REER - Writing Document Based Questions (Lesson)

Writing Document Based Questions

So far we have looked at writing short answer questions, long essay questions, and answering multiple choice questions in previous modules.

There is one more area that you will be tested on during the AP Exam: the Document-Based Question, commonly known as a DBQ. Many students find the DBQ to be the most intimidating part of the exam as it involves the analysis and proper use of historical documents.

The DBQ does not need to be feared, as you can learn to do them effectively with a little practice. Many of the same principles that you learned for writing the Long Essays apply to the DBQ as well. You are encouraged to go back and review that lesson. The documents can actually help you in writing the essay because, unlike the Long Essay where you only have the questions and your memory, the documents can provide clues that can help you recall information. Because of this, some people have suggested thinking of the DBQ as a "Long Essay with a cheat sheet."

On the AP Exam, you will have one DBQ question. You don't get a choice between two options—you must write on the one given. You have a full 60 minutes to complete the DBQ. This allows for time to analyze the documents and write your essay. The DBQ focuses on a period and/or issue from periods 3 through 8. Like the Long Essay, it will not ask you to write on something too specific. For example, you would not have an entire DBQ on the Boston Tea Party but instead would have one on the events leading up to the American Revolution (which would include the Tea Party).

The first thing that you will likely notice about a DBQ is the documents. The documents could be quotes, charts, graphs, political cartoons, pictures, or maps. You will get practice in analyzing historical documents with the Document Analysis activities in each module and in writing DBQs as assignments in the course. To analyze the documents, it’s helpful to remember the acronym AP PARTS.

AP PARTS

Listen to the audio file explaining this acronym.

 

The grading scale for DBQs ranges from 0-7. View this rubric to see what the reader is looking for when grading your DBQ. Links to an external site. How does this correspond to your class grades? See below to find out.

Grading Scale 7=100 6=94 5=88 4=82 3=76 2=70 1=63 0

Learn more about the rubrics from the Truman Library document found here. Links to an external site.

 

Here are some additional tips that relate specifically to writing the DBQs:

  1. Do your best to cite all the documents provided in your DBQ essay. This will give you the ability to potentially earn a higher score. On the AP Exam, the DBQ will give you 7 documents. The DBQs assigned in the course will contain from 7-10 documents.
  2. Avoid quoting the documents at length in your DBQ. Focus on the analysis of the documents as they relate to the topic of your essay. It is a good idea to cite the document after you use it to ensure that it is clear that the document has been used. Documents should not be cited in the introduction but may be cited in the conclusion on a limited basis. But go for using the documents almost exclusively in the body paragraphs. In the course documents they will be lettered A, B, C, etc., and on the AP Exam they will be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.
  3. You do not have to cite the documents in order. In fact, that would be considered poor practice to do so. (Why is this? Well...the documents should be analyzed and grouped based on that. Discussing the documents in the order they appear does not demonstrate analysis. Plus it runs the risk of becoming a "laundry list" - something that all students want to stay away from. In order to get credit for discussing the documents you must discuss them. You can't simply list them in the order without an extended explanation or discussion. That list does not count towards the using and understanding requirements of the DBQ.)
  4. Remember that you are primarily answering the question using the documents as support and not just discussing the documents. Focus on analyzing the documents rather than simply stating what they say. (What does it mean to analyze? Simply put, to analyze means to discuss, make connections, and/or draw conclusions from rather than to simply define.)
  5. Use outside information. In a DBQ you are using the documents and adding additional information (specific facts and analysis) that you know about the topic. These are things that are not specifically given to you in the documents but relate to the topic of the essay and the documents.
  6. Pace yourself. You do have a little more time (60 minutes) that allows you to look over and analyze the documents. However, remember that the DBQ essay should be longer than a Long Essay Question (LEQ). If typed in double-spaced 12-point font it should be at least 1.75 pages and preferably 2-3 pages. You may (and likely will) have more than three body paragraphs in a DBQ Essay.

The following presentation will go into more detail about these and other aspects of the DBQ.

 

 

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