For any type of document — a written document, image, map, chart, graph, audio or video — move through the following steps:
- Before getting into the content of the document, look at it in a very general sense and ask basic questions. Consider the document’s type: “What kind of document are we looking at?” For example, for textual documents, is it a newspaper, letter, report? For artifacts, what material is this made of? For video, is it a propaganda film, cartoon, training video?
- Find unique characteristics of the document (which will vary depending on document type). Note any markings or special qualities. These characteristics will help understand the document in context. For example: Are there any symbols, letterhead, handwritten versus typed text, stamps, seals, or notations? Is there a background, color, or tone? Are there facial expressions in photographs, or other telling features? Is there narration or special effects? Is there a key?
- Attempt to identify the creator and the content of the document. Break down the document by asking “Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?”
- Rephrase the document into plain language. Determine the content of the document and speculate for whom and why it was created, in order to understand the document in historical context.
--Adapted from Document Analysis with Students from the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration)