How should I answer a source based question in an exam?
When answering a source based question, you need to focus on the 5W's. By answering each of them, you will address each of the problems of a source based question.
5Ws: WHO / WHAT / WHEN / WHERE / WHY
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WHO: Firstly ask yourself WHO is writing the source and what is their background and how this will impact their interpretation. Then ask yourself WHO their audience is and how this might shape what they are saying. For example, if a teacher asks a student their opinion on their lesson or their friend (fellow student) asked them their opinion - what the individual says might differ because of their audience.
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WHAT: Establish WHAT argument/opinion is being presented on a subject, whether it is positive or negative, where are they positioning themselves on the topic? WHAT is the context of what they are discussing?
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WHEN: Examine WHEN the source was written, place into context of the time and what events had happened surrounding when that source was written - is it a common interpretaion of that time or would it be unusual?
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WHERE: Look at WHERE the source has been published/written, how this environment might have shaped the author's interpretation/what they have written. Is it in a newspaper, a diary or a private letter?
5. WHY: Lastly, the most important question - which links back to all the previous W's - but WHY has the source been written? What was the author trying to achieve? This links back to audience and whether the source was meant to be private, personal opinions therefore perhaps a more honest opinion or published, i.e. meant to persuade others. You need to question the purpose of a source as it can effect the reliability of the source and how useful it could be.
In an exam you would go through your sources highlighting the 5W's, once you have done that you will have all of the information you need to answer any questions on the source. The most important technique when answering a source question, is to constantly question the source and not to take it at face value, but to understand why a topic has been depicted or discussed in a certain way.
