This post aims to document a concept that I have found useful in my own research: the 5W+1H framework, which stands for Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. This framework is often used in journalism and by other researchers .
The idea is pretty straightforward - when researching or writing about a topic, asking these six questions helps me to ensure that all essential aspects are covered.
I use this approach in various contexts, some examples are provided below:
Research Planning: When I have a new idea for a research project, I use the 5W+1H framework to outline the key components. For example, I ask myself:
Who are the stakeholders/participants involved? Who will benefit from the research?
What are the aims? What are the research question(s)?
When will the study take place and how long will it last?
Where will the research be conducted?
Why is this research important? What are the research gaps it aims to fill?
How will I collect and analyze data?
Literature Reviews: While reviewing existing literature, I use the framework to summarize and evaluate different papers. For each paper, I consider:
Who conducted the research? Who will benefit and who funded it?
What were the results, main findings and conclusions?
When did the research take place and how long did it last?
Where was the study conducted?
Why was the research undertaken? What gaps does it address?
How was the study designed and executed?
Writing About Research: When writing research papers or reports, I use the 5W+1H framework to structure my writing. This helps me to ensure that I am providing a comprehensive overview of the research. For example, in the introduction section, I might address:
Who were the participants? Who is the target audience? Who funded the research?
What was the research question? What were the key findings, and main conclusions? What are the contributions to the field?
When and where was the study conducted? How long did the study last?
Why is this research significant? Why was it undertaken? What gaps does it fill?
How was the research carried out? What was the methodology, research design, and data collection methods and analysis techniques used?
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