Weimar Germany - exam preparation - OCR BHow useful are (sources) for historians?(15 marks)

The second question will ask you to look at two different sources and a historian’s interpretation. You will need to consider how the sources could be of use to a historian looking at a particular topic. These are likely to be a mixture of primary and secondary sources.

Example:

How useful are B, C and D for a historian studying [___]?

In this question you should look to do three things:

1. Show that you have knowledge and understanding of the topic raised in the question. It is important that you can place sources within their historical context.
2. Analyse the sources you have been given, evaluate how useful they are in finding out about the topic in the question.
3. Analyse the interpretation you have been given, evaluate how useful it is in finding out about the topic in the question.

Tips:

• You will need to look at the sources AND use your own knowledge in your writing – don’t do one or the other, do both! Use your own knowledge to support what you are saying or challenge the usefulness of a source.
• Make sure you stay focussed on the idea of how useful the sources are throughout your writing – don’t stray into general examination of their strengths/weaknesses.
• Regularly link back to the question and directly explain how the point you are making demonstrates that the source is/isn’t useful.
• Identify when there are agreements across the sources, ie “both sources B and C suggest that…” If you can group ideas/issues together in your writing this is better than looking at each of the sources alone.
• Consider the limitations of the sources/interpretation when you are thinking about usefulness.
• When you analyse sources, consider a range of areas to focus on, use the mnemonic PATCH…