OPCVL

The OPVL test is a tool to check the reliability of a source according to 5 criteria:

• ORIGIN
• PURPOSE
• CONTENT
• VALUE
• LIMITATION

Origin: Where the source comes from.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who created the source?
• What is the creator’s background?
• When and where was the source created?
• When and where was the source published?
• What is the publisher's background?
• In what format is the source presented?
• Is it a primary or secondary source?

Purpose: Why does the source exist.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What does the source contain?
• Why was the source created (why does it exist?)
• Why was the source published (what is the goal of communicating this source)?
• Why was the source created in the format it is in?
• Who is the target audience (who is it for)?
• Does the source seek to inform, explain, persuade, or entertain?
• Do you think that there may be another reason for this source to exist beyond its stated purpose?

Content: What does the source say?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the source about?
• What are the main ideas of the source?
• How does the author portray those main ideas (quotes)?
• What do we learn?
• What is the historical context?
• When and where does it take place?
• Who is involved?
• Why does it occur?

Value: What value does the source have as evidence?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What can we tell about the author from the piece?
• What can we tell about the time period from the piece?
• Under what circumstances was the piece created and how does the piece reflect those circumstances?
• What can we tell about any controversies from the piece?
• Does the author represent a particular ‘side’ of a controversy or event?
• What is the author's bias? What can we tell about the author’s point of views from the piece?
• What was going on in history at the time the piece was created and how does this piece accurately reflect it?

Limitation: At what point does this source cease to be of value to us as historians?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is the the source biased towards?
• Who is the source biased against?
• What part of the story can we NOT tell from this document?
• How can we verify the content of the piece?
• Does this piece inaccurately reflect anything about the time period?
• What does the author leave out and why does he/she leave it out (if you know)?
• What is purposely not addressed?
• How deep does the source delve into the content?
• How far removed is this source from the content it is describing?

It is important to note that in OPCVL, you must often consider the Value and Limitation for your Origin, Purpose, and even Content separately.

For instance,

The origin of the source is...

The purpose of the source is...

The source includes...

The values of the origin are...

The values of the purpose are...

The values for the content are...

The limitations of the origin are...

The limitations of the purpose are...

The limitations of the content are...