How to Answer the "How Useful is the Source?" Question
The source analysis question is not about what a source tells you — it is about how useful it is as evidence for a specific enquiry. This guide breaks down exactly how AQA examiners differentiate a Level 3 answer from a Level 1, and how to write one in under 12 minutes.
What This Question Asks
The 8-mark source analysis question is typically phrased as: "How useful is Source A to a historian studying [specific enquiry]?" or "How useful are Sources A and B for an enquiry into [topic]?" The key word is "useful" — not "reliable," "biased," or "accurate." AQA wants you to evaluate a source as a piece of historical evidence for a defined purpose. This requires you to do three distinct things: comment on the content (what the source actually shows or says and how that is useful to the enquiry); evaluate the provenance using NOP — Nature, Origin, Purpose (what type of source it is, who created it, when, and why it was created, and how these factors affect its usefulness); and apply your own contextual knowledge to assess what the source confirms, challenges, or leaves out. A common error is to call a source "biased and therefore not useful" — AQA mark schemes reward students who recognise that even a biased source can be useful, for example as evidence of the attitudes of the person who created it.
Mark Scheme Breakdown
- Simple comprehension of the source — the student describes what it shows without evaluating its usefulness.
- Statements such as "the source is useful because it tells us about [topic]" with no further development.
- No engagement with provenance and no application of own knowledge.
- The specific enquiry stated in the question is not addressed — the student comments on the source in general rather than for the defined purpose.
- Developed statements about the utility of the source that begin to use the content or provenance.
- Some reference to provenance (e.g. who wrote it or when) but without explaining how this affects usefulness.
- Some own knowledge may be used but it is not explicitly linked to evaluating the source's utility.
- The answer addresses the enquiry named in the question but not consistently throughout.
- At the top of this band, the student may address both content and provenance but without fully evaluating either.
- Complex evaluation of the source's utility that draws on both content and provenance.
- Provenance is evaluated using NOP (Nature, Origin, Purpose) and the student explains HOW the provenance affects usefulness — not just states what the provenance is.
- Precise contextual knowledge is applied to confirm, challenge, or contextualise what the source shows.
- The student makes an explicit judgement about the degree of usefulness and links this consistently to the specific enquiry named in the question.
- The student may recognise that a source can be both useful and limited simultaneously.
How to Structure Your Answer
Content — What does the source show and how is that useful?
Begin by identifying what the source actually contains (for a visual source: what it depicts; for a text source: what the author claims or describes) and link this directly to the named enquiry. Do not simply say "the source shows X" — say "the source shows X, which is useful for the enquiry into Y because it provides evidence that..." This paragraph should use brief quotation or specific reference to the source content.
"Source A is useful for an enquiry into living conditions in the trenches because it depicts soldiers surrounded by mud and standing water in a waterlogged dugout. The detail of improvised shelter and the exhausted expressions of the men provides direct visual evidence of the poor conditions that soldiers endured, supporting historical accounts of trench foot and psychological strain on the Western Front."
Provenance (NOP) — Evaluate Nature, Origin, and Purpose
This is the most important and most commonly neglected part of the source question. NOP stands for Nature (what type of source it is — a photograph, a government report, a private letter, a propaganda poster), Origin (who created it, when, and where), and Purpose (why it was created — to inform, to persuade, to record, to entertain). You must explain how each element of the provenance affects the source's usefulness for the specific enquiry. Do not just state the provenance — evaluate its impact. A government report written to justify a policy is useful as evidence of official thinking, but may underrepresent evidence that contradicts the government's position.
"The source is a photograph taken in 1916 by an official British Army photographer. Its origin as an official image means it was likely subject to censorship — images showing extreme suffering or low morale may have been suppressed, meaning this source may present a more tolerable version of trench life than the reality. However, its nature as a photographic record still provides useful visual evidence of physical conditions that written sources might sanitise, and its official origin means it was taken at the actual front, giving it authenticity of location."
Contextual knowledge — What does your own knowledge add?
Apply specific own knowledge to evaluate the source — to confirm what it shows, to identify what it leaves out (its limitations), or to challenge its representation. This is where students earn the marks that differentiate Level 2 from Level 3. The contextual knowledge should be precise (specific facts, dates, or statistics) and it must be explicitly linked to the source's usefulness — not simply stated as separate information.
"Contextual knowledge confirms that conditions in the trenches were dire: over 15,000 British soldiers were treated for trench foot alone in the winter of 1914–15, and reports from the Western Front described men standing in water for days without relief. This corroborates what the source depicts, strengthening its utility as evidence. However, the source shows soldiers at rest rather than during combat, which means it does not capture the conditions under shellfire or gas attack that historians studying the psychological impact of the trenches would also need to consider."
Overall judgement — How useful is the source for this specific enquiry?
End with a clear evaluative judgement that directly answers the question. Avoid extremes: "completely useful" and "not useful at all" are both wrong, because every source has both utility and limitations. Acknowledge both, then reach a balanced verdict. Make sure your judgement is tied to the specific enquiry named in the question — a source that is very useful for one enquiry may be less useful for another.
"Overall, Source A is moderately useful for an enquiry into living conditions in the trenches because its visual content provides direct evidence of the physical environment, and its origin at the actual front gives it authenticity. However, its purpose as an official photograph means it may have been selected to present conditions as bearable, and it does not capture the most extreme moments of combat or disease. A historian would need to use it alongside soldier diaries or medical reports to gain a complete picture."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Top Tips
Practise This Question Type
"How useful is Source A to a historian studying the impact of the First World War on attitudes towards women's suffrage in Britain?" [8 marks] Source A: A poster produced by the British government's Parliamentary Recruitment Committee in 1915, depicting women encouraging their husbands and sons to enlist, with the caption "Women of Britain Say — GO!"
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