Source questions can feel unpredictable because every extract, image or account is different. The reliable part is the thinking process. Students can learn to investigate what the source says, why it was produced and how far it helps with the enquiry.
The short version
- Read the exact question before studying the source.
- Identify the source’s main message and select precise evidence.
- Explain what the provenance may add or limit.
- Test the source against relevant contextual knowledge.
- Reach a judgement that answers the wording of the question.
1. Start with the enquiry
A source is never useful or convincing in the abstract. It is useful for a particular purpose. Circle the subject, time period and command word in the question. A source might be very useful for understanding official attitudes but less useful for discovering ordinary people’s experiences. The question determines what matters.
2. Explain the source’s message
Identify the central point rather than copying a quotation. Select a short detail and explain what it suggests. If the source is visual, consider symbols, captions, composition and the people or events emphasised. The key move is from evidence to inference: “This suggests…” followed by a clear explanation.
3. Use provenance with a purpose
Provenance means who produced the source, when, where, for whom and why. These details matter only when connected to the question. Avoid automatic statements such as “it is biased, so it is useless”. A source created to persuade can be extremely useful evidence of the message its author wanted an audience to accept.
A better provenance question
Ask: What was this person in a position to know, and what were they trying to achieve? That produces a more precise evaluation than simply labelling the source reliable or unreliable.
4. Apply contextual knowledge
Use a carefully chosen fact to test or develop what the source communicates. Context should not become a separate narrative of everything remembered about the topic. One accurate piece of knowledge, clearly connected to the source, is more useful than a long paragraph that drifts away from the enquiry.
5. Make a supported judgement
A judgement should weigh the source’s strengths and limitations for the stated purpose. It might conclude that the source is useful for one aspect of the enquiry but needs other evidence for another. Use the wording of the question in the final sentence so the examiner can see that the evaluation has remained focused.
A practical paragraph pattern
- Point: state how the source helps answer the enquiry.
- Evidence: select a short quotation or precise visual detail.
- Inference: explain what that evidence suggests.
- Context/provenance: test or qualify the inference.
- Link: return to the exact question.
Question types and mark schemes differ between AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Students should use this thinking method alongside the current guidance and examples for their own specification.