How to compare two sources in a school assignment

Read the assignment wording and identify the issue you need to compare: a cause, an outcome, a judgement or a description of an event. Note which part of each source addresses it. Two accounts of the same event may focus on different people or periods, so check that the passages you choose can be compared fairly.

Make one row per point: “Question or issue | Evidence from A and location | Evidence from B and location | Relationship | What this supports.” In the relationship field, write agreement, disagreement, different emphasis or missing information. This gives each paragraph a shared focus.

A contradiction needs claims that cannot both be true under the same conditions. If one source describes repaired paths and another describes an entrance that remained closed, those details could coexist. Before calling accounts contradictory, check the place, date, group and meaning of the words they use.

Look for agreement as carefully as disagreement. Shared details may help establish a limited claim, but two sources are not necessarily independent evidence. If both repeat the same announcement, their agreement may come from that single account. Check acknowledgements or references where available, and leave independence uncertain if you cannot establish it.

Record who produced each source, when, for which audience and for what stated purpose. Connect those details to something visible in the content. A report announcing completed work might emphasize the work finished; a visitor account might emphasize access on one visit. Purpose helps you ask what each source includes and leaves out.

Avoid deciding that an account is true because it is official, or false because its author has an interest in the outcome. Ask what the author could observe, which evidence supports the claim and how well the account answers your particular question. If the purpose is not stated, describe your interpretation as a possibility and show the wording that led you to it.

Imagine two fictional sources about a park reopening. Source A is a maintenance notice stating that repairs to the main path were complete. Source B is a visitor account from the reopening day stating that the main path was open but the east entrance was closed. These accounts are invented to demonstrate comparison, not records of a real park.

A paragraph could say: “Both sources support the main path being available at reopening: A reports completed repairs, while B describes using the open path. Their emphasis differs. A describes the repair work; B also identifies a closed entrance. That detail qualifies any claim that access was fully restored, but it does not contradict A’s statement about the main path. The maintenance notice is useful for identifying the reported work, while the visitor account gives evidence about access on one visit. Neither source establishes whether the east entrance reopened later.”

The paragraph compares one issue throughout and uses a detail from each account. It makes a conclusion about access without inventing a reason for the closure. In a real assignment, cite both passages and replace the example details with what your sources actually say.

Use this paragraph plan: “On [issue], A claims [detail], while B claims [detail]. These accounts [agree, conflict or differ in emphasis] because [specific relationship]. Their context helps explain [supported difference]. Together they support [limited conclusion], but leave [question] unresolved.” Use only the parts relevant to the task; the plan is a check on your reasoning, not wording every paragraph must repeat.

Read your draft and check whether each comparison contains evidence from both sources. Replace broad labels such as “biased” or “reliable” with a precise explanation of what makes a claim useful or uncertain. If the sources genuinely conflict, say what additional evidence would help resolve it. You do not need to force a winner when the material cannot support one.