of your choice. The due date for the document analysis essay will be
Friday, March 27 and you submit the paper in the Blackboard site by clicking the “Assignments”
link on the left-hand menu in Blackboard. Your TA may also request a hard copy, which will be
due at the beginning of the next discussion class.
These and all other writing assignments in this class are primarily intended to evaluate
 Student ability to analyze a historical document (primary source) in the context of class
readings, discussions, and personal insight (research skills).
 Student ability to draw, articulate, and defend conclusions.
 Student writing ability (including grammar, spelling and form)
 Student ability to adhere to disciplinary standards of academic integrity and avoid plagiarism.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
What is the difference between an essay and a document analysis essay? Well, in the standard essay,
you have a topic, and you go in search of information (primary and secondary sources) that will inform
you about the topic, you develop a thesis statement, you synthesize the material you have found in your
own words into an argument supporting your thesis, and you’re done. In a document analysis essay you
have a document, and you have to figure out what topic it can help you understand (you’ll have some
general idea about the “topic” by what the document is, but you won’t have a thesis until you have
analyzed the text). So in the first case (what we are not doing) you have a topic, and in the second case,
you have a document (or two documents to compare).
You may consider using texts from the sourcebook we have been using in class, Thinking through
Sources. I am concerned, however, that some of these texts are rather short to write a thorough analysis
of. Therefore, I’ve created a folder for the TAs which includes additional texts or sets of texts on the
following general topics: European-Native American interactions in the 16th Century; Matteo Ricci on
China and Chinese Society; Ecological Exchange and Food; Political Trends in Eurasia in the 17th Century;
Africa and the Slave Trade; Enlightenment Thought; Asian Reactions to the West; Impact of
Industrialization; European Imperialism; Nationalism; World War I; Fascism; and Decolonization. Please
ask the TAs to share any topic texts with you that you might find interesting – these are generally a little
bit longer and therefore easier to do more analytical work on.
As for how you analyze and write about a primary source? Here is some advice that I have taken from
the website of William & Mary – I think it is an excellent description of what I intend this assignment to
do:
“Carefully review the assignment’s goals. Always follow your professor’s specific guidelines before the
general suggestions in this handout. Then have the assignment’s goals in mind as you familiarize yourself
with the sources, develop a thesis, outline your main points, and write the essay.
Develop a strong thesis statement. Give some thought to your thesis before taking notes and outlining,
lest you end up with pages and pages of pointless evidence. Ask yourself, “What is the main question
that I am trying to answer in this paper?” “What is the one point that I want the reader to come away
with after reading my essay?” If you are writing an essay based on more than one primary source,
consider a theme that either unites the documents or points up their contrasts. Your thesis is like a coat
tree upon which you will hang your supporting evidence. It should present your analysis of the meaning
and significance of the source(s). Accordingly, your thesis should be argumentative, not descriptive.
Example of a descriptive “thesis”: “In Common Sense, Thomas Paine presented his views on why the
American colonists should break with Great Britain” (Note: no one would ever disagree with this
statement; it only tells us what the author did and it says absolutely nothing about the meaning or
significance of Paine’s work).
Example of an argumentative thesis: “Thomas Paine’s use of plain language, biblical analogies, and
egalitarian rhetoric explains the enormous appeal of Common Sense” (Note: one could easily prove this
argument by examining, in the subsequent paragraphs, the three points listed in the sentence).
Don’t summarize-analyze! A primary source essay should not be a restatement or summary of the
document’s content. Essays typically call for a close analysis or dissection of the texts’ meanings. Refer
to the first section of this handout for examples of analytical questions that you can pose of any
source.”
You should also consider the SOCC templates that I have linked in the Blackboard site under “Guides for
Discussion Class.”
Use strong topic sentences. “What is the main point I am trying to make in this paragraph?” The first
sentence in the paragraph–the topic sentence–should announce not only the subject of the paragraph
but also the significance of the information that follows it. The topic sentence is essentially the thesis of
an individual paragraph. Do not place your strongest points in the middle of or at the end of the
paragraph lest the reader wonder why he/she is reading your evidence.
Use quotes judiciously. The essay should present your analysis of the sources; overuse of quotes reduces
the amount of space in which you have to develop your arguments and shows that you have nothing
more to say than the original document. Refrain from using block quotes in shorter essays (those that
are fewer than eight pages long) unless the complete quote is indispensable to your analysis. If your
quote is longer than four lines, then you should use a block quotation. Block quotes are single spaced,
indented, and do not need the telltale quotation marks (” . . . “). Be sure that you provide citations and
that your quotations do not take the words, phrases, or sentences out of context.