ACWR303 - Academic Writing for Nursing

As you begin to do some reading to familiarize yourself with your topic area and to narrow your focus to a specific research question, the brainstorming and writing strategies mentioned in the “Topic Selection” section will continue to be helpful.   For example, as you read, try freewriting in response to what you are reading or try mapping out the ideas, concepts, arguments, and research on your topic. Another key strategy is questioning.

• Questioning – Besides using perspectives (social, legal, etc.) as a basis for exploring aspects of your topic, try using the journalist’s 5W questions-- Who, What, When, Where, Why, plus How. These questions are among most powerful tools for exploring and narrowing a broad topic area. For example, if you have to do a research paper on some aspect of the World War I, here’s an example of how the journalist’s questions might be applied:

WHO: Who was involved in the war and why? Who was affected by it and how? Who were the key political or military leaders of the time and what was their influence on the outcome?

WHAT: What caused the war? What was the death toll and why was it so high? What effects did the war have on the economy? …on military strategy and technology? …on the Canadian military? …on medical treatment? …on women? …on particular countries or ethnic groups? What was the war like from the perspective of solidiers? …of those at home?

WHEN & WHERE: When and where did the major battles occur and what was their significance?

WHY: Why did this war become a “world” or global war? Why did Canada get involved?

HOW: Could WW I have been avoided and, if so, how? How did WW I differ from previous or subsequent wars?

Note that why, how, and what questions are likely to lead to the deepest analysis and to questions of

• Definition – What exactly is the thing in question? What are its components? Do people define this phenomenon differently?
• Comparison – How does it resemble or differ from comparable phenomena?
• Relationships -- of cause & effect; of parts to whole; among various phenomena; etc. What causal factors are involved in the phenomenon? What are its effects? How are its parts related to the whole? How is it related to other phenomena or things?
• Value – Is this thing good or bad? Why?
• Policy – What should be done about it? What are the options? How should we evaluate potential solutions or policies? How should we implement them?