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Writing as Inquiry 21

Sometimes we write to say what we think. Other times, however, we

write in order to figure out what we think. Much of the writing you do
in college will be the latter. Even as you learn to write, you will be writ-
ing to learn. This chapter is about writing with a spirit of inquiry —
approaching writing projects with curiosity, moving beyond the familiar,
keeping your eyes open, tackling issues that don’t have easy answers.
It’s about starting with questions and going from there — and taking
risks. As Mark Twain once said, “Sail away from the safe harbor. . . .
Explore. Dream. Discover.” This chapter offers strategies for doing just
that with your writing.

Starting with Questions

The most important thing is to start with questions — with what you don’t
know rather than with what you do know. Your goal is to learn about your
subject and then to learn more. If you’re writing about a topic you know
well, you want to expand on what you already know. In academic writ-
ing, good topics arise from important questions, issues, and problems that
are already being discussed. As a writer, you need to find out what’s being
said about your topic and then see your writing as a way of entering that
larger conversation.
So start with questions, and don’t expect to find easy answers. If there
were easy answers, there would be no reason for discussion — or for you
to write. For purposes of inquiry, the best questions can’t be answered by
looking in a reference book. Instead, they are ones that help you explore
what you think — and why. As it happens, many of the strategies in this
book can help you ask questions of this kind. Following are some ques-
tions to get you started.

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314–23 How can it be DEFINED? What is it, and what does it do? Look it up in
a dictionary; check Wikipedia. Remember, though, that these are only
starting points. How else can it be defined? What more is there to know
about it? If your topic is being debated, chances are that its very defini-
tion is subject to debate. If, for instance, you’re writing about gay mar-
riage, how you define marriage will affect how you approach the topic.

How can it be DESCRIBED? What details should you include? From what
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324–32
vantage point should you describe your topic? If, for example, your topic
were the physiological effects of running a marathon, what would those
effects be — on the lungs, heart muscles, nerves, brain, and so on? How
would you describe the physical experience of running over twenty-six
miles from the runner’s point of view?
◆

338–42 How can it be EXPLAINED? What does it do? How does it work? If you
were investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes,
for example, what exactly is the effect of these drugs? What makes them
dangerous — and are they always dangerous or only in certain conditions?
Why are they illegal — and should they be illegal?

What can it be COMPARED with? Again with the use of performance-

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306–13
enhancing drugs by athletes as an example, how does taking such supple-
ments, or doping, compare with wearing high-tech footwear or uniforms?
Does such a comparison make you see doping in a new light?

What may have CAUSED it? What might be its EFFECTS? Who or what
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278–82
does it affect? What causes hyperactivity in children, for example? What
are the symptoms of hyperactivity? Are some children more likely than
others to develop hyperactivity? Why? If children with hyperactive behav-
ior are not treated, what might be the consequences? If they are treated
with drugs, how might their lives as adults be affected?

How can it be CLASSIFIED? Is it a topic or issue that can be placed into

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300–305
categories of similar topics or issues? What categories can it be placed
into? Are there legal and illegal performance-enhancing supplements (cre-
atine and steroids, for instance), and what’s the difference? Are some safe
and others less safe? Classifying your topic in this way can help you con-
sider its complexities.

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21 / Writing as Inquiry 213

How can it be ANALYZED? What parts can the topic be divided into? For

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example, if you were exploring the health effects of cell phone use, you
might ask what evidence suggests that cell phone radiation causes cancer?
What cancers are associated with cell phone use? What do medical experts
and phone manufacturers say? How can cell phone users reduce their risk?

How can it be INTERPRETED? What does it really mean? How do you ▲ 38–58
interpret it, and how does your interpretation differ from others? What
evidence supports your interpretation, and what argues against it? Imag-
ine you were exploring the topic of sports injuries among young women.
Do these injuries reflect a larger cultural preoccupation with competition?
A desire to win college scholarships? Something else?

What expectations does it raise? What will happen next? What makes
you think so? If this happens, how will it affect those involved? For
instance, will the governing bodies of professional sports require more
blood testing than they do now? Will such tests be unfair to athletes tak-
ing drugs for legitimate medical needs?

What are the different POSITIONS on it? What controversies or disagree- ▲ 83–110
ments exist, and what evidence is offered for the various positions? What
else might be said? Are there any groups or individuals who seem espe-
cially authoritative? If so, you might want to explore what they have said.

What are your own feelings about it? What interests you about the
topic? How much do you already know about it? For example, if you’re an
athlete, how do you feel about competing against others who may have
taken supplements? If a friend has problems with drugs, do those prob-
lems affect your thinking about doping in sports? How do you react to
what others say about the topic? What else do you want to find out?

Are there other ways to think about it? Is what seems true in this case
also true in others? How can you apply this subject in another situation?
Will what works in another situation also work here? What do you have
to do to adapt it? Imagine you were writing about traffic fatalities. If replac-
ing stop signs with roundabouts reduced traffic fatalities in England, could
roundabouts also reduce accidents in the U.S.?
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214 PROCESSES

222–23 You can also start with the journalist’s QUESTIONS: Who? What? When?
Where? Why? How? Asking questions from these various perspectives can
help you deepen your understanding of your topic by leading you to see
it from many angles.

Keeping a Journal

One way to get into the habit of using writing as a tool for inquiry is to
keep a journal. You can use a journal to record your observations, reac-
tions, whatever you wish. Some writers find journals especially useful
places to articulate questions or speculations. You may be assigned by
teachers to do certain work in a journal, but in general, you can use a jour-
nal to write for yourself. Jot down ideas, speculate, digress — go wherever
your thoughts lead you.

Keeping a Blog

You may also wish to explore issues or other ideas online in the form of
554–56 a BLOG. Most blogs have a comments section that allows others to read
and respond to what you write, leading to potentially fruitful discussions.
You can also include links to other websites, helping you connect various
strands of thought and research. The blogs of others, along with online
discussion forums and groups, may also be useful sources of opinion on
your topic, but keep in mind that they probably aren’t authoritative
research sources. There are a number of search engines that can help you
find blog posts related to specific topics, including Google Blog Search, Ice
Rocket, Technorati, and Blog-Search. You can create your own blog on sites
such as Blogger, LiveJournal, or Xanga.

▲
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rhetorical
situations

genres

processes

strategies

research
mla/apa

media/
design

handbook