Interpreting Written Sources

To successfully interpret what a written source says, follow these steps:

1. Read the source two or three times. (Reading it once is often not enough).
2. Identify the main message of the source. (e.g. What is the most important point made in the writing?).
3. Highlight the key phrases used by the author. (Usually two to three key statements is enough).
4. Summarise the main message in your own words. (This will usually require you to use indirect quotes). 
5. Read over your summary to make sure everything you have written was stated by the source. (e.g. Don't include your own opinion in your summary).
6. Reread your summary to make sure you have successfully paraphrased the source and have not simply copied their exact words.

Demonstrating the interpretation of a written source in your writing:

Davis makes the point that all the major political changes in Israel in the second half of the twentieth century are the direct result of American interference (1998, 56).

The Edwin Smith Papyrus provides explanations about Egyptian treatments for medical trauma and it shows that they were very much aware of the existence of all the major organs in the human body.