5W +
1H : An Effective Approach to Collecting and Presenting
Key
Ø Information
One of the most
universally used tools for information gathering, analysis, organization and
presentation is the 5W1H framework. This method is used across a range of
professions, from process analysts to quality engineers to journalists, to
understand and explain virtually any problem or issue. The same method can be
used to organize the writing of reports, articles, white papers, and even whole
books.
Ø The
Basic Approach
This approach seeks
to answer six basic questions in gathering information about nearly any
subject: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Sometimes, depending on the
context, a second "H" might be used: How Much.
In journalism, news
story writing requires that the questions to be answered take a basic
form:
1. Who is it about?
2. What is it about?
3. When did it happen?
4. Where did it happen?
5. Why did it happen?
6. How did it happen?
Applying the 5W1H
framework to other types of writing or investigation takes some interpretation.
The order in which the answers to the questions is presented may vary, but the
"what" is usually addressed first.
v What
In journalism, the
"what" identifies an event and is often stated in the "lead (or
lede)," the first paragraph of a news story. The "what" is the
primary subject, the reason the information is being gathered and presented.
Apart from journalism, it may be stated in a title and in a purpose statement.
The "what" may need to be defined, a process that may comprise the
remainder of a document.
Example
: What, specifically,...?
what : what are you doing here ?
v Who
A news story
identifies who an event involves. The "who" may be part of the lede,
and could be the reason the story is news worthy. In other contexts, the
"who" identifies the persons or groups the "what" concerns.
It might describe the audience of a document, or those who are affected by a
policy, process or procedure.
Example : Who benefits?
who : who are you ?
v When
A key part of a news
story is describing when an event happened. Answering the "when"
indicates any time sensitivity related to the "what." It may be part
of an instruction regarding the proper point at which a action should be taken.
Sometimes it may be part of an "If...then" scenario of conditional
action.
Example : When will it
start/end?
when : when you go to bali ?
v Where
A news story reports
the location at which an event took place. The "where" describes a
geographical or physical location of importance to the "what." At
times, the where may be less important than other factors.
Example : Where are you?
where : where do you buy that book ?
v Why
The "why"
is usually the most neglected of the questions in the framework. News stories
often lack information from authoritative sources to explain the
"why." In other contexts, the "why" may be considered
irrelevant, particularly when describing a policy or procedure decreed by an
organizational authority. Efforts to ascertain and explain the "why"
may help those affected be more accepting of any change the "what"
requires.
Example : Why does that happen?
why: why you did not bring my book ?
v How
For journalists,
determining how an event took place may be nearly as challenging as explaining
the "why," although more effort is usually put to satisfying the
question. When describing policies, processes or procedures, the how may be the
most important part of the effort. A considerable appetite for understanding
how to do something can be found across audiences. Sometimes effort focuses on
the "what" when more work should be devoted to explaining the
"how."
Example : How much?
Ø Conclusion
The 5W1H framework
can be applied to any topic at any level of granularity to gather, analyze and
present information from the simplest to the most complex. Attributed to a
Rudyard Kipling poem, 5W1H is the place to start and may be enough to take you
to the finish.
Yes No Question
Definition: An
interrogative construction that expects an answer of "yes" or
"no." Contrast with wh- question.
Examples and
Observations:
Homer :
Are you an angel?
Moe :
Yes, Homer. All us angels wear Farrah slacks.
(The
Simpsons)
"Directing a movie is a very overrated job, we
all know it. You just have to say 'yes' or 'no.' What else do you do? Nothing.
'Maestro, should this be red?' Yes. 'Green?' No. 'More extras?' Yes. 'More
lipstick?' No. Yes. No. Yes. No. That's directing." (Judi Dench as Liliane
La Fleur in Nine, 2009).
Principal
McGee: Are you just going to stand there all day?
Sonny:
No ma'am. I mean, yes ma'am. I mean, no ma'am.
Principal
McGee: Well, which is it?
Sonny:
Um, no ma'am.
(Eve
Arden and Michael Tucci in Grease, 1978)
The yes-no question is found in three varieties: the
inverted question, the typical exemplar of this kind; the inverted question
offering an alternative (which may require more than a simple yes or no for an
answer); and the tag question:
Are
you going? (inversion)
Are
you staying or going? (inversion with alternative)
You're
going, aren't you? (tag)
The inverted question merely inverts the subject and
the first verb of the verb phrase of the corresponding statement pattern when
that verb is either a modal or an auxiliary verb or the verb be and sometimes
have. The question itself may be positive or negative:
She is leaving on Wednesday.
Is
she leaving on Wednesday?
. . . A positive question appears to be neutral as to
the expected response--yes or no. However, a negative question seems to hold
out the distinct possibility of a negative response.
Are
you going? Yes/No.
Aren't
you going? No.
(Ronald Wardhaugh, Understanding English Grammar: A
Linguistic Approach. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003)
"There are many different ways to format
questions on a survey. Let's say you want to measure people's attitudes toward
premarital sex. You could ask a simple yes-no question:
Are
you in favor of premarital sex?
___
Yes ___ No
Or you could use a Likert-type scale where the
question is phrased as a statement." (Annabel Ness Evans and Bryan J.
Rooney, Methods in Psychological Research, 2nd ed. Sage, 2011) Also Known As:
polar interrogative, polar question, bipolar question
TAG Question
A question added to a declarative sentence, usually at the end, to engage the
listener, verify that something has been understood, or confirm that an action
has occurred. Also known as aquestion tag.
Common tags include won't you? wasn't it? don't you? haven't you? okay? and right?
Example :
- "To
actually see inside your ear canal--it would be fascinating, wouldn't
it?"
(Letter from Sonus, a hearing-aid company, quoted in The New Yorker,
Mar. 24, 2003)
- "I
warned you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew, didn't
you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it?"
(Tim in Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
- "Question
tags are not independent clauses, but they do require a response,
and are highly interactive. Structurally, interrogatives are abbreviated yes/no interrogatives
consisting of an operator (either positive or negative) and a pronoun,
which repeats the subject or substitutes for it. Question tags are
attached to one of the following clause types:
- a
declarative clause: It was quiet in there, wasn't it?
- an
exclamative clause: How quiet it was in there, wasn't
it?
- an
imperative clause: Be quiet for a moment, will you?
Of these, the
declarative is by far the most common."
(Angela Downing, English Grammar: A University Course. Taylor &
Francis, 2006)
- Commas with a tag question
"Place a comma between a statement and the brief question that
follows it when the subject of the statement and the subject of the
question is the same entity (example 1). When they have different
subjects, the statement and the question must be punctuated as separate
grammatical elements (example 2).
Examples
- George was not there, was he?
- I will never stay in that
hotel again. Will you?