Questioning Skills

Ask probing questions. ■ ■
Every field uses questions to trigger critical thinking. For example, scientific questions generate hypotheses, sociological questions lead to studies, mathematical questions call for proofs, and literary criticism questions call for interpretations. A good question opens up a problem and guides you all the way to its solution. But not all questions are created equal. Consider the differences:
■ “Rhetorical” questions aren’t meant to be answered. They’re asked for effect. Example: Who would want to be caught in an earthquake?
■ Closed questions seek a limited response and can be answered with “yes,” “no,” or a simple fact. Example: Would I feel an earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale?
■ Open questions invite brainstorming and discussion. Example: How might a major earthquake affect this urban area?
■ Theoretical questions call for organization and explanation of an entire field of knowledge. Example: What might cause a sudden fracturing of Earth’s crust along fault lines?
To improve the critical thinking in your writing, ask better questions. The strategics below will help you think freely, respond to reading, study for a test, or collect your thoughts for an essay.
Ask open questions. Closed questions sometimes choke off thinking. Use open questions to trigger a flow of ideas.
Ask "educated" questions. Compare these questions: (A) What’s wrong with television? (B) Does the 16.3 percent rise in televised acts of violence during the past three years signal a rising tolerance for violence in the viewing audience? You have a better chance of expanding the “educated” question—question B—into an essay because the question is clearer and suggests debatable issues.
Keep a question journal. Divide a blank notebook page or split a computer screen. On one side, write down any questions that come to mind regarding the topic that you want to explore. On the other side, write down answers and any thoughts that flow from them.
Write Q & A drafts. To write a thoughtful first draft, write quickly, then look it over. Turn the main idea into a question and write again, answering your question. For example, if your main idea is that TV viewers watch far more violence than they did ten years ago, ask Which viewers? Why? and What's the result? Go on that way until you find a key idea to serve as the main point of your next draft.

TCW 4e C1