Summary
Highlights
Before reading any document, begin by reading the prompt or question associated with it. This approach mirrors how historians work, as they always have a purpose for analyzing a document and it helps you identify what information to look for in the document. This is crucial for multiple-choice questions, SAQs, and DBQs.
This step is broken into two sub-steps: First, read the source or attribution of the document. This provides vital context, such as the author, type of document, context, and date, which can significantly alter its interpretation. Second, quickly read or view the document/image to identify its main idea in relation to the question.
Summarize the document's content in one or two sentences, especially for SAQs and DBQs. This practice helps in using the document effectively as evidence in your arguments, earning you points without directly quoting it.
If a document is confusing, try to answer the question or prompt using only the information provided in the document's attribution (source). Combine this with your existing course knowledge. Often, the attribution alone can reveal how the document addresses the prompt, even without fully comprehending the document's main content.