Evidence

Evidence demonstrates or suggests how things might have been in the past. In manuscript research, evidence does not mean proof or testimony. Rather, evidence means drawing inferences from the messages implied in the documents.

As you use primary sources, you may find evidence of a person's thoughts, motivations, emotions, or beliefs. You may also be able to make inferences about the customs, the political climate, or the economic and social conditions of an era.

However, be careful not to make generalizations based on only a few documents. You should try to support your ideas with as much evidence as you can find in the surviving documents. Also, be sure to consider evidence that contradicts your ideas. Such conflicting evidence may or may not alter your conclusions, but your consideration of other possibilities will strengthen your research and bolster the reliability of your findings.

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