Historical Investigation Process — Interactive Funnel Visualisation

A great question is already half the answer

Every historical investigation starts with framing a question sharp enough to guide the search. Drag the slider to narrow the inquiry — watch how a broad curiosity becomes a focused research plan with specific sources.

Investigation Funnel
BROAD QUESTION
Drag to refine from question to research plan
FORMULATING INITIAL QUESTION
Question Scope Sources Plan
Investigation Phase
1
Sources Identified
0
Framing questions is an active skill: a good historical question is specific enough to guide research but broad enough to allow discovery. It names a particular period, context, or group, and asks about change, causation, significance, or perspective — not just what happened. The question determines which sources matter and which do not, so refining the question early saves weeks of unfocused reading. This is why historians return to the question repeatedly as evidence accumulates.
Know This
Historians frame questions to guide inquiry, develop a coherent research plan, use evidence from a range of sources, and acknowledge every one of them appropriately.