2. Thing we Know and Want to KnowBrainstorm
under the two columns as much as you can about the topic already and ideas about what you could or want to find out about
it. You can use this tool to help with your question generation. DON’T JUDGE ANYTHING AT THIS STAGE!!
• Think we know • Want to know
3. 10 of the
Best!
1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
1. Copy the best 10
statements/
questions from
the last exercise.
2. Change any
statements to
questions at this
point.
3. Identify any
closed question
by highlighting
them.
4. Closed to OpenFor genuine effective enquiry it is better to have a series of
open questions. These are questions that cannot be answered simply but instead, need research
and analysis to be addressed. If any of the questions in your list are closed, then now is the time
to try and make them open.
Closed
e.g. “How can climate change be stopped?”
This is a relatively closed question because
the answer is simply to stop putting CO2 into
the atmosphere.
Open
An improved version of this question might
be…”To what extent can the effects of climate
change be off set?”. This question requires
investigation and analysis of the conflicting
information that will be out there.
Closed
Write any closed questions here
Open
Write the open versions of your questions here
5. Review
and
Improve
Your improved questions here
Question stems are a good
way of helping to improve your
questions. The stems below
are useful in constructing good
research questions. Use these
to modify your questions and
see if you can improve them.
To what extent…?
How far…?
Whose
responsibility is it…?
Should…?
Do the benefits of…
outweigh the
disadvantages?
What is more
important…?
7. Evaluate Your Final QuestionThis tool might help you
take a final critical look at your question. How does it score on the scales? A “good” question will
score highly in all areas.
