Ask an NEH Expert: Validating Sources

These questions can be used before viewing the video to brainstorm ideas and review the concepts discussed in the interview, or after watching as a way to reflect on the interview. 

1. Can you think of a source that could be either a primary or secondary source? In which contexts would it be primary, and in which secondary?
2. What are some ways to corroborate or verify the information in a primary source?
3. How could you turn conflicting sources into a research topic?
4. What is meant by the words "objective," "subjective," and "biased"? How do these words relate to primary and secondary sources? How do they relate to your own research and writing?

1. How do you approach the research process? (2:30)
2. What role do secondary sources play in the research process? How do you know that a source that you find is valid? (4:05)
3. When do you shift to primary sources? (7:55)
4. Can you explain the concept of bias in historical sources? As a researcher, how do you deal with this? (10:27)
5. Sometimes when we do historical research, we find sources with conflicting information. What do you do when this happens? (13:28)
6. What's the most interesting example you have found in your research, and how did you handle it? (15:30)