- Determining how far a source helps you to understand a topi of an issue (amount of knowledge provided in the source)
- Judge sources utility → by studying what the source tells you and what the source does not tell you (limitations of source)
- DIFFERENT from reliability
| Utility | Reliability |
|---|---|
| Focus is on whether source guides your understanding of issue | Focus on whether source is trustworthy/believable |
| VERY VERY CLOSELY LINKED TO RELIABILITY |
Question Types
- is source A of any use to your understanding of…
- How Useful is source A to your understanding of…
- Assess Usefulness…
- How far can source B be used as an evidence to show…
- is source C useless as an evidence to show…
Note
there is usually an issue presented in the question. you need to answer with regards to the issue
Source E is useful in showing that enough has been done to assimilate immigrants because it shows me that France have programs in place to help immigrants adapt to the French culture and to learn the language.
Don’t end before the “because”. Always add a reason for why the statement in the question is true/not true
Format
Paragraph 1: Usefulness based off content. → start with: “source … is useful in showing that … because it shows me that…” → remember to quote evidence + explain why it is useful
Paragraph 2: Cross reference paragraph → same as reliability → “Source … is useful as evidence to show that … as it is supported by source … which also shows that …”
Important
USEFUL: If the given source is supported by another source → it means that the content presented in the source is reliable and therefore useful.
NOT USEFUL: if the given source is not supported by another source → it means the content presented in the source is not reliable and therefore not useful
→ NEEDS to be included in cross reference paragraph!
Highest Level Paragraph:
- Examine authors purpose/tone, and consider provenance.
- Does author have agenda? Does author hope to achieve anything through the source
- Does author want to change outcome of an event?
- Can you pick out the way the content is presented through the choice of words used by author
- Are there limitations in the source
Note
An unreliable source giver can still be useful because it tells the viewpoint of the writer or speaker
Skill of Utility is closely related to Reliability for the last paragraph → if you are doing: author, tone, purpose or things related to that → always relate it to the fact that it is reliable and thus useful
- you can’t really use this when there is missing information in the source, which does not really tie to the issue question
Important
for every para, make sure to say reliable / not reliable, thus useful / not useful. else youll get a 0!!!