What’s a VLOP? Understanding source evaluation one letter at a time.

VLOP V- Value What is helpful about this source in terms of how it could contribute to my reading/research/project? L- Limitation What are some weaknesses of this source? O- Origin What type of source is it? P- Purpose Why was this source written?

V is for… Value. - What does this source ADD to your understanding of the event/person/time? - Examples: eyewitness account; offers a quick overview; many years of research is evident; offers at least one person’s perspective

L is for…. Limitation – what are the weaknesses of the source? Examples: Only one person’s viewpoint; bias is apparent; perspective issues; usually not an eyewitness account; NOT an expert on every topic; how widespread is the information?; exaggeration of material for comic effect; may not be the real views of the speaker;

O is for… Origin = what type of source is this? Examples = primary source by the author; primary source by interviewee/ Interviewer; primary source drawn by the artist at that time; secondary source, usually done by a panel of experts;

P is for… Purpose: Why was this source written/produced or created? Examples: to keep personal memories; to offer an eyewitness account; to educate colleagues, students and the public; to educate students; to educate and to entertain; for the public to educate; entertain or enlighten; for internal communication and examination among officials of the government; offers an emotionless picture of the facts

How to write your evaluation… See the sample source evaluation to your left. Be sure to include a specific reference to the values, limitations, the origin and the purpose of the article you selected. When you turn in your final draft, please attach the rubric to your piece. I chose to read Article 6 of the Constitution in order to better understand why the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The origin of Article 6 is a primary source, written by the framers of the Constitution. The purpose of this source is to define the powers of the national government. This source is valuable if you already have a solid understanding of the powers of the national government. As Article 6 is the original text, the reader knows that he or she has the framer’s original intent for the powers of the national government. However, some limitations do appear. The major limitation of this source is that it does not clearly define the national government’s power. Instead the reader is left to assume powers given to the government. Overall, I would only recommend Article 6 as a source if the reader had a clear understanding of the national government’s powers. Perhaps a text book with attention to the principles of national government would be more helpful to answering this question.