OPCVL With reference to origin purpose and content

OPCVL With reference to origin, purpose, and content, analyze the value and limitations

History Internal Assessment [IA] Will include a section that includes an explanation of two of the documents that you have considered for your IA. For each of the two documents, you will consider the Origin, Purpose, content, Value and Limitations of that document. Of course, we use an acronym in IB: OPc. VL

Here’s what the IB gods say…

Origin �Who is the author? �Primary or secondary? • Note: One is not more reliable than the other. Valuable and limited information can be gleaned from both types of documents. �When was it created/published? �Where was it published? �Who is publishing it? �Is there anything we know about the author that is pertinent to our evaluation?

Purpose �Why did the author create this piece of work? What is the intent? �Why did the author choose this particular format? �Who is the intended audience? Who was the author thinking would receive this? • Purpose to educate, inform, keep record, sell newspapers, critique?

Content �What is the main idea of the source? �What arguments, analysis, or conclusion are present within the source’s content? �How can the content of the source be integrated into my explanation of its origin, purpose, value, and limitation? �Be careful not to place purpose and content together – they are two unique components. �**Only use content with direct reference to value and limitations (same for origin and purpose).

Value � Based on who wrote it (origin), when/where it came from, why it was created (purpose) and what the source says (content)…what value does this document have to historians? � Under what circumstances was the piece created and how does the piece reflect those circumstances? � What can we tell about any controversies from the piece? � What can we tell about the author’s perspectives from the piece? � What was going on in history at the time the piece was created and how does this piece accurately reflect it? (Put the document in historical context!) • It helps if you know the context of the document and can explain what the document helps you to understand about the context.

Limitations �The task here is not to point out the weaknesses of the source, but rather to say: at what point does this source cease to be of value to us as historians? �Don’t state the obvious! • With a primary source document, having an incomplete picture of the whole is a given because the source was created by one person and naturally they will not have given every detail of the context.

Limitations � How reliable is the source? � How/why did it come into existence? � Was it produced of free will or under duress? � What part of the story can we NOT tell from this document? What is missing? � Does the author represent a particular ‘side’ of a controversy/event? Alternative perspective? � Does this piece inaccurately reflect anything about the time period? � What is purposely not addressed? Consistent with other sources form the period?

Reminders for limitations �Don’t use “bias”, use perspective. Every document will have some form of bias and the term carries a negative connotation. �Avoid talking about a translation as a limitation unless you know who translated the document and can speak to the value or limitations of this specific.

Remember… You are trying to consider what value the document has to your investigation… that is why your research question is important. Consider the changing value of the following document given these research questions…

How does a research question influence your OPc. VL? 1. To what extent did the Obama administration attempt to influence the 2016 Presidential election? 2. How did President Trump’s use of Twitter diminish public opinion about government? 3. To what extent did President Trump influence the independent council investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 Presidential election?

Consider the OPc. VL Based on one research question from the previous page…

For Your Part 1: OPc. VL � You need to state your research question � You will briefly explain the nature of the two sources including an explanation of their relevance to your investigation � You will analyze two sources for OPCVL � It should include MLA information � Don’t • • • forget the opc. VL: Reference the Origin Reference the Purpose Reference the Content Analyze the Value Analyze the Limitations • Do this in 400 or so words • It is worth 6 of 25 points