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GCSE History · key term
The extent to which a source helps answer a particular historical question.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Paper 1
The value of a source for answering a particular historical question.
Revise: Source Evaluation and Historical Inquiry SkillsThis is why usefulness is always usefulness for a particular enquiry. A photograph of a street could help investigate the physical environment, but it would not establish how many crimes went unreported there.
Judge usefulness for the exact enquiry, not whether a source is simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
Support usefulness with precise source content, an explained point about provenance and relevant contextual knowledge.
Link every judgement of usefulness to the specific enquiry, rather than calling a source simply ‘useful’ or ‘biased’.
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How far a source helps answer a particular historical question.
Paper 2
The extent to which evidence helps answer a particular historical question.