The document provides a chart that outlines different types of historical documents, including their origin, purpose, value as a historical source, and potential limitations. It discusses primary sources like diaries, letters, speeches, memoirs, official documents, statistics, and photographs. It also covers secondary sources such as history texts, biographies, cartoons, and newspaper articles. For each type of document, the chart identifies key details about its origin and purpose and assesses its value for historians while also noting potential limitations.

1. BIFS IB History
OPVL Chart
Document Type Origin Purpose Value Limitations
 Is it a primary source?  Private reflection?  Content  Personal involvement could lead to
Diary Entry  Who wrote it?  Private reflection with the  Eyewitness account mistruths, omissions, justifications
 Was this person a key view to being published  Person was part of the for actions and undue emphasis
individual? later in a memoir? decision-making placed on certain events.
 When in the course of  Attempts to justify actions? process  Might be written with a view to
events was it written?  Could be candid and later publication and therefore
honest wanting to appear in a positive
light.
 Needs to be cross-referenced with
other primary sources.
 Is it a primary source?  Private and candid  Content  Personal involvement could lead to
Letter  Who wrote it? comments between  Eyewitness account mistruths, omissions, justifications
 Was this person a key individuals?  Person was part of the for actions and undue emphasis
individual?  Not necessarily intended decision-making placed on certain events.
 When in the course of for public consumption? process  Might be written with a view to
events was it written?  Attempt to justify actions?  Could be candid and later publication and therefore
 Attempt to persuade the honest wanting to appear in a positive
recipient to follow a course light.
or action?  Needs to be cross-referenced with
other primary sources.
 Is it a primary source?  Public statement of  Content  Personal involvement could lead to
Speech  Who delivered the thoughts or of official  Statement of official mistruths, omissions, justifications
speech? policies? policy for actions and undue emphasis
 Was this person a key  Propaganda?  Statement of the placed on certain events.
individual?  Facts omitted or individual’s personal  Propaganda?
 When in the course of exaggerated to suit the ideas and thoughts  Facts omitted or exaggerated to suit
events did it occur? audience?  Reaction to various the audience.
 Where was the speech events  Needs to be cross-referenced with
made?  Statement of intention other primary sources.
 Who was the audience?
OPVL Chart 1

2. Document Type Origin Purpose Value Limitations
 Whose  Attempt to justify actions?  Content  Personal involvement could lead to
Memoir memoir/memories?  Attempt to remember  Eyewitness account mistruths, omissions, justifications
Recollections  Was this person a key details of events for later  Person was part of the for actions and undue emphasis
individual? generations? decision-making placed on certain events.
 How long after the  For the general public? process  Written for publication and
period was the memoir  Could be candid and therefore wanting to appear in a
published or the honest positive light.
memories recounted?  Could be a source of  Needs to be cross-referenced with
valuable information other primary sources.
that otherwise would
be lost
 Is it a primary source?  Public statement of official  Content  Propaganda?
Official  Which institution policies?  Statement of official  Exaggerations?
Government published this material?  Propaganda? policy  Only shows one aspect of
Document  Was this document a  Facts omitted or  Reaction to various government policy?
significant document at exaggerated to suit the events  Does not show the reasons behind
the time? audience?  Statement of intention the policy.
 Does not show how or whether the
policy was actually implemented.
 Is it a primary source?  Public statement of official  Content  Propaganda?
Statistics  Which institution figures?  Statement of official  Exaggeration?
published this material?  Propaganda? figures  Only shows one set of figures
 Was this document a  Facts omitted or  A historian’s summary  Does not show the reasons behind
significant document at exaggerated to suit the of facts and figures the statistics.
the time? audience?  Does not show how these statistics
 Or is it/has it been  Statistics used to illustrate were collected.
compiled by a historian a historian’s point?
as part of his/her
analysis?
OPVL Chart 2

3. Document Type Origin Purpose Value Limitations
 Nationality of the  Scholarship  Objectivity  Only an extract
History Text historian?  Objectivity  Thoroughly researched  Topic may have been only briefly
 Where was it published?  For students of history and  Access to a wide range researched because it is only a small
 When was it published? for the general public of sources and part of general history text.
interested in history evidence  May not have had access to the full
 To revise previous  Hindsight range of sources especially if
interpretations of the  New evidence published in the West before the
period or events?  Analysis of cause and opening of Soviet archives in 1991
 To present an alternative effect or before the publication of the
view? Chinese “literature of the
wounded”, for example.
 Nationality of the  Scholarship?  Objectivity  Only an extract
Biography biographer?  Objectivity?  Thoroughly researched  Topic may have been only briefly
 The relationship between  For students of history and  Access to a wide range researched because it is only a small
biographer and the for the general public of sources and part of the person’s life.
person? interested in history and in evidence  Justification
 Where was it published? the lives of important  Hindsight  May not have had access to the full
 When was it published? people?  New evidence range of sources especially if
 To revise previous  Analysis of events and published in the West before the
interpretations of this of a person’s opening of Soviet archives in 1991
person’s life? contributions or before the publication of the
 To present an alternative Chinese “literature of the
view? wounded”, for example.
 Is it a primary source?  Private family photo?  Snapshot of a moment  Propaganda
Photograph  Who took the photo?  Posed? in time  Posed
 Was it originally for  Propaganda?  Shows how people
private use or the public? lived/dressed/acted
 Could be a source of
valuable information
that otherwise would
be lost
OPVL Chart 3

4. Document Type Origin Purpose Value Limitations
 Was it drawn at the time?  An interpretation of events  A reflection of public  Biased
Cartoon  Nationality of the artist? at the time opinion at the time in  Opinionated
 In which newspaper or  Political comment for one of the countries  Does not show the evidence to
journal did it originally readers about particular involved support opinion
appear? events or policies.  Insightful analysis of  May reflect uninformed public
 Propaganda? events and policies opinion
 If published in another
country, is it a positive or
negative comment which
reflects that country’s
public opinion?
 Was the article written at  An interpretation of events  Reflection of public  Biased
Newspaper Article the time? at the time opinion at the time in  Opinionated
or Editorial  Or was it written later?  Political comment for one of the countries  Does not show the evidence to
 Nationality of the readers about particular involved support assertions
journalist? events or policies  Insightful analysis of  May reflect uninformed public
 In which newspaper did  Propaganda? events and policies opinion
it originally appear?  If published in another
country, is it a positive or
negative comment which
reflects that country’s
public opinion?
OPVL Chart 4