Although confined to no single format, the documents contained in the DBQ are unlikely to be the familiar classics (the Emancipation

Proclamation or Declaration of Independence, for example), but their authors may be major historical figures. The documents vary in length and are chosen to illustrate interactions and complexities within the material. The material will include—where the question is suitable—charts, graphs, cartoons, and pictures, as well as written materials. In addition to calling upon a broad spectrum of historical skills, the diversity of materials will allow students to assess the value of different sorts of documents. The DBQ will typically require students to relate the documents to a historical period or theme and, thus, to focus on major periods and issues. For this reason, outside knowledge is very important and must be incorporated into the student’s essay if the highest scores are to be earned. It should be noted that the emphasis of the DBQ will be on analysis and synthesis, not historical narrative.

The document based question (DBQ) is designed to enable students to work like historians, analyzing and synthesizing evidence from a variety of sources and media. Students will be evaluated on their ability to interpret such factors as purpose, source, bias, date and place of origin, tone, etc. In order to receive a satisfactory score, students must establish and prove a thesis through accurate and sophisticated utilization of the available documents.

The DBQ is designed to test the skills a historian uses in interpreting historical material. Thus, it does not require that a student be familiar with the event or topic that is being presented. Although it is admissible to include background or supporting knowledge in writing the essay, a student will be able to respond adequately using only the data provided. In this regard, the European History DBQ differs from the U.S. History DBQ. As a result, the College Board does not identify a particular time period or theme from which the European History DBQ will be drawn.

The types of documents that might be included as historical sources include:

Students should consider the evidence presented in each of the documents individually. Additionally, they should seek to establish connections or explicate apparent contradictions in the documents.

DBQ Standards