The first step is to find a source that interests you. You have the freedom to choose anything that appeals to you. It could be a letter about inoculation, or an account of a patient suffering from AIDS, or a doctor’s notes on
Malaria. It doesn’t have to be limited to what has been covered so far, or the diseases in the syllabus.
Analysis:
Once you have your source, you will then analyze it. The rest of your paper should focus on analyzing it. The
analysis will depend on the kind of source you are using, but it has to address some basic issues.
- Who is the author of the source?
- What was their purpose of producing it?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What was the socio-political backdrop when the source was produced?
Depending on the source you have, you can then discuss the unique features of your source. For example, if
you know the gender and race of the author, you can demonstrate how the source reflects this. Finally, you
have to sum up the limitations of the source.
Where to find primary sources:
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collections/archives.html
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection
https://kottke.org/09/10/life-magazine-archive-online-for-free
https://learninglab.si.edu/#sll-discover