Study Tips
How to Answer Source Questions in History
By James Whitfield · · 4 min read
Quick answer
Evaluate sources by considering who produced them, when, why and for whom — then judge usefulness or reliability in relation to the specific question asked. Avoid generic criticisms such as 'it is biased'; every source has a viewpoint, and what matters is what that viewpoint tells you.
Read the provenance first
The attribution line above or below the source is not decoration — it is often where most of the marks are. Who wrote it, when, in what role, for what audience and purpose.
Read it before the source itself. Knowing that something is a private letter written thirty years afterwards changes how you read every sentence in it.
'Biased' is not an argument
Every source has a perspective, so noting bias by itself says nothing. Examiners see this constantly and it earns little.
The useful move is to say what the bias tells you. A propaganda poster may be unreliable about facts and extremely valuable as evidence of what the government wanted people to believe — which is a genuine historical judgement.
Usefulness depends on the question
No source is useful in the abstract. A partisan speech may be useless for establishing what happened and excellent for understanding attitudes at the time.
Always tie your judgement to the specific enquiry: useful for what, exactly? That phrase alone lifts many answers a band.
Bring your own knowledge
Source questions expect you to test the source against what you know. Does it fit with the wider context? Does it omit something significant? Is it representative of views at the time?
This contextual knowledge is usually the difference between describing a source and evaluating it, and it is where many students under-perform.
Cross-reference where asked
When given several sources, compare them. Where do they agree, where do they conflict, and can the differences be explained by who produced them?
Explaining disagreement through provenance is exactly the historical reasoning being assessed, and it is more valuable than listing similarities and differences.
Reach a judgement
Finish by answering the question directly. Which source is more useful, and why? How far do the sources support the statement? An answer that evaluates without concluding leaves marks behind.
Be specific about the limits too: useful for this, less so for that. Qualified judgements read as historically literate rather than evasive.
Frequently asked questions
What does provenance mean?+
Where a source came from — its author, date, type, audience and purpose. It is usually stated in the attribution line, and it is often where the majority of evaluation marks sit.
Can a biased source still be useful?+
Very much so. A biased source is often the best evidence available for attitudes, propaganda aims or the beliefs of a group. Its unreliability about facts is a separate question from its usefulness.
Should I use my own knowledge in source questions?+
Yes, and most mark schemes require it. Testing the source against wider context is what turns description into evaluation.
How long should a source answer be?+
Follow the marks and the time available — a four-mark question needs a focused paragraph, a longer evaluation needs several. Length itself earns nothing without evaluation.
What phrases should I avoid?+
Generic ones such as 'this source is biased so it is unreliable', or 'it is only one person's opinion'. Say what the perspective reveals instead, which is the actual historical skill.
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