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Data response and source-based questions appear across almost every A-Level subject. Whether it is a graph in Economics, a historical source in History, a data table in Psychology, or a passage in English, the fundamental skill is the same: extracting, interpreting, and critically evaluating information from provided material and combining it with your own knowledge.
Regardless of subject, source questions follow a common pattern:
flowchart TD
A[Read the source carefully] --> B[Identify what information<br/>the source provides]
B --> C[Use the source<br/>to answer the question]
C --> D[Combine with your<br/>own knowledge]
D --> E[Evaluate the source<br/>if asked]
The balance between these steps depends on the command word:
| Command Word | Use Source | Use Own Knowledge | Evaluate Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Using Source A, describe..." | Heavy | Light | No |
| "Using Source A and your own knowledge, explain..." | Moderate | Moderate | No |
| "How useful is Source A for understanding...?" | Moderate | Moderate | Heavy |
| "Evaluate the evidence in Source A..." | Moderate | Light | Heavy |
| "Using the data in Figure 1, calculate..." | Heavy | Light | No |
| "With reference to Figure 1, evaluate..." | Moderate | Heavy | Moderate |
When presented with a data table, extract and use specific numbers:
| What to Do | Example |
|---|---|
| Quote specific values | "GDP growth was 2.3% in 2019, falling to -9.7% in 2020" |
| Calculate changes | "This represents a fall of 12 percentage points" |
| Identify trends | "Growth has been declining since 2017" |
| Note anomalies | "The 2020 figure is clearly anomalous, reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic" |
| Compare columns/rows | "Country A had consistently higher growth than Country B in all years except 2020" |
| Graph Skill | Technique |
|---|---|
| Describe the overall trend | "The graph shows a positive correlation between X and Y" / "Output increased steadily from 2015 to 2019" |
| Identify key turning points | "The rate of increase peaked in 2017 and then plateaued" |
| Read specific values accurately | Use a ruler to draw construction lines from the axis to the curve |
| Calculate gradient if relevant | Choose two widely-spaced points on the line and calculate rise/run |
| Note the difference between correlation and causation | "While the graph shows a correlation, this does not necessarily indicate causation" |
History source questions typically ask about utility (how useful is this source?) or reliability (how trustworthy is this source?).
| Evaluation Criterion | Questions to Ask | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Provenance | Who wrote it? When? Why? | "This was written by a government minister in 1919, who had a political interest in defending the Treaty" |
| Content | What does it say? Does it match what you know? | "The source claims reparations were fair, but this contradicts evidence of the economic devastation they caused" |
| Tone | Is it objective or biased? Emotional or measured? | "The emotive language ('monstrous injustice') suggests propaganda rather than balanced analysis" |
| Purpose | Why was it created? Who was the intended audience? | "This speech was designed to rally support for the party, not to provide an accurate historical account" |
| Context | What else was happening at the time? | "Written during the hyperinflation crisis, the source reflects the desperation of ordinary Germans" |
| Limitations | What does it NOT tell us? | "As a government source, it does not represent the views of the working class or opposition parties" |
Key rule: Always combine source evaluation with your own knowledge. "This is useful because..." should be followed by "My own knowledge confirms/challenges this — for example..."
Economics data response questions require you to:
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