How do I approach a source question?

Firstly, you must always check any accompanying text with the source which could provide the date of publication and potentially where it was published or written. Once this is established you may use your own knowledge to provide context to the source, showing the examiner that you understand the topic of discussion. When analysing a source, it is always best to start with the basics such as the date, who or what is being shown or talked about within the source, who wrote it and where it originated from. All these help you to use the correct knowledge for context and interpret the source.Once you have looked at all text and images on the source you should then question why it was published, especially in the instance of a political cartoon; Does it have a target audience? Who is it for? Your own knowledge that you know to use in terms of context then helps you to determine the intent of the source and whether it is biased towards a specific cause. This way of analysing sources can also be used when asked to compare sources for an essay.