Tips To Paper 2 Source-Based Questions

Tips to Paper 2 source-based questions
Rule #1 – Thou shalt answer the question directly in your

(use the keywords from the question) first sentence.
No need for an introduction
Rule #2 – Thou shalt not summarize. No question will ask you

to summarize the sources, so never do it.
Rule #3– In comparison questions, thou shalt state exactly what

the similarity/different is (discussing
sources separately will be a fail)
Rule #4 - Any question that involves 2 or more questions are comparison

questions.
In these questions, be CAREFUL: What does the question ask
you to compare? Sometimes it’s only attitude or view about
something, or sometimes it’s usefulness, or sometimes reliability
Rule #5 – Thou shalt USE THE SOURCE(s) to back up your arguments i.e. lots of
evidence and
quotes from the sources
Rule #6 – Thou shalt check if the question wants to you have 2-sided arguments.
E.g. only question #3 below is one-sided.
Rule #7 - Thou shalt not just look at the surface meaning. You may be expected to
also discuss
the irony, tone or hidden messages sometimes.
Rule #8 - How useful is the source ≠ how reliable is the source:
USEFULNESS: What can the source show that is helpful for us to understand
something VS.
What the source fails to show that’s important and should be shown
(mainly the content of the sources, but also providence!)
RELIABILITY: Reasons we can trust the source VS. Reasons we can’t trust
the source
Use provenance of the sources to judge

("provenance" means date, author’s position, purpose, reasons for
bias…)
How to answer each type of question
1 - How far do Source X and Source Y agree/disagree with each other?
The two sources agree/disagree only to some extent.
On one hand the sources agree because they both have a _____
attitude/view about…. → quote
The sources agree in their view about… / The sources both view ..…
as……→ quote + explain
However, the sources disagree in the way they look at… → quote +
explain
+One sentence to sum up your judgement on 'how far'
(Note:
 Make sure you are identifying the similarities and differences, NOT just
summarizing
 Make sure you're comparing how the sources interpret the historical events
(e.g. 'Both sources have a negative view on..."), NOT just comparing what the
sources are about (e.g. "Both sources are about USA and Cuba)
 Sometimes the agreements / disagreements are not directly expressed in the
sources, but implied
 The fact that the sources have the same focus doesn’t mean they agree! The
fact that the sources are about different topics doesn’t mean they disagree!)
2- Does Source X prove Source Y to be true/wrong?
On one hand, Source A proves Source B to be true because…. →

quote
Source A proves/affirms Source B’s point about….by saying…→
quote
On the other hand, Source A may prove Source B to be wrong

because…→ quote
Source A disproves Source B by saying… → quote
+One sentence to sum up your final judgement
(in this question, you can focus on the content of the sources, but also the
provenance of the sources: e.g. if a source can be biased, it can’t be used to
disprove another source. But you must explain why you think the source is biased)
3- Why was Source X published in the year 19xx?
Source A was published in 19… because it aims to…. (+ evidence)
(Make sure you first identify the big picture of the source. Then explain why the
author published it in that particular year. This question involves lots of contextual
knowledge.
Show that you understand the main message of the source, and discuss clearly the
purpose / intention of the source, in the context of your own
knowledge of the context of that period, and what did the
author want to achieve by making the source known)
4- Study Sources X and Y. Is one of these sources more useful than the
other about…?
Yes, Source… is more useful than Source … in different ways.
In terms of content, Source… can be more useful than Source …

both sources can be similarly useful.
In terms of reliability, …..
In conclusion, Source … is more useful because…/ both sources are

almost equally useful because…
5 - Are you surprised by this source?
Yes, I’m quite surprised by the source as it confirms that … instead

of…
Taking into account the fact that the source was written by … it
makes me more/less surprised…
The fact that “….” does / doesn’t surprise me because… I expect it

to be… because…
I’m not surprised by the claim that…. because the source is written
by….
Overall I am only a bit surprised that….because…
(Your answer should discuss content, provenance, and your own knowledge)
not surprised: discuss the parts that are reasonable or things you’ve already
expected….
Surprised : discuss the parts you don’t expect, either the content, the message,
author, the date…
6 - Last question: How far do all these sources prove that…….. ? (12
marks)
(a 2-sided answer will be immediately awarded 7 out of 12 marks!)
You don’t need to use every source, but don’t skip more than one
For each side:

- show which sources support this side
- quote from sources as evidence
- explain how the source supports this side
- for some sources, you may need to evaluate their reliability and purpose in order
to judge whether they prove the statement or not (this gives you the highest
marks)
Finally give a short final judgement on "how far"
Other types of questions

There are times when a question is not like any of the above. But don't worry! They
are probably asking the same thing if you read carefully.
E.g. "Source A is about events before the Cuban Missile Crisis. Does it mean it has no
use to historians studying the Crisis?"
---- this is basically asking "how useful is the source"
E.g. Why do you think Kennedy recorded this meeting?

---- this is basically asking "what is the purpose of the source" (like question #3
above)
E.g. How do you think the cartoonist in Source X would react to what Kennedy says in
Source Y?"
---- this is similar to "how far do the sources agree"
Finally, if you encounter a question which you have absolutely no

clue,
remember there are numerous other candidates who also have
absolutely no clue! So...

Tips To Paper 2 Source-Based Questions

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Tips to Paper 2 source-based questions

Rule #1 – Thou shalt answer the question directly in your

Rule #2 – Thou shalt not summarize. No question will ask you

Rule #3– In comparison questions, thou shalt state exactly what

Rule #4 - Any question that involves 2 or more questions are comparison

Rule #8 - How useful is the source ≠ how reliable is the source:

(mainly the content of the sources, but also providence!)

1 - How far do Source X and Source Y agree/disagree with each other?

The two sources agree/disagree only to some extent.

+One sentence to sum up your judgement on 'how far'

2- Does Source X prove Source Y to be true/wrong?

On one hand, Source A proves Source B to be true because…. →

On the other hand, Source A may prove Source B to be wrong

+One sentence to sum up your final judgement

3- Why was Source X published in the year 19xx?

Source A was published in 19… because it aims to…. (+ evidence)

Yes, Source… is more useful than Source … in different ways.

In terms of content, Source… can be more useful than Source …

In terms of reliability, …..

In conclusion, Source … is more useful because…/ both sources are

5 - Are you surprised by this source?

Yes, I’m quite surprised by the source as it confirms that … instead

The fact that “….” does / doesn’t surprise me because… I expect it

Overall I am only a bit surprised that….because…

(a 2-sided answer will be immediately awarded 7 out of 12 marks!)

For each side:

Finally give a short final judgement on "how far"

Other types of questions

E.g. Why do you think Kennedy recorded this meeting?

Finally, if you encounter a question which you have absolutely no

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