Research begins with questions, but not all questions are created equal. Different types have different purposes.
Whether you are doing an assignment or project or are exploring your own topic, your first task is to identify your guiding question.
Assignment: | Possible guiding questions: |
Write a 3- to 5-page paper on the history of immigration in the U.S. | How has U.S. immigration policy changed over 230 years? Where have most U.S. immigrants come from and when? Where have U.S. immigrants settled and for what reasons? |
Redecorating a room | What does the room need to function well and look good? What furniture suits this room, and where can I get it? What tools and supplies do I need to wallpaper the room? |
Visiting another country | What country do I especially want to visit and why? How can I apply to programs for student travel? What preparations must I make to travel outside the U.S.? |
Once you have settled on a guiding question, generate a list of related questions about the topic.
Guiding question: | Pointed questions: |
What preparations must I make to travel outside the U.S.? | What legal documents do I need? What medical records do I need? How much will the trip cost? What cultural differences will I face? How can I prepare for any language difference? What will I need to pack? What are my luggage limitations? |
Your Turn Freewrite for five minutes about things you are curious about. Choose one of your topics and craft a guiding question about it. Then generate five to ten pointed questions to explore the topic further.
Answering who, what, when, where, why, and how can provide important details about a subject. Asking these questions about the past creates analysis, and about the future creates prediction and persuasion. Questions about the present take either form.
Past | Present | Future | |
Who? | Who was central to the event? | Who is involved in the situation? | Who will be affected by the situation? |
What? | What happened, in detail? | What process is taking place? | What is predicted to happen? |
When? | When did the event occur? | What time frame is involved? | How long will the situation last? |
Where? | Where did the central events each happen? | Where is the situation unfolding? | Where will events likely occur? |
Why? | Why did the situation happen as it did? | Why should we care about the event? | Why is the issue vital for the future? |
How? | How did it occur? | How are we affected? | How will we cope? |
Socratic questions like the following help you think in new ways about your topic.
Your Turn Ask journalistic and Socratic questions about your topic to uncover details.
Web page: Immigration, Library of Congress
Web page: Landmarks in Immigration History, Digital History, U. of Houston
Web page: Immigration and U.S. History, America.gov Archive
Web site: History of Immigration, American Immigration Council, Immigration Policy Center
Web page: History of U.S. Immigration Laws, FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform)
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