Dearest Client,
To answer your question, we will be splitting up each section to go into enough detail to teach you how to write an OVPL successfully.
O: Origin
While talking about the origin of the source, questions that you could answer are:
Where did the source come from?
When was it created?
What do you know about the author/creator?
Do they have ‘authority’?
Is it a primary source/secondary source?
You could mainly focus on where the source came from, for example, what time period did the source come from, who was/is the author, how does the author’s background help you understand the source more, how does the time period the source is from, and does the author and their background makes the source credible?
P: Purpose
When writing about the purpose of the source, questions that can come into consideration are:
What do you think the author/creator was trying to communicate?
What ideas and/or feelings are they trying to express?
Who is the intended audience?
Why was this created?
Purpose is somewhat easier, which is just writing about why this source was created. This could include talking about who this source is going to and why the author wrote/drew/made this source. Overall, it answers the question of “why is this source created.”
V: Value
When writing values, you could think about answering these questions:
What value does this source have?
What does it show about a time, place and/or a society?
What does it show about the thinking at that time?
Is there new information that helps us understand?
When writing about value, it is about what this source can provide us with. For example, if I were analyzing a historical source, when writing about the value, I would consider what this source can tell me about the time period when it was written. It’s about what information this source can tell us.
L: Limitations
When writing about the limitations, here are questions that can be answered:
What problems could make this source less valuable?
Is there a viewpoint or bias?
What information was not available to the author/creator when it was created?
Was information specifically left out and other information emphasized?
How does historical context influence interpretation?
Is the information dated?
When writing about limitations, it focuses on how the source is limited. For example, if it is biased, is there information left out, is the source 100% reliable, etc.? What is the source missing for it to be a 100% perfect source?
(Personal opinion...) I feel sad just hearing this question, OPVLs are depressing, to be honest, our teacher thinks that it is a waste of time. OPVLs are annoying, I feel deeply sorry for you.
We hope that this helped you more about how to write an OPVL.
Our sincerest regards,
Dear Letterbox