Identifying and Refining a Research Topic Using Journalistic Questions Journalistic questions are a set of questions you can use to define your topic more clearly. This exercise will help you ask questions about your topic. Having specific questions to answer makes researching your topic easier when you get to that stage. Directions: For sach journalistic question, write a question about a topic of your choice. Question: Your Topic: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Example Topic: Earthquakes Who is responsible for monitoring earthquakes? What causes an earthquake? What is the biggest earthquake on record? Are earthquakes more prevalent in some parts of the world? If so, where? When have major earthquakes occurred in the United States? Why is it important to monitor earthquakes? How do you measure an earthquake?