To effectively use a primary source a researcher must be able to fill in several blanks:
- What is the item?
- Who wrote or made the item and when?
- Where, how and why was the item created?
- For whom did the creator intend the item?
- Does the item raise any other questions; what is unknown about the source?
- Can you find other information about the item from other sources?
- Is the item unique?
- Are there other materials that may shed light on the item?
- Do you have everything you need to understand the source?
- What have other researchers said about this item or similar ones?
- Does this source help me answer my research question?