---
title: "Locate in Shēnlùn Writing | Model Diplomat"
description: "In Shēnlùn writing, 'locate' means pinpointing source material in exam documents, a crucial skill for civil service candidates in China."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/locate"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- In Shēnlùn (申论) writing, "locate" is the analytical skill of pinpointing the exact source material in the given documents (给定资料) from which answer points must be extracted.
- Why is locating considered the foundational Shēnlùn skill?
- What signposts help candidates locate answer points quickly?
- What is the standard locate-based workflow?
- Does locating apply beyond the Chinese Guókǎo?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

In Shēnlùn (申论) writing, "locate" is the analytical skill of pinpointing the exact source material in the given documents (给定资料) from which answer points must be extracted.

Go beyond the definition

## Research Locate like a delegate

Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students.

## Research it like a delegate

Research on modeldiplomat.com

## Ask a follow-up about Locate

Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers.

[Start research on Locate](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20Locate%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources)

Example

In the 2023 Guókǎo Shēnlùn (市地级) paper, candidates had to locate problems in rural governance buried across 资料2 and 资料4, extracting cǎifēndiǎn from a village official's quoted remarks rather than the passage's topic sentences.

Keep learning

## Go deeper than the definition

Lessons

[Summarising And Synthesising Source Material](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/china-shenlun-writing-summarising-and-synthesising-source-material)

Courses

[China Shenlun Writing](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/china-shenlun-writing)

[Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services)

## Take Locate beyond the glossary

Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.