Primary evidence includes original material or first-hand testimony relevant to an enquiry: contemporary letters and records are common examples, but later memoirs and oral histories can also qualify. Secondary accounts analyse or synthesise evidence. A novel or film may be primary evidence for its own production culture; categories depend on the question.
A category does not guarantee accuracy
Analysing a source
Content: what does it say or show? Inference: what can you work out beyond the surface?
Provenance includes creator, date, place, form, purpose, audience and the circumstances of production. NOP is a reminder, not a substitute for explaining how these details shape the particular content.
Context: what was happening at the time, and what does the source reflect?
Connect provenance to content
Judging usefulness
Utility means usefulness for this enquiry. A persuasive poster can reveal a promoted message without proving widespread agreement. A diary records one situated account, not unmediated access to everyone’s feelings.
Test particular claims through content, provenance, context and relevant comparison. An omission matters only when it bears on the enquiry; AQA utility answers do not need a negative point simply to reach a high level.
Cross-referencing
Compare specific claims and consider independence. Agreement between sources copied from one account is weaker corroboration than independent agreement; disagreement may illuminate experience or perspective rather than make one source automatically fake.
Agreement needs an independence check
Writing about sources
Support a judgement with specific details from the source and relevant contextual knowledge, following the actual task. Visual details, layout or typography can be evidence. A quotation is useful for written material but is not a compulsory form of evidence for every source.
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