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What is the Document Based Question (DBQ)?

The DBQ requires construction of a coherent essay that integrates interpretation of the supplied documents
with a demonstrated knowledge of the historical period in question. Higher scores are earned with essays that
successfully incorporate the provided primary sources (the documents) with a discussion of traditional themes,
significant events, and influential people (outside information.)
The DBQ is an essay question with a cheat-sheet.
The documents should not drive the essay. Write a thesis based essay and use the documents as
supporting evidence for the main ideas.
The ABCs of attacking the DBQ
Analyze
Brainstorm
Construct
Documents
Essay
ANALYZE the question.
Why is this question important?
Circle the operative words.
What is the question asking you to do? Contained within the question are clues for logical
organizational structure, triggers to outside information, and keys on what to extract from the
documents. You must specifically attack, rather than generally address, the question
How many parts to the question?
Why is this question important?

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BRAINSTORM the period and topic.
List everything that immediately comes to mind that relates to the question and historic period
If there are dates in the question, why are these dates important?
What came before and immediately followed this event or period?

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CONSTRUCT a preliminary rough outline. Does the question suggestion an organizational structure?

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DOCUMENTS
The documents are included for a purpose, and a major purpose is to trigger outside information. Add
to your brainstorm list as the documents trigger your memory for outside information. Pay special
attention to the author and date of the document.
One purpose of the DBQ is to assess your ability to analyze and interpret primary sources, including
documentary material, maps, statistical tables, and pictorial and graphic evidence of historical events.
Break your analysis into 3 categories:
1) Information (What is the document about?)
2) How does this document relate to the question?
3) Inferences : What outside information or inferences can be connected to the document

Doc. A
Information:

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. B
Information:

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. C
Information:

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. D
Information:

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. E
Information:

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. F
Information

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences

Doc. G
Information

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. H
Information

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

Doc. I
Information

How does this relate to the question?

Outside information & inferences:

You are now ready to write the essay!

Establish a thesis statement. Make sure your thesis statement meets all of these criteria:
o
o
o
o
o

It demonstrates deep thinking

It tells the reader what to expect from the paper.
It directly answers a question.
It expresses an opinion that others might challenge or oppose.
It is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the
reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will
persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

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Establish main ideas (organizing principles) that will be used to support the thesis.

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Go back through the documents and decide what main ideas each document could support. Write
them in after each main idea that you wrote above.

Follow the normal essay writing format.

The ALL IMPORTANT FIRST PARAGRAPH:
o The thesis statement and the organizing principles that will the will support the
thesis is in the first paragraph.
o Clarify the time period and provide, as succinctly as possible, some
background information on the time period.
Paragraphs should be centered on an organizing principle, not a document.
As each organizing principle is developed, the main idea of the documents should be
used to directly support the topic sentence of the paragraph, which, in turn, should
directly answer the question and support the thesis.

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