DBQ Elements
AP WORLD HISTORY
Thesis
 A good thesis does two things:
 1). Specifically address the Question (answer
what they’re asking “Responses to the Spread of
Buddhism” NOT “Spread of Buddhism”
 2). Sets up the structure of the Thesis: “There
were 3 main responses to Buddhism. People in
China supported the spread of Buddhism (docs
1,2) , rejected the spread of Buddhism (docs 4,6)
or were ambivalent about the spread of Buddhism
(docs 3,5).
Grouping
 At Least 3 groups in each DBQ
 Groupings should be based on the different
responses to Buddhism
 Be as specific as possible in descriptions of
groupings
 Are there any connections between reactions,
trends or events and the historical time period?
 All Documents must be used at least once
 Documents can be used in more than one
grouping!
 At least two documents in each group
Point-of-View
 Point-of-View statements should analyze how
aspects of the author’s character/background or
time period influence their statements in the given
primary source.
 Time-period, Background, Type of Document, class,
religion, race, gender
 Must have at least THREE Point of View
Statements
Point-of-View
“In terms of point of view, a good essay
would correctly analyze point of view in at
least two documents, explaining the reasons
that an author might have the opinion that he
or she did or indicating how a particular factor
informs the author’s point of view. It would
link the position of the author to the
expressed content of the document.” –from
AP Central’s website
Tips for Writing POV Statements
WHY does the author have this opinion
What informs the author’s opinion or
target audience?
Is the document trustworthy? Why or
why not?
Examples of POV Statements
Unacceptable: Ralph Fitch is biased
because he is British.
 Why this is wrong: You must go beyond a
mere description of the individual and
explain WHY this fact is significant in the
analysis of the document.
Examples of POV Statements
 Acceptable: “As an English scholar, D’Avenant would
certainly have wanted to support England’s own
economic gain and any Parliamentary movement that
would accomplish this.”
 Excellent: He Qiaoyuan, a Ming court official wrote to
the emperor that the trade ban should be lifted because
there are very high prices for Chinese goods on the
market. His motives are suspicious since goods from
his native provinces are desirable and he stands to gain
from the lift of the ban, but this also shows a changing
attitude of the Chinese on trade with foreigners.”
Additional Document
Recommendation
Need to recommend at least one
additional document
More than one could help you get into an
expanded core if done correctly
Does NOT have to be a specific author or
title of document
Can be placed anywhere in your
response  Makes for a good conclusion
Question for Additional Document
Whose voice is missing from this
discussion? What could that additional
voice tell you about the topic?
Can NOT be someone who is similar to
the given authors or information/POV
similar to the given sources
Examples of Additional Document
Unacceptable: “It would be good to have
a document from a peasant”
 Does not explain WHY it would be good to
hear from a peasant? How do you think a
peasant might have thought about these
issues differently from any of the given
authors?
Examples of Additional Documents
Acceptable: “It would help to have a
document from a Japanese merchant, to
see if the effects of the silver trade
affected the Japanese economy as much
as it did the Chinese and Spanish.”
 Description and explanation provided
Thesis Statements
 Good DBQ Thesis
Statements:
 Takes a stand
 Answers the question
 Previews the
argument
 Details Time and
Place
 Groupings
 Can be more than one
sentence
 What Your Thesis
Needs to Have:





Time
Region(S)
Topic
Groups
Previews (brief
descriptions of groups)
What Your DBQ Thesis Should
NOT Include:
 References to specific documents
 Quotes from specific documents
Examples of Thesis Statements
 Unacceptable: “There were many social and economic
effects of the global trade in silver around the world.”
 Only restates the question  Vague
 Barely Acceptable: “The global silver trade from the mid-16th
century to the early 18th century produced profound social
changes in Spain, Ming China, Tokugawa Japan, England
and the Netherlands, and geratly reshaped the world
economy.”
 Ok, but so vague that it really doesn’t demonstrate a
strong understanding of the topic.
Examples of Thesis Statements
 Acceptable: “The global flow of silver between 1500 and 1750 CE had
many social and economic effects, such as increasing class distinctions in
China and Europe, as well as hurting Spain’s economy.”
 More specific, with distinctions between social and economic effects.
 Excellent: “The increased flow of silver during the mid-16th century to the
early 18th century caused social and economic effects in all regions
connected with the trade by increasing the integration of Europeans in the
globalization of world trade and creating greater economic opportunities but
also growing social divisions within China.”
 Sums up different social and economic effects facing different regions,
and also previews the POV several documents will be analyzed later in
the essay. This thesis would likely be eligible for the “Expanded Core”
as a “clear, analytical, comprehensive thesis.”
Outline for DBQ
 1st Paragraph: INTRO: Thesis
 2nd Paragraph:
 First Group: Document Analysis/POV/Additional Doc
 3rd: Second Group
 First Group: Document Analysis/POV/Additional Doc
 4th: Third Group
 First Group: Document Analysis/POV/Additional Doc
 5th: Conclusion: Restate Thesis
Outline for DBQ
 1st Paragraph:
Thesis
 2nd Paragraph: First
Group
 3rd: Second Group

4th:
Third Group
 5th: Conclusion
 Additional document can
go anywhere  most
people put it in
conclusion
 Should have at least one
POV in each body
paragraph
 Do not analyze docs in
Intro or Conclusion
 Do NOT refer to sources
by anything other than
title or author. Cite
sources in Parentheses.
Ex (Doc #5)