EXPLORATORY QUESTIONS FOR PROBLEM SOLVING
HISTORY (External and Internal)
How did this come into being? Why did it?
What came before?
What might come after?
What is its own internal history?
How and why has this change over time?
STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION (Unpack and pack)
How does this fit into a larger context/structure/system?
What cultures does this relate to?
How does the parts fit together into its own system?
What parts are most significant?
What are the differences? Why?
CATEGORIZATION (Clusters and Contrasts)
How can your topic be grouped into kinds?
What are the different qualities?
How are they used differently?
How does geography effect it?
How do you compare or contrast with others like it?
Ask Journalistic questions
Who, What, When, Where, How, Why (focus on How and Why)
Turn positive questions into negative ones
Why has it not grown in popularity?
What parts are not significant?
Ask What if?
What if it never existed? How would things be different?
What if it was substituted? How would things be different?
Extend questions from others
Studies show it happened in X. Did it also happen in Y?
Questions from The Craft of Research