IB History - Paper 1 OPCVL (Purpose)

Memoirs - Possible Value

firsthand account

Memoirs - Possible Limitations

written long after events so questionable recollections/written to justify actions

Diaries - Possible Value

Candid impressions of writer

Diaries - Possible Limitation

personal so might not consider other perspectives/can be written with understanding that it will be public in the future

Letters - Possible Value

personal letters express candid & honest impressions/motivations

Letters - Possible Limitation

singular perspective/no indication of response or respondent

Legislation - Possible Value

indicate official goals/intentions of government

Legislation - Possible Limitation

no explanation of reaction & degree of support/no explanation of motivation of implementation/no info on degree of enforcement

Speeches - Possible Value

indicate what speaker wanted audience to hear/indicate speaker’s arguments in favour of position

Speeches - Possible Limitation

no indication of response/no indication of size of audience/things speaker left out to convince audience

Editorials/Editorial Cartoons - Possible Value

indicate position of publication on issue date/can give some indication of public position on issueE

Editorials/Editorial Cartoons - Possible Limitation

leave out counter-arguments to position/might not reflect public opinion/can be made to influence public opinion

Maps - Possible Value

indicate how creator viewed world

Maps - Possible Limitation

can be from limited perspectives/little context for data

Academic Histories - Possible Value

offer balanced interpretation/generally created by consulting multiple sources/”historical distance”

Academic Histories - Possible Limitation

limited by information available at the time of creation/can be written from ideological perspective

Memos/other government documents - Possible Value

provide candid opinions & intention s& motivations of governments (as generally not expected to be for public)

Memos/other government documents - Possible Limitation

limited to perspective of government in question/not provide indication of how well supported the position may be