Trump2016history through sources: a reference guide

An independent guide to working with historical sources. It has no connection with the former website on this domain, with politicians, parties or public authorities, and it is not political advocacy material.

Analysis

Analysis

Method is easier to grasp through examples. In this section we show how to question different types of source: a letter, a diary, a photograph, a newspaper and a memoir. The examples are general and name no one, so you can apply them to your own finds.

A document answers only the questions it is asked. So every analysis begins with a list of questions.

— Editor's note

How we chose the material: we look at typical sources that any researcher, including a beginner, will come across. The examples are deliberately free of political content.

Worked examples

How should I read an old letter?

Start with who is writing, to whom, and how they are related. A letter is addressed to a particular reader, so much in it is left unsaid or softened. Look at the handwriting, paper, envelope and postmarks: they help pin down the time and place.

What makes a diary valuable?

A diary is usually written close to events and captures the mood of the day. But the author chooses what to record, and sometimes writes with a future reader in mind. Compare the entries with other sources from the same time before taking details on trust.

What can a photograph tell us?

A photograph shows how people, clothes, interiors and streets looked. But the frame was chosen by the photographer, people often posed, and the caption may have been added much later. Our guide to old photographs sets out a step-by-step approach.

How do I work with a newspaper from the last century?

A newspaper captures the rhythm of everyday life well: notices, prices, timetables, local items. But issues were put together in a hurry and mistakes are common. Separate reports by the paper's own correspondents from reprints, and check important facts against other documents.

Can memoirs be trusted?

Memoirs are valuable for their vivid detail, but memory reshapes the past, especially when the account is written decades later. Look for what the author could have known first-hand and distinguish it from what they heard later.

Article catalogue for English-language readers

This is where standalone articles written for English-speaking readers will appear, shaped around the questions they tend to ask. They are original texts, not translations of other language versions of the site.

Topics our editors are planning

  • How to organise and catalogue a family archive at home
  • Recording oral history: interviewing older relatives
  • Caring for family photographs, slides and negatives
  • Reading old handwriting: first steps in palaeography

Editorial rules

  • Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
  • Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
  • We do not publish political campaigning, advertising, rankings, prices or reviews.
  • Sources

    Types of sources, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to cite them.

  • Ideas

    Key ideas for working with the past: source, testimony, attribution, dating, provenance, context.

  • Old photos (in Russian)

    An archived address: a step-by-step guide to reading an old photograph from a family album.

  • FAQ

    Short answers about this guide, archives, documents and family photographs.

Sources

  • Encyclopaedic sources on historiography and the history of photography
  • UNESCO Memory of the World programme

Specific dates and facts in this guide come from encyclopaedic works and official programme descriptions; everything else is described in general terms. Dates for old documents are almost always approximate, and we try to state plainly how certain we are.