Paper 2

You have been introduced to cartoon analysis last term.
This formed the introduction to the 'Source' based study which is what forms Paper 2.
You will begin to work out entire 'Source' based papers soon.So here come tips which you might find useful in tackling this paper.

Meaning of a 'Source' in History:

Evidence is used by historians to come to a balanced judgment on issues that concern them. The use of evidence forms the bedrock of research.


Many questions at exam level will require candidates to demonstrate their knowledge on how to handle evidence. The evidence - known as sources - presented to a candidate on an exam paper will usually be in the form of a photograph, cartoon etc. An examiner will expect the better answers to contain certain terminology which shows that a candidate does not necessarily take evidence for granted. Such terminology would include primary evidence, secondary evidence, reliable and bias.

All candidates need to know what each of these words mean.

Primary evidence is evidence that actually comes from the time being studied in the question. If you were studying the "Titanic", actual evidence that has been brought to the surface and is on display would be primary evidence. The memories of survivors would be primary evidence.

Secondary evidence is the opposite of primary. This is evidence that does not come from the time being studied. The recent film "Titanic" is secondary evidence. Historians frequently produce secondary evidence. The book "Cromwell" by Antonia Fraser has to be a piece of secondary evidence simply because Fraser was not alive at the time of Cromwell.

Historians will use a vast amount of sources - both primary and secondary - during their work. It is important for them to cross-reference all their used sources to get as balanced view as is possible.


If sources/evidence have been cross-referenced, it is safe to conclude within the realms of probability, that the finished product is reliable. If other evidence supports a specific piece of evidence, then that piece of evidence can be called reliable.

Bias is always a problem with regards to the study of evidence. Some sources are blatantly biased as would be clear in any study of Nazi Germany. Bias can be in favor of someone/something or not in favor. The sources from Nazi Germany which target the Jews were clearly not in favor of them and were biased against this group. Sources relating to Hitler were clearly in his favor and showed him in a good light - a privilege not extended to the Jews. Such evidence has to be treated with care and a knowledge of where it came from, what date it was produced and any reasons for it being produced have to be known before concluding whether the source is biased or not.

Even evidence that is clearly biased is of value to an historian. He/she should ask such questions as why it was produced ? Would there be a motive for the production of clearly biased sources ? If so, what was happening in that society, which tolerated the production of such material ?


HOW TO TACKLE PAPER 2


Source Study Questions:

Remember

The first thing to do when confronted by a Sourcework question is to establish:

1.WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS IT?

Remember

when answering:

= ALWAYS use a quote/ facts from the Sources.

= ALWAYS use your own knowledge/ FACTS - esp. when it says ‘use your own knowledge’



How do I do Sourcework?

This is a question which many students have.

What follows are suggestions only, and by far the best way to learn how to do these will be to write answers to actual questions.



REMEMBER – Do NOT ever use the word 'biased'. 'Biased' is a pejorative word, and it makes it sound as though the source is not reliable or useful - where, of course, 'biased' sources can be both. Use the word 'one-sided' instead. If you MUST use the word 'biased', at least spell it right: 'b-i-a-s-e-d'.



There are basically FIVE types of Sourcework question:



1.Extraction (ie what can we GET OUT of this source?)

eg ‘What can we learn from Source(s) A (B,C etc.)... about ?’

REMEMBER – The examiners will usually ask this about a specific issue addressed by the source, so IGNORE anything in the source which does not deal with what they are asking about.

REMEMBER – This is usually a smaller/easier question, so look at how many marks are up for grabs and don't spend too long on it.



1st Describe what the surface information says - if the question is worth 3 marks, simply list three relevant facts the source tells you.

2nd If the question is worth 5 marks, see what the source infers – is there a message ‘between the lines’/ is it trying to create ‘an impression’/ is there an underlying message/ does it tell you further things about the author/the times/the situation? Include at least two inferences. Can you 'put two things from the source together' to deduce something further?



2.Differences:

eg ‘How/Why is Source A’s interpretation different to Source B’s?’

1st If you have been asked simply HOW the content differs, look first for OBVIOUS surface differences of fact, but then study the words/ details to deduce differences in approach, emphasis or tone.

2nd If you have been asked WHY the sources are different, you will need to compare who wrote them, in what situation, and the motives/ intentions/purpose of the author - depends on the sources and the wording of the question. This is a question when it is usually vital to use your own knowledge

3rd Make sure you come to a CONCLUSION based on facts/inferences/interpretations in the sources.



3.Accuracy/Reliability:

eg ‘How accurate is Source A as a source of information...?’

REMEMBER – primary sources (from the time) are immediate and even eyewitness, but they may lack perspective/ objectivity/ may be one-sided. Secondary sources (written afterwards – eg textbooks) can be dispassionate and use a number of primary sources, but they may be guilty of misinterpreting facts (until the 1960s, history books were often written to carry a message – eg Marxist, Nazi)

REMEMBER – sometimes the question may ask you about the 'validity' of the source = accuracy!

1st Test the information/claims of the source against other sources and your own knowledge. Does it give the true facts and feelings from the time – use your own knowledge.

2nd VITAL:Look at the provenance to establish context, origin and purpose – the situation in which it was written, who wrote it, and whether it is one-sided/propaganda etc. Look at sufficiency – does it give the whole story – what has it missed? Relate what you are saying to the specific context of the source - try to talk not only about generalities such as 'it may be biased', but about the specific situation (e.g. would be biased because...')

3rd Make sure you come to aCONCLUSION based on facts.



4.Utility (utility = 'usefulness' to historians)

eg ‘How useful is Source A to…?’

REMEMBER – nothing is ever useless; even the most one-sided source full of lies reveals what that author thought. Talk most about the ways in which the source is useful.

REMEMBER – this is a question about Quantity and Quality - how much information is it telling you, and how trustworthy is the information it is telling you? A USEFUL source is a source that TELLS YOU A LOT and WHICH YOU CAN TRUST.

REMEMBER – NEVER use the word 'reliable' in a utility question; the examiner will assume you are muddling the concepts up and divide your mark by two. If the accuracy of the source is an issue, use the word 'trustworthy' instead, but make it clear that you are saying this as part of assessing the source's utility.

1st Look at what the source is telling you and compare it to what you need/would like to know – remember both surface and inferred information.

2nd Measure the sufficiency of the source – how much info/ are there gaps?

3rd Useful for what? Can you trust the author's statements? Look at accuracy, context, origin and purpose: a source which is inaccurate may be useful for revealing the author's opinions and prejudices, but it is not useful for telling us the facts. Is the author’s view objective/typical?

4 th Compare the source'sSTRENGTHS against its LIMITATIONS and come to a



5. REACHING CONCLUSIONS.

eg ‘Use all the Sources to debate . . . .’

1st Recount relevant surface/inferred information from the Sources.

2nd Realise that the sources support both sides of the argument., and that you can use the sources and your own knowledge to argue both for and against the proposition.

3rd Weigh the evidence to come down one way or the other, OR state case and prove it, discounting contrary evidence

4th VITAL:Refer to the content and utility (sufficiency/ accuracy and reliability) of the sources in debate.