Question 3 - usefulness (1 Viewer)

[simone.lee]

Does anyone have any sample answers from a usefulness question? (one they have answered in a half-yearly, or even a practice answer from an old HSC paper or something)

I know what points to consider when answering these types of questions (assess the usefulness......) but I'm a bit stuck on the way I should be structuring it.

 

[chicktracts]

This is the structure I use:

Source 1

Paragraph 1 - Perspective and Reliability
Paragraph 2 - Usefulness

Source 2

Paragraph 3 - Perspective and Reliability
Paragraph 4 - Usefulness

Do NOT compare the sources.

When discussing a source's reliability, select 3 points that influence the source's realiability.

For example, you can comment on the source type: First, what is the source type? Is it a memoir? Is it a letter? Is it a speech? Is it a cartoon? Secondly, does the source type increase the source's reliability or does it hamper the source's reliability? And thirdly, why?

Quote the source.

When evaluating a source's usefulness in addressing the question:

- state what can be learned from the source; and
- highlight its weaknesses/limitations.

Hope this helps.

 

[JRO]

We were generally taught that you SHOULD conclude with a brief comparison of the sources in regards to how useful/reliable they may be to the historian studying the topic in question. I've found it makes a solid and strong conclusion yet also shows reasonable deapth of analysis.

 

[whitnall8]

We were taught to spend one page one each source and do them completely separately, similar to what chicktracts said

 

[annabackwards]

OMCARPU - Origin, motive, content (one line summary), audience, reliability, perspective and usefulness.

Shouldn't be more than one page for each souce and if you mention everything above in a logical order and tie it all to reliability then usefulness, you should get great marks

 

[JRO]

OMCARPU - Origin, motive, content (one line summary), audience, reliability, perspective and usefulness.

Shouldn't be more than one page for each souce and if you mention everything above in a logical order and tie it all to reliability then usefulness, you should get great marks

Similar to what I've done. Just with a brief comparison.
The question is always assess usefulness to a historian studying [...]. So you can compare their usefulllness, but on that note, not saying one is totaly useful and the other is useless (all sources are useful).

"Hence, both sources C and D are useful to a histroian studying life in the trenches because, with appropriate coborration fo sources, they give the historian insight into the varying attidues and perspectives of trench life between Allied and German soldiers during WWI."