How do I analyse a source in the exam?

The biggest thing to remember about source questions is that its all in the analysis. You don't need that much specific knowledge to answer a source question, and can even get away with just knowing the broad context of a topic sometimes. You get the marks from being able to tell the examiner what the source is on about and how important it is. You can do this in a paragraph using SIK:S ource- quote from the source. Try and be specific here, a few words at most.I nference- say what this quote actually means (you'll pick up analysis marks here).K nowledge- give some of your own knowledge that either backs up or contradicts the source (again, you don't need much knowledge here- sometimes broad context is enough).Next, you'll evaluate how important this source is. You'll look at the provenance of the source; its origin and background outside of its content. In the exam you'll mostly look at the source's caption when assessing the provenance of the source- this gives information like the author of the source, when it was written, the format its written in. This information can tell you how subjective the source's content is, as well as the motivations behind it and any agendas it might have. You can then judge how much attention you should pay it. For example, a source talking about the glories of the Third Reich would be very interesting if it came from a Jew, but more predictable if it came from a member of the Nazi Party. Just remember two things:1) Don't use bias! All sources are bias because they're written by human beings, so never talk about this as a limitation of a source. It simplifies your argument quite a bit- instead, try and explain what the bias is and if the source should be taken with a pinch of salt because of it.2) All sources are useful! Just because a source gives inaccurate information, or displays a certain opinion, doesn't mean its useless. It was created for a reason, and its inaccuracies (or lies, depending on the source) might help you figure out why.Analyse the content of the source and then analyse its provenance like this, and you're well on your way!