Source Based Similarity and Difference Questions

A very common type of question in the Source Based section is similarity/difference questions, also known as comparison questions.

Such questions can be phrased in various ways:

1. To what extent are Sources A and B similar?
2. To what extent are Sources A and B different?
3. In what ways are Sources A and B similar?
4. In what ways are Sources A and B difference?
5. Compare and contrast Sources A and B.

First and foremost, remember to read the question carefully. Some of the questions seem similar, but need to be answered in different ways. For example, "In what ways are Sources A and B similar?" requires you to give only similarities, but "To what extent are Sources A and B similar?" requires you to give both similarities and differences. In general, "To what extent" requires a two-sided answer, while "In what ways" only requires a one-sided answer. Finally, "Compare and contrast" requires a two sided answer.

Next, remember that sources can be compared in several ways:

• Content
• What do the sources actually say?
• Tone
• Is one sarcastic, and the other objective?
• Purpose
• Is one meant to criticize Hitler, and the other meant to rally support for Hitler?
• Is one meant to provide an objective viewpoint of the facts, and the other to provide information regarding a very specific viewpoint? 
• Provenance
• Is one a picture source, and the other a textual source? Is one a speech, and the other a cartoon? Even if both are the same type: is one a government speech and the other a non-government speech? Et cetera.

Third, remember to quote or describe findings from the source in order to support your claims.

Last but not least, if the question starts with "To what extent", remember to conclude with a sentence or short paragraph describing to what extent the sources are similar or different.

Once you do this, you should ace the question.