In a DBQ, sourcing means analyzing a document’s perspective, purpose, audience, or historical situation to explain why it is useful in supporting your argument.
Purpose refers to why the author created the document—what they wanted to achieve.
Understanding the purpose helps explain bias, reliability, and how the document fits into the historical context.
Ask yourself:
Why did the author create this document?
Was the document meant to persuade, inform, justify, criticize, or inspire?
What was the author hoping to accomplish or influence?
Think about whether the author’s purpose shapes how they present information.
Ask:
Does the author exaggerate or leave out details to support their goal?
Is the document trying to convince, warn, or defend a position?
Clearly connect the purpose to the document’s message.
Explain how understanding the purpose helps interpret the document’s significance or bias.
End by tying your sourcing back to your thesis.
Explain how the purpose affects the document’s usefulness in answering the prompt.
"Evaluate the extent to which the Mongols fostered trade and economic growth in Eurasia during the 13th and 14th centuries."
Document: A decree from Kublai Khan promoting trade along the Silk Roads.
✅ Strong Purpose Sourcing:
"This decree was issued by Kublai Khan to encourage merchants to trade within the Mongol Empire. His purpose was likely to promote economic prosperity and strengthen Mongol control over commerce. Because of this purpose, the document may present Mongol policies in a more favorable light while ignoring any negative effects of Mongol rule on local populations."
🚫 Weak Sourcing:
"Kublai Khan wanted people to trade more, so he wrote this decree."
(❌ Too basic and doesn’t analyze how purpose affects reliability.)
"Evaluate the causes of the French Revolution."
Document: A speech by a French revolutionary leader condemning the monarchy in 1793.
✅ Strong Purpose Sourcing:
"This speech was delivered by a revolutionary leader in 1793, a time when France was in the midst of political upheaval. The purpose of the speech was to justify the execution of King Louis XVI and rally support for the revolution. Because of this purpose, the speech likely portrays the monarchy as entirely corrupt while exaggerating the revolutionary cause’s righteousness, making it a biased source."
🚫 Weak Sourcing:
"The revolutionary leader wanted to get rid of the king, so he gave this speech."
(❌ Lacks analysis of how purpose influences the document’s content.)
✅ Determine why the author created the document.
✅ Explain how the author’s goal influences the message.
✅ Analyze whether the purpose creates bias, exaggeration, or omissions.
✅ Connect back to your thesis.