Opvl Chart

BIFS IB History OPVL Chart
Document Type
Diary Entry

Origin
 Is it a primary source?  Who wrote it?  Was this person a key individual?  When in the course of events was it written?

Purpose
 Private reflection?  Private reflection with the view to being published later in a memoir?  Attempts to justify actions?

Value
 Content  Eyewitness account  Person was part of the decision-making process  Could be candid and honest

Limitations
 Personal involvement could lead to mistruths, omissions, justifications for actions and undue emphasis placed on certain events.  Might be written with a view to later publication and therefore wanting to appear in a positive light.  Needs to be cross-referenced with other primary sources.  Personal involvement could lead to mistruths, omissions, justifications for actions and undue emphasis placed on certain events.  Might be written with a view to later publication and therefore wanting to appear in a positive light.  Needs to be cross-referenced with other primary sources.  Personal involvement could lead to mistruths, omissions, justifications for actions and undue emphasis placed on certain events.  Propaganda?  Facts omitted or exaggerated to suit the audience.  Needs to be cross-referenced with other primary sources.

Letter

 Is it a primary source?  Who wrote it?  Was this person a key individual?  When in the course of events was it written?

 Private and candid comments between individuals?  Not necessarily intended for public consumption?  Attempt to justify actions?  Attempt to persuade the recipient to follow a course or action?  Public statement of thoughts or of official policies?  Propaganda?  Facts omitted or exaggerated to suit the audience?

 Content  Eyewitness account  Person was part of the decision-making process  Could be candid and honest

Speech

 Is it a primary source?  Who delivered the speech?  Was this person a key individual?  When in the course of events did it occur?  Where was the speech made?  Who was the audience?

 Content  Statement of official policy  Statement of the individual’s personal ideas and thoughts  Reaction to various events  Statement of intention

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Document Type
Memoir Recollections

Origin
 Whose memoir/memories?  Was this person a key individual?  How long after the period was the memoir published or the memories recounted?

Purpose
 Attempt to justify actions?  Attempt to remember details of events for later generations?  For the general public?

Value
 Content  Eyewitness account  Person was part of the decision-making process  Could be candid and honest  Could be a source of valuable information that otherwise would be lost  Content  Statement of official policy  Reaction to various events  Statement of intention

Limitations
 Personal involvement could lead to mistruths, omissions, justifications for actions and undue emphasis placed on certain events.  Written for publication and therefore wanting to appear in a positive light.  Needs to be cross-referenced with other primary sources.

Official Government Document

 Is it a primary source?  Which institution published this material?  Was this document a significant document at the time?

 Public statement of official policies?  Propaganda?  Facts omitted or exaggerated to suit the audience?

 Propaganda?  Exaggerations?  Only shows one aspect of government policy?  Does not show the reasons behind the policy.  Does not show how or whether the policy was actually implemented.     Propaganda? Exaggeration? Only shows one set of figures Does not show the reasons behind the statistics.  Does not show how these statistics were collected.

Statistics

 Is it a primary source?  Which institution published this material?  Was this document a significant document at the time?  Or is it/has it been...