{"id":6767,"date":"2018-10-01T17:00:09","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T00:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=6767"},"modified":"2022-09-14T13:34:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T20:34:54","slug":"how-to-write-a-dbq-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-dbq-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a DBQ Essay the Easy Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

What if I told you that you had to write a research paper<\/a> but that you didn\u2019t actually have to do any of the research? Pretty sweet deal, right?<\/p>\n

A document-based question (DBQ) essay is sort of like that. You have to write an essay using a variety of sources<\/a>, but someone else provides the sources for you.<\/p>\n

When you look at it that way, it doesn\u2019t sound so bad, does it? But just in case you\u2019re still freaking out (even just a little bit), here are some tips to help you write a DBQ essay the easy way.<\/p>\n

What Is a DBQ Essay?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re slightly stressed about writing a DBQ essay, you probably already know that it\u2019s a timed essay<\/a> required for various AP History exams. The goal of the essay is to test your analytical skills and your historical thinking skills.<\/p>\n

In a DBQ essay, you’re given a variety of documents, usually six or seven, that might include articles, letters, charts, images, or other sources. You’re asked to read and synthesize the documents, then write an essay that answers a given prompt.<\/p>\n

In most cases, it\u2019s suggested that you use about 15 minutes to read the documents and plan the essay and then about 40 minutes to actually write the essay.<\/p>\n

How to Write a DBQ Essay the Easy Way<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s say it\u2019s test day. In front of you, you have an essay prompt, six documents, and the dreaded blank page. Your first thought might be, \u201cI have absolutely no idea where to begin or even how to plan this type of paper. There\u2019s no way I can write this in the time allotted.\u201d<\/p>\n

I know it seems like an impossible task, but it\u2019s completely doable because you already have the skills<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Remember all those times your English teachers stressed that you read the assignment guidelines<\/a> before <\/i>actually starting the assignment? And what about all those times they made <\/i>you annotate<\/a>, prewrite<\/a>, outline<\/a>, and take notes<\/a>?<\/p>\n

They\u2019re important skills to have when writing any <\/i>essay and will be just as important when you write a DBQ essay. So let\u2019s put those skills to use.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Understand the essay prompt<\/h3>\n

Before you do anything else, read and understand the essay prompt.<\/p>\n

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Before you do anything else, read and understand the essay prompt.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

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What are you supposed to be writing? Are you supposed to compare and contrast<\/a> time periods, people, ideas, opinions, or events? Are you supposed to argue<\/a> a specific stance on an issue?<\/p>\n

Understanding the goal of the essay is crucial. If you write a historical overview of the Vietnam War when you\u2019re supposed to be comparing causes of the Vietnam War to causes of WWII, you\u2019re aren\u2019t going to earn any points.<\/p>\n

Once you know what you\u2019re supposed to be writing about, review the collection of documents.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Review the documents<\/h3>\n

Start viewing the collection of documents with a purpose. Know what you\u2019re looking for, and take notes as you read.<\/p>\n

I know, it always seems like it takes too much time to take any meaningful notes, but think about it this way. If you just start reading, you don\u2019t have an end goal. You won\u2019t have any idea what types of information will be useful or relevant to your essay.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like shopping online. If you type in \u201cshopping,\u201d your search results might include anything from air fresheners to zero-turn lawnmowers. What\u2019s the point of scrolling through zillions of products if you\u2019re really only looking for a chew toy for your new puppy?<\/p>\n

What should you look for when you read? Look for anything relevant to the assigned essay.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you have letters from WWI soldiers to their families and letters from WWII soldiers to their families.<\/p>\n

If the essay prompt asks you to compare soldiers\u2019 attitudes toward the war, you can probably skip over the parts of the letters that ask about Aunt Harriet\u2019s health or that ask if the garden is doing well this year after the contractor from this alumawood patio covers near me<\/a> remodeled. Those parts aren\u2019t relevant to your essay.<\/p>\n

Instead, focus on soldiers\u2019 comments about whether they believe in the war or their comments about the government, fellow soldiers, or those they\u2019re fighting against.<\/p>\n

As you locate details to include in your essay, write notes in the margins to help you remember their significance and to help you locate the information later.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that, while it\u2019s important to take notes, it\u2019s quite possibly even more <\/i>important to keep track of time.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get lost in analyzing every detail, though. Look for key points, and move on. After all, you\u2019ll need to incorporate all of the given documents into your paper, so you need to be able to review them relatively quickly.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Draft a quick outline<\/h3>\n

The goal of outlining is to get the main ideas (including a clear, specific thesis statement<\/a>) in some sort of order. This will keep you focused as you work and will keep your essay on track.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not a fan of traditional outlines, don\u2019t worry. You can create your own graphic organizer<\/a> to outline ideas or just simply list key points. Do whatever works best for you–but make it quick.<\/p>\n

Assuming the same topic above about solders’ letters, an outline for your DBQ essay might be as basic as the one below.<\/b><\/p>\n

Thesis:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though there are slight differences in soldiers\u2019 opinions of war, it appears that they share three common feelings: fear, loneliness, and boredom.<\/p>\n

Differences:<\/strong><\/p>\n

WWI soldiers didn\u2019t seem as bored as they seemed to be busier with daily activities (source 2, par. 3).<\/p>\n

What they have in common:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fear: <\/strong>Both groups feared for their own lives (sources 1, 3, 6). They also feared for their loved ones if they didn\u2019t return (sources 2, 3, 5–pg. 2).<\/p>\n

Loneliness: <\/strong>Both groups spent a lot of time away from their families and missed daily interactions (sources 1, 6).<\/p>\n

Boredom: <\/strong>Both groups were bored at some point during the war (source 3, par. 3, and source 2). Some soldiers expressed more boredom with down times than others. Some felt happy to be bored as they felt safer. Others wanted to be in combat to not only have something to do but also achieve their mission. (Sources 2, 4, 5).<\/p>\n

Opinions on war:<\/strong><\/p>\n

No clear correlation between soldiers who were for or against the war effort. Opinions were mixed in both groups. (Source 2, par. 4 and source 6, par. 3).<\/p>\n

Other ideas to include:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Possibly relate to Tim O\u2019Brien\u2019s novel The Things They Carried<\/a> and Grandpa\u2019s stories of the war.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Remember, outline in a way that helps you stay organized. If you don\u2019t like the list format of this outline, create a table to organize topics and sources that support your main ideas.<\/p>\n

Making connections to the larger world<\/h4>\n

Note that the outline above also includes ideas about how to make connections to the larger world<\/a>. These might be personal connections, connections to arts or literature, or connections to current events.<\/p>\n

Making connections is an important strategy. It demonstrates your ability to not only use the documents provided but also see how they apply to the larger context. (The people grading your exam will be looking for these types of connections, so make sure to include them.)<\/p>\n

Step 4: Draft the essay<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve written lots of different types of essays<\/a>, and the DBQ essay is no different when it comes to standard essay format. You need a clear introduction<\/a>, a focused thesis<\/a>, several body paragraphs<\/a> to develop your main points, and a strong conclusion<\/a> to wrap up your ideas.<\/p>\n

Remember to use your notes and follow your outline as you draft. As tempting as it can be to try to add in a few more ideas or move in a new direction, try to avoid it. Doing so can throw your entire paper off track.<\/p>\n

Because you\u2019re on a strict time limit, straying from your outline could also mean that you\u2019ll run out of time to complete your essay.<\/p>\n

The only exception to this, of course, is if you realize that you completely blew your outline, and it\u2019s not going to work for the essay. If that\u2019s the case, then you\u2019ll have to recreate an outline or work without one.<\/p>\n

Step 5: Revise and edit<\/h3>\n

You might not have a lot of time for revision and editing<\/a>, but try to save at least a couple of minutes for this step.<\/p>\n

Here are a few things to look for:<\/b><\/p>\n