Source Analysis – OPC-VL

Students will be able to:

  • Identify the origin and purpose of a historical document
  • Summarize the important content in a historical document
  • Evaluate the values and limitations of a document based on their origin, purpose, and content.

O - Origin

Origin refers to where the source came from. It includes the name of the author/artist, date it was written/finished, which country the author/artist was born in or lives (if known), where the source was actually produced, or in which media (newspaper, book, letter, etc.) it was presented.

P - Purpose

Purpose tries to investigate the purpose or intent of the source. It tries to identify who the intended audience was, and pays special attention to the tools that are used that try to persuade the audience.

C – Content

Content simply tries to provide a solid summary of what information is in the source. It looks at the main idea as well as key details that provide insight into the issue being addressed. A close look at content can help us achieve a better understanding of history.

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V - Value

Value looks at the ways that the source is valuable to historians. There are many ways a source can have value. It can have value in relation to either origin, purpose, or content. When a source rates high in value, it is an indicator that the source can be extremely useful and credible to historians.

L - Limitations

Limitations take into consideration the weaknesses of sources. No source is perfect. Limitations focus on how sources might be biased or untrustworthy. All sources will have some sort of bias, and all sources should be questioned in terms of their purpose and message. Sources can be limited in terms of origin, purpose, or content. In general, sources that have significant limitations are of less value to historians.

Values / Limitations
Origin
When, where, and by whom it was produced? /
  • The author / creator of the source is an important or influential historical figure
  • The author / creator of the source is extremely knowledgeable on the issue (like an expert or an eyewitness)
  • The organization that produced the document is large, well-known, and/ or generally seen as being trustworthy.
/
  • The author or creator is unknown
  • The author or creator’s credibility on the issue is in doubt

Purpose
Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose or intended outcome? /
  • The document has an important purpose relating to a significant issue
  • The document presented both sides of an issue and was fairly objective with little bias
/
  • The document is extremely biased and does not show all perspectives on the issue
  • The document’s intent to persuade severely limits its value to inform

Content
What is the document about?
What does it say?
What are important details? How valuable is it? /
  • The document provides important information or details on a topic
  • The document provides an accurate account of history
  • The document is significant because the ideas and content had a lasting impact on history
/
  • The document leaves out important information on the issue or topic
  • The document is perhaps inaccurate or only partially true