Using the 5Ws to Develop a Research Question
Summary
TLDRThe video explains how using the 5W criteria—who, what, when, where, and why—can help refine a topic into a research question. By identifying these elements, researchers can narrow or broaden their scope effectively. For example, an investigation about mandatory flu vaccines for schoolchildren in Kansas can be adjusted by changing the 5Ws to suit broader or narrower research needs. This method helps focus searches and manage information, preventing overwhelming or limited results. The video encourages refining research questions before starting investigations to ensure relevance and clarity.
Takeaways
- 🔍 The 5W criteria help add context to investigations and turn topics into research questions.
- 👤 'Who' describes the individual or population under investigation.
- ❓ 'What' focuses on the specific aspect or element impacting the 'Who'.
- 🕒 'When' refers to the time frame of the investigation.
- 🌍 'Where' focuses on the geographical location of the study.
- 🤔 'Why' explains the importance or significance of the investigation, though it's not necessarily part of the final research question.
- 💉 Example: For a research topic on mandatory flu vaccines for schoolchildren in Kansas, the research question becomes: 'Should the flu vaccine be required for schoolchildren in Kansas?'
- 📏 If a research question is too broad, it can lead to an overwhelming amount of information; if too narrow, it may lack sufficient data.
- 🎯 Refining a research question helps focus the search and narrow down relevant information.
- 🚀 The 5W criteria can also be adjusted to broaden or narrow the scope, making the investigation manageable and task-appropriate.
Q & A
What are the '5W' criteria in research?
-The '5W' criteria consist of Who, What, When, Where, and Why, which are used to add context to an investigation and turn a topic into a research question.
How does the 'Who' aspect contribute to a research question?
-The 'Who' describes the individual or population being investigated, focusing the research on a specific group.
What does the 'What' element specify in a research question?
-The 'What' describes a specific aspect or element that directly impacts the 'Who,' narrowing down the investigation's focus.
Why is the 'When' important in shaping a research question?
-The 'When' provides a time frame for the investigation, helping limit the scope to a specific period, such as the present or historical context.
How does the 'Where' influence a research question?
-The 'Where' pinpoints a geographical location for the research, narrowing the investigation to a specific area, such as a city or country.
What is the purpose of the 'Why' in research planning?
-The 'Why' explains the reason the investigation is important or meaningful. While not always part of the final research question, it informs the scope of the project.
How can the 5W criteria help in narrowing or broadening a research question?
-The 5W criteria can be adjusted to either broaden or narrow the scope of a research question, making it more appropriate for the length and depth of the investigation.
What is an example of a research question created using the 5W criteria?
-An example is: 'Should the flu vaccine be required for schoolchildren in Kansas?' This question is formulated by considering the 'Who' (schoolchildren), 'What' (mandatory flu vaccines), 'When' (the present), and 'Where' (Kansas).
Why is it important to refine your research question before starting an investigation?
-Refining the research question helps focus the search, making the flow of information more manageable and ensuring the scope fits the task.
What are the consequences of having a research question that is too broad or too narrow?
-If a research question is too broad, it may overwhelm the researcher with information. If it's too narrow, there may not be enough relevant information available.
Outlines
🔍 Understanding the 5W Criteria for Research
This paragraph explains how the 5W criteria (Who, What, When, Where, Why) can help shape an investigation into a well-defined research question. The 'Who' refers to the population being studied, the 'What' highlights the specific element impacting that population, the 'When' focuses on the time frame, and the 'Where' emphasizes the geographical location. While the 'Why' informs the significance of the research, it may not always appear directly in the final research question. The example of vaccine requirements is used to show how the 5W criteria can refine the scope of an investigation.
💉 Narrowing Down a Research Question with 5W
This paragraph provides an example of how the 5W criteria can refine a broad topic into a specific research question. By considering schoolchildren in Kansas and focusing on mandatory flu vaccines in the present, the research question becomes 'Should the flu vaccine be required for school children in Kansas?' It highlights how the scope can become too broad or too narrow depending on the research needs and gives advice on refining the question to fit tasks, like writing a book versus a 5-page paper.
🔄 Expanding or Narrowing Scope for Different Research Needs
This section illustrates how the 5W framework can be adjusted to either broaden or narrow the research scope based on the task. For example, if the investigation shifts from focusing on schoolchildren in Kansas to flu prevention across the United States, the 'Who' changes to 'Americans,' and the 'What' broadens from 'mandatory vaccines' to 'flu prevention.' It also suggests adjusting the timeline (When) to include past, present, and future flu outbreaks to fit larger projects.
⚖️ Balancing Scope: Too Broad vs. Too Narrow
This paragraph stresses the importance of avoiding research questions that are too broad or too narrow. A topic that is too broad can lead to overwhelming amounts of information, while a narrow topic might not yield enough data. It advises refining the research question before beginning an investigation to focus searches and manage the 'firehose' of available information using the 5W criteria.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡5W criteria
💡Who
💡What
💡When
💡Where
💡Why
💡Research question
💡Broad scope
💡Narrow scope
💡Information overload
Highlights
The 5W criteria can add context to your investigation and turn a topic into a research question.
The 'who' describes an individual or select population you are investigating.
The 'what' describes a specific aspect or element that directly impacts the 'who'.
'When' is the time frame in which you limit your investigation.
'Where' refers to the geographical location where you might focus your investigation.
'Why' explains the importance or meaning behind the investigation, even if it's not part of the final research question.
Using the 5Ws helps to refine the scope of an investigation, making it more focused and manageable.
An example of the 5Ws is investigating mandatory flu vaccines for schoolchildren in Kansas.
In this example, the 'who' is schoolchildren, and the 'what' is mandatory flu vaccines.
The 'when' is the present, and the 'where' is Kansas.
The research question becomes 'Should the flu vaccine be required for schoolchildren in Kansas?'
If your research question is too broad, you might be overwhelmed with information.
If your research question is too narrow, you may not find enough relevant information.
Adjusting the 5W criteria can help you broaden or narrow the scope of your investigation to fit your task.
Refining your research question helps to focus your search and make the information more manageable.
Transcripts
the 5w criteria can add context to your
investigation and turn a topic into a
research question the who describes an
individual or select population you are
investigating the what describes a
specific aspect or element that directly
impacts the who win is a time frame in
which you might limit your investigation
where is a geographical location where
you might focus the why is the reason
why this investigation is important or
meaningful the why is not necessarily a
part of the final research question but
more informative of the scope of the
project in general so let's try an
example we want to research vaccine
requirements we can use the five W's to
specify the scope of our investigation
if we want to investigate mandatory flu
vaccines for schoolchildren in Kansas
the who of our investigation is
schoolchildren and the what is mandatory
flu vaccines the win is the present and
the where is Kansas and our research
question becomes should the flu vaccine
be required for school children in
Kansas consider your new research
question in light of your investigation
does it fit your task if you are
investigating should my five-year-old
get the flu vaccine this research
question might be a little too broad if
you are writing a book about preventing
flu outbreaks it is probably too narrow
if you're writing a 5 page research
paper about an aspect of flu
transmission it's probably just right
you can also use the five W's to broaden
the scope of investigation to fit your
task if your task is to write a book
about preventing flu outbreaks in the US
you could change the criteria in this
way school children becomes Americans
mandatory flu vaccines becomes flu
prevention and you'll need to change the
wind to a timeline that might include
the history of flu outbreaks the current
situation or how to prevent outbreaks in
the future and Kansas becomes
United States
if your topic is too broad or vague you
may be overwhelmed with information if
your question is too narrow you might
not find anything at all
before you start your investigation take
a moment to refine your question this
step will help you focus your search and
zero in on what you need to find
imagine the universe of information
available on a given topic as water
escaping from a firehose you can use the
5w criteria to help make the flow more
manageable
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