How do I get more information out of a vague source?

You will never get a source that tells you nothing. Often times, you will be given deliberately odd sources, just to see if you can think on your feet. In these cases, it helps to think about the context of the source. For instance, who wrote it? Were they from a wealthy background? Does this change the way you look at the source? For example, if you're given an inventory list or an extract from a fictional book, how does the socio-economic background of the author affect the meaning of the source? Moreover, why was the source written in the first place? What was the author's intention and what is the purpose of the source? If the author had a particular motive, what does this tell you about what's been included and what's missing in the source? If the author's opinion is inconsistent in the source, perhaps it was written without the intent of conveying a particular opinion? Digging into these questions will help you make your answer more analytical, whilst also helping you tease more information out of the source rather than just repeating what it tells you at face value.