ANALYZING POINT OF VIEW IN A DBQ:
The crucial skill a DBQ demands of students is the awareness that documents are not necessarily
statements of facts, but descriptions, interpretations, or opinions of events and developments
made by particular people at particular places and times, and often for specific reasons.
Point of view analysis forces you to not take the documents at face value. In other words, you
should apply critical thinking skills to documents, evaluating whether they are likely to be
accurate and complete, or in what ways the author may be revealing bias.
WITH POV, YOU ARE ANALYZING WHAT IT IS ABOUT THE SOURCE THAT MAY
HAVE INFLUENCED THEM TO SAY OR WRITE WHAT IS IN THE DOCUMENT.
Here are some possible angles for approaching a POV analysis statement:
1. Is the source biased? (Is there some degree of prejudice/partiality that the source may hold
regarding the document’s topic?: “biased in favor of…”/”biased against…”) – What in the
source’s background leads you to believe he/she is biased in this way?
 ex. consider the source’s heritage, social standing, religious background, political views
 ex. consider their possible personal experiences that could have shaped their views
2. What is the source’s attitude/tone in the document? – What in the source’s background
may cause him/her to have that particular attitude or tone?
 ex. consider the source’s heritage, social standing, religious background, political views
 ex. consider their possible personal experiences that could have shaped their views
3. Is the information the source gives in the document reliable or unreliable? – What in the
source’s background leads you to believe the information may be reliable or unreliable?
 ex. consider the kind of document that is given (a scientific report, governmental letter,
personal journal, interview, etc.)  what kind of information would each type of
document provide?
 ex. consider the personal experience that the source may have had (first-hand accounts
vs. second-hand accounts)
Sample 1
Source: Mr. Keith Gentle, Principal of Lake Norman High School
“Lake Norman High School is, hands down, the best school in North Carolina.”
POV Analysis statement for Sample 1:
Sample 2
Source: George W. Bush, President of the United States, in an address to the nation, September 11,
2001
“These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted
for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no
one will keep that light from shining. Today our nation saw evil, and we responded with the best
of America.”
POV ANALYSIS PRACTICE:
WHAT’S ACCEPTABLE vs. WHAT’S NOT?
Directions: For each of the following statements of point of view analysis,
identify which ones would receive credit and which wouldn’t. Assume that the
student has used the source information and interpreted the document
correctly. If you believe the statement would not receive credit on the DBQ,
explain why it missed the mark.
DBQ Prompt: Using the documents, analyze Han and Roman attitudes toward technology.
1. “The author of this document is a water commissioner so of course all he talks about is the
technological advancements in the water industry since that is his job’s focus.”
2. “As a bureaucrat, he may have written the document in this exaggerated way because he
could’ve possibly been trying to please the emperor in order to obtain or maintain a higher
rank in office.”
3. “In his opinion, Seneca shows his indifference towards technological innovation.”
4. “As a government official, Huan Guan is able to oversee all of this technology which
increases the reliability of document 2.”
5. “The author was an upper class philosopher who had the point of view that the invention of
the mortar and pestle was made by the great and mythological emperor Fuxi.”
6. “Huan Guan was a government official who was trying to get the message out to the rest of
the government of what was happening. He was attempting to implement change by
showing the negative effects of the technology. Therefore, he emphasized how technology
could affect peasants for the worse.”
7. “Huan Guan described how frustrated he was that as society developed, the workers’ tools
were worsened.”