Skip to Main Content

Infographic Project: Questions of...

English IV research on controversial topics

Questions of Fact

Questions of fact concern what is or is not true, what does or does not exist, what did or did not happen.
Some questions of fact are easily answered.

 

•Daily newspapers use in questions of fact.
•For example, in The New York Times (February 22, 2001, p. B2), rap star Sean Puffy Combs was standing trial for gun possession and bribery; it was alleged that Combs had a gun the night of the shooting at the Club New York on December 27, 1999 and offered $50,000 to his driver to say that the gun was his.
These are questions of fact:
• Did Combs have a gun?
• Did he bribe his driver?
 
In another story, 2 teenagers were arraigned in the killing of 2 Dartmouth professors .
• Did they commit the crimes?
• Were they  deprived of their civil rights?

Questions of Value

A Question of Value asks whether something is good or bad, desirable or undesirable. A value is something that requires a more judgmental response than does a question of fact.

 

Example:
•Who was the most effective political speaker during the twentieth century?
• Have American businesses lost their will to compete in the world market?
• Are today’s college students better educated than college students were ten years ago?
 
Values vary dramatically from one person to the next; therefore, you will need to do some research and gather evidence to build a strong case supporting one value over another. Even though you believe your values are right, your readers might not.
 

Questions of Policy

A Question of Policy goes beyond seeking judgmental responses to seeking courses of action. Whereas a question of value asks if something is right or wrong, a question of policy asks if something should or should not be done.

 

Example:
•Should student parking on campus be more accessible?
•Should universities provide birth control to students?
• Should student athletes be given special treatment over non-athletes?
 

Focus on three considerations: need, plan, and suitability. If you believe that things are not fine as they are, then you must argue that there is a need for change. When you advocate change, you must provide a plan or solution. The plan tells the audience what you think should be done.