Systematic Inquiry

By Robert Morasky

Productive inquiry requires good question-asking skills. This book offers a four step process for formulating incisive, powerful questions. Powerful questions are necessary for making decisions as well as drawing conclusions; so, systematic decision inquiry is thoroughly discussed. Examples abound: urban transportation, small business management, teaching critical thinking, sea level rise, and many more. New question formats are introduced: propositional questions, operational questions, propositional decision questions. Systematic inquiry can expand into inquiry analysis which encompasses the broad scope of any inquiry. The nature of inquiry analysis along with extensive examples are provided. The goal of the book is to present systematic inquiry and inquiry analysis skills to readers so they can say 1) "Here are the questions that will have to be answered in order to evaluate this possible answer to this open-ended question." and 2) "Here is the complete set of questions that will need to be answered in order to evaluate all the possible answers to this open-ended question." Anyone in any field that faces uncertainties while coming to conclusions or making decisions will benefit from this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Morasky
• Release date: May 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310141218

Robert Morasky

Robert Morasky is a retired Professor of Psychology and Graduate Dean as well as a practicing psychologist. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan with special emphasis on applied learning theory. Inquiry, question-asking, uncertainty, and learning have played a prominent role in his research, writing, and teaching. He has had extensive experience as a consultant for educational institutions, business, government, and non-profit organizations. His current home is in the Pacific Northwest.

Book preview

SYSTEMATIC INQUIRY

How the right questions unlock powerful information

Robert L. Morasky

Copyright © 2014 By Robert L. Morasky

Distributed by Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email the author at [e-mail] with Systematic Inquiry in the subject line.

Cover design by Matthew Morasky

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Systematic Inquiry (SI)

2.1 Developing an Idea

2.2 Writing Open-ended Questions

Commentary 1: On Open-ended Questions

2.3. Brainstorming Open-ended Questions

Commentary 2: On Strong Inference

2.4. Transitions from indeterminate to determinate questions

2.5 Propositional Questions

2.6 A Brief Introduction to Operational Questions

2.7 …necessarily and sufficiently support…

Commentary 3: On the Test of Exclusion

2.8 Additional Propositional Question Examples

2.9 Quantitative Operational Questions

2.9.1 Existence Questions

Commentary 4: On Existence Questions

2.9.2 Quantity Questions

2.9.3 Comparative Questions

2.9.4 Correlation Questions

2.9.5 Experimental Questions

2.9.6 Trend Questions

2.9.7 Pattern Questions

2.10 Qualitative Operational Questions

2.10.1 Introduction

2.10.2 General Interpretative Questions

2.10.3 Syllogistic Questions

2.10.4 Analog Questions

Commentary 5: On Programmatic Sets of Questions

3. Systematic Decision Inquiry (SDI)

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Open-ended Decision Questions

3.3 Brainstorming Open-ended Decision Questions

3.4 Propositional Decision Questions

3.5 SDI and Operational Questions

Commentary 6: On Applied and Theoretical Applications of SI and SDI

4.0 Inquiry Analysis

4.1 Improving Critical Thinking Inquiry Analysis Example

4.2 Adaptation to Rising Sea Levels Inquiry Analysis Example

5.0 How Do You Know?

References

Acknowledgements

About the Author

1. INTRODUCTION

Answers alone, without the problems that called them forth would be absurd. So in the field of business in general, of politics, and of scientific investigation, the questions necessarily precede the answers. McMurray, F.M.(1916)[1]

As you prepare to gather information to improve an organization, make a decision, or solve a problem, you should ask one or more questions that unlock the important, relevant information you need. Those questions ought to be systematic and critical to your task. Systematic Inquiry (SI) is a process for developing such questions. The final product of this process is one or more of the right questions to allow you to arrive at a conclusion about reality. They reveal the specific information you need. Why do you need such questions? You probably can guess many of the benefits of developing questions, but let's summarize the specific payoffs:

• Your information gathering becomes specific. Specific searches are easier and more efficient to work with than ambiguous ones. This is true in most settings: nature, interpersonal interactions, libraries, and even the internet.

• Good questions are perhaps the most important element in critical thinking. People with good inquiry skills have good thinking skills.

• Specific questions act as a guide for all the subsequent decisions you will need to make about your work such as sources, procedures, analysis, and conclusions.

• Questions serve as a framework for describing your quest to interested people - like supervisors or oversight committees. When you do not have prepared questions; interested people tend to produce a lot of little ideas about what you can do to improve your project. The outcome of lots of little ideas is often a disorganized project, a confusing search, and disjointed, irrelevant information. If you have one or more clear, concise questions, others can then help you think about ways to answer those questions.

As a child you may have been told in a variety of ways that you ask too many questions. Question-asking skills most likely were not a central part of your schooling. Like most students, you probably had little or no instruction in how to formulate productive questions, nor did you have much practice that would allow you to discover effective question-asking skills.

Did you know that there are different types of questions? Are you aware that some questions cannot be answered without other questions? Do you realize that some questions reduce uncertainty less than others? It's time to remedy that deficiency in your education. Systematic Inquiry (SI) will help you understand questions and how they work.

Systematic Inquiry(SI) is a four step method consisting of:

1) stating an open-ended question,

2) brainstorming possible answers to the open-ended question,

3) stating a propositional question for one of the possible answers,

4) stating one or more operational questions,

With SI you will have a question-asking skill set for developing focused, meaningful questions. (From here on we will use SI as an abbreviation for Systematic Inquiry.) The intent of this book is to give you enough information to practice SI. We will spend some time on explanations of SI components, but more emphasis will be given to how it is done. In this regard, the book is relatively short and to the point.

In the first part of this book we will focus on SI to develop your specific question-asking skills. The second part of the book spells out the application of Systematic Decision Inquiry (SDI). The third section explains Inquiry Analysis (IA), a procedure for pulling different questions into a coordinated project outline.

Now, I would like you to meet some companions who will show you what they have done so you will have good examples. Meet:

Ellen specializes in performing arts and community development. For a number of years she has coordinated the Children's Creative Movement Workshop (CCMW), an inner-city, and federally-supported program for poverty-level children. She is concerned about its effectiveness.

Jeff is a museum paleontologist who is interested in the role of extinction in the evolution of species. His special interest is the mass extinction that occurred 66 million years ago when most of the dinosaurs disappeared. Scientists are reasonably certain that the dinosaurs died off at a time that has been described as the boundary between the Cretaceous Time Period and the Tertiary Time Period. For some reason that time is called the "K-T Boundary.

Tom is a human resources manager for a mid-sized company that has a number of new staff who need leadership training. He is responsible for planning that training.

Eysha is the leader of the Urban Bus Network (UBN) Planning Office. Her team is responsible for developing strategies to meet UBN goals.

Seth has a really cool job. An historian by training, he is paid to think. He works for an international foundation that promotes contemplation of basic issues that have (or should have) profound meaning for society.

Together, these interesting people will provide examples of inquiry in their jobs. Their experiences will help you understand SI.

2. SYSTEMATIC INQUIRY (SI)

"Ideas come in all shapes and sizes, good and bad, large and small. Some are wicked, some glorious. This country was shaped by people but founded on ideas. It