Five Ws
The Five Ws refer to a foundational set of questions—Who, What, Where, When, and Why—that are essential for gathering and organizing information about a topic. Often complemented by "How," these questions help individuals, ranging from students to journalists, to construct a comprehensive understanding of a subject. For instance, "Who" identifies relevant people or groups, while "What" seeks to clarify the topic or action involved. "Where" focuses on location, "When" addresses timing, and "Why" delves into reasons and motivations. Together, these questions can create a complete narrative, useful in various contexts such as writing essays or reporting news stories. The Five Ws are also instrumental in fact-checking, allowing users to verify information by tracing back to original sources and assessing the accuracy of claims. This structured approach to inquiry not only supports effective communication but also enhances critical thinking skills. Overall, the Five Ws serve as a versatile tool for anyone looking to investigate and understand complex topics.
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Five Ws
The Five Ws are the five investigative questions that form the basis for information gathering. Who, what, where, when, and why make up the Five Ws. How is often added to the Five Ws, and together they are commonly called the Five Ws and One H. Each of the Ws reveals something about a topic. Taken as a whole, the Five Ws can provide the complete story about something. Everyone from students to journalists can benefit from the Five Ws, as they can help with term papers and news stories. The Five Ws can also be used to fact-check.
Overview
The Five Ws, who, what, where, when, and why, are questions used to gather information about a topic. Additionally, how is often included in this group. Who asks for a person or a group of people, as in “Who will benefit from the decision?” What seeks to identify a topic and usually requires either a noun response or an action verb, such as “What tool is needed for the repair?” Where looks for a location or a simple space (such as on, above, or under), as in “Where is the nearest grocery store?” When asks about time and may include a duration of time, as in “When are we leaving?” Why seeks cause-and-effect and asks for reasons for something, as in “Why is the sky blue?” How is often covered by the other five Ws.
Aside from single questions such as these, the Five Ws as a whole can help someone get the complete story about something. Examples of questions that work together to provide the complete story are Who was involved?; What happened?; Where did it take place?; When did it take place?; and Why did it happen? Questions like these can help a student write an essay or a journalist write a news story. Even poets recognize the power of the Five Ws. Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem highlighting the Five Ws: “I keep six honest serving men / (They taught me all I knew); / Their names are What and Why and When / And How and Where and Who.”
When tasked with writing a term paper, a student can use the Five Ws to gather information during the writing process. For example, a student writing a paper on global warming could ask each of the Five Ws while conducting research. For who, the student could find out the people who are affected by global warming. To answer what, the student could identify the specific topic, such as the negative effects of global warming. The student could also research the locations on the planet that are most affected by global warming, which would cover where. As for when, the student could investigate the early stages of global warming and how it changed over time. The student could also research the reasons why global warming negatively affects the planet. If the student successfully finds the answers to these questions, he or she would be able to produce a complete, detailed term paper.
The Five Ws are especially important in journalism. Most news stories should address the Five Ws. For instance, an article about a local charity event should answer all five of the Ws. To satisfy who, the story should include the names of the people or organizations involved in the event. The journalist should answer what by explaining what the event was, such as a fundraiser for children with cancer. As for where, the journalist should provide the location where the event took place, such as the fire hall on Main Street. The journalist should also include the day and time the event took place to fulfill when. To address why, the article should explain the reason for the event, such as to raise money for local children with cancer so their families can pay for their treatment. The story would not be complete without all these details.
The Five Ws are also helpful when fact-checking. A student may need to check the facts in a paper or a journalist may need to check the statistics in an article. For example, if an article about stray animals includes a statistic about the number of stray animals in the region, the journalist could use the Five Ws to check the accuracy of the statistic. He or she could trace the statistic back to its original source, as in who first reported the statistic. The journalist could also identify exactly what was said regarding the statistic, such as determining whether the statistic refers to dogs, cats, or both. As for where, the journalist could uncover the specific location the statistic is referring to, such as establishing if the statistic refers to stray animals in the city or the county. Additionally, the journalist could determine the timeframe the number is referring to, as in when the numbers were compiled and if they are still accurate today. Lastly, the journalist could answer why by uncovering the reasons why the numbers were compiled and figuring out whether or not those reasons may have led to bias. Using biased or inaccurate information can lead to media bias, something journalists should avoid. The journalist would have a good chance of determining the accuracy of the statistic if he or she follows these steps.
Bibliography
ChangingMinds.org. “Kipling Questions.” ChangingMinds.org. ChangingMinds.org. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/kipling‗questions.htm>
Kroll, John. “Digging Deeper into the 5 Ws of Journalism.” International Journalists’ Network. International Center for Journalists. 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://ijnet.org/blog/digging-deeper-5-ws-journalism>
Porter, Jeremy. “Five Ws and One H: The Secret to Complete News Stories.” Journalistics. Journalistics. 5 Aug. 2010. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://blog.journalistics.com/2010/five-ws-one-h/>