How do we think?
Chapter 01 / 18
Write the question first
Research starts with a question. Write what you want to know before you open many tabs.
Choose a small question
Liman Library is a made-up place in this book. A post says it is closed on Sunday. ‘Find everything about the library’ is too big. ‘Is it open this Sunday?’ is clear. Write the date too.
How do we get an answer?
Direction sets the question. Collection gets data. Processing puts it in order. Analysis compares records. Production writes the result. Dissemination gives it to the right reader. Feedback may bring a new question. This is the Intelligence cycle.
From question to answer
Enlarge ↗Read as text
- Question
- Source
- Check
- Answer
Same terms in both languages
Keep these words
- OSINT
- Study public sources. Give an answer with evidence.
- Intelligence requirement
- The question that needs an answer.
- Scope
- The work limit: topic, dates and allowed actions.
- Seed / Pivot
- A first clue / a move from that clue to a new record.
- Stop condition
- It says when to stop.
A small example
Let’s do it together
Task: find the correct hours for this Sunday. You do not need staff members’ private accounts or private lives.
Write the question and the date of Sunday.
Find the library’s own notice. Keep the source and date.
If two records disagree, say so. Do not give a certain answer when key data is missing.
From my research notes · Real record
Suez: which question am I asking?
In my Suez study, I kept two questions apart: did the canal reopen? Did the waiting ships leave? One event can hold two different questions.
Read the record
- NASA’s article says the canal reopened on 29 March 2021.
- The queue took time to clear. That needs records from other times.
Claim: the queue ended
Enlarge ↗Read as text
- A record of the queue?
- Yes: Check its date and scope
- No: Hold the claim. Find a record.
What I can write
I make my question smaller: does reopening mean the queue ended at the same time?
Where I stop
One reopening date does not tell us when every ship passed.
These are existing public records. The images are resized for reading; no new image detail was generated.
Close the notes. Think first.
Your turn
How can you make ‘Find information about Liman’ smaller?
Read the explanation
For example: ‘Is Liman Library open on Sunday, 20 September?’ The topic and date are clear. You can choose another small question too.
Reading record
Only on this browser. These marks are not test results.Sources
I used my study notes and wrote new practice examples. The source PDF is not distributed here.
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