by Vera Oko
Just like creative writers, academic writers experience writer’s block—a state where ideas and words refuse to flow, making writing feel impossible. In addition to this challenge, finding time to write and being in the right mood can be difficult. Procrastination or waiting to be in the right mood to write can be detrimental to writing especially when doing academic writing such as a comprehensive examination with high stakes and a non-negotiable deadline.
Furthermore, because some writers are what I call mood writers—they wait for the moment inspiration strikes before they can begin. These writers usually wait to be “in the mood to write” before embarking on writing. Others are what I call disciplined writers—they don’t need inspiration to write, they don’t wait to be in the mood to write. Rather, they push themselves to write consistently, no matter how they feel. Their mood does not dictate their writing flow and output. But whether you are a mood writer or a disciplined writer, writer’s block is a common struggle.
To overcome academic writer’s block, you need something to jump start your writing, like a defibrillator reviving a stalled heart. I designed the following questions to help get your ideas flowing, help you move through different sections of your research paper and to keep your writing process on track.
ANALYTICAL WRITING
Analytical writing involves breaking down your complex ideas, information, identifying patterns, and making connections between ideas. It moves beyond description to interpret and explain findings in a meaningful way in academic research. Analytical writing helps to demonstrate how your data supports or challenges existing theories, knowledge and epistemologies. Analytical writing Focuses on how and why, not just what. This kind of writing is done towards making a a clear, arguable claim or thesis while using evidence (e.g., quotes, data, theory) to support the analysis.
Furthermore, Analytical writing explores relationships, patterns, and deeper meanings while often comparing, contrasting, or problematizing ideas.
By asking reflective questions about causes, relationships, and implications, writers can deepen their understanding and produce more thoughtful, persuasive arguments. Developing this skill enhances clarity, depth, and originality in writing across academic and professional contexts.
In order to write analytically, or, in doing an analysis, consider these questions when you sit to write:
- What is the main issue or question here?
- What assumptions are being made here?
- What causes what? What are the effects or consequences?
- Is there a pattern, contradiction, or tension here?
- What is my position or argument about this topic?
- What are alternative perspectives or counterarguments?
- How do these ideas or elements relate to one another?
- What is missing or underexplored?
- Who is included/excluded in this analysis?
Meanwhile, as both guiding questions through the work and as final questions, you can ask:
- How do your research or findings support or challenge existing studies?
- What patterns, themes, or contradictions emerge from your research?
Because analytical writing goes beyond simply describing information, involving the examining, questioning underlying assumptions, and making meaningful connections between concepts, these questions are bound to help in getting you to write analytically and to keep your work moving.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Critical analysis goes beyond summarizing or describing information; it involves questioning assumptions, uncovering biases, and evaluating the strengths and limitations of arguments. Also, I would add that Critical thinking requires situating your research within broader historical, social, and political contexts to assess its implications.
To write critically, or to do a critical analysis, considering these questions as you attempt to write can help with your writing process:
- What assumptions, biases, or power dynamics are present in your research or existing literature?
- How does your research challenge dominant perspectives or contribute new ways of thinking?
- In what ways does your study engage with?
- What are the inadequacies, problems, limitations of previous studies
- What are the weakness in the studies or papers you are summarising?
- What are your suggestions for research gaps?
INTRODUCTION
The introduction is the section where you set the stage for your research. It provides background information, establishes the significance of your study, and presents your research questions or thesis statement. A strong introduction should clearly articulate the problem or gap your research addresses and explain why your study is necessary.
To help you move through your introduction section, consider these questions:
- What is the importance of your topic for society or your discipline?
- What is the core issue or debate your research addresses?
- What has been said and is being said about your topic?
- Why is this topic significant at all, or within your field?
- What existing research does your study build on, and where does it diverge?
- What knowledge gap are you trying to identify or address?
- How does your study contribute to scholarly conversations on the topic?
- What is your main argument or thesis statement?
- What is the significance of your study? Who benefits?
- What is the structure of your paper?
- What are the research methods or theories you will use?
- What is the purpose, aim, focus, argument of your research?
- Are there reasons for personal interests in your research?
METHODS
The methods section describes how you conduct your research. It explains the approach you used to collect and analyze data, justifies your methodological choices, and addresses any ethical considerations. A well-written methods section allows others to understand and potentially replicate your study if there arises the need to do so, or if someone is interested in doing so. As a social researcher, you can consider these questions in describing your methods:
- What methods are you using, and why are they the best fit for your study?
- How will you gather and analyze your data?
- What are your research challenges or limitations might you face, and how will you navigate them?
- How do your methods align with your theoretical framework?
- What are your geographical considerations?
- What is your research scope?
REFINING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Refining research questions is a crucial step in ensuring your study remains both focused and also meaningful. This process involves clarifying the scope of your questions, aligning them with your research objectives, and ensuring they are feasible, relevant and doable. Strong research questions can guide your study.
You can consider these following questions in your journey to refine your research questions as you write:
- What is your research aim and objective?
- What do you want to know? Or what do you want people to know?
- What are you trying to achieve?
CONCLUSION
Here are prompt question-based prompts for writing the Conclusion:
- What were the main findings of your research?
- How do your findings contribute to your field of study?
- What are the broader implications of your research?
- How does your study challenge or expand existing knowledge?
- How can I connect this to a broader context (e.g., theory, history, lived experience)?
These writing prompt questions should help guide you in crafting a strong and reflective conclusion.
No matter your writing style as a social researcher and academic writer, weather you are a mood writer or a disciplined writer, like a defibrillator to the heart, these DSR prompt questions can help you break through your writer’s block and moments of feeling stuck, frustrated, unproductive and unprogressive. These questions can keep your research moving forward. Remember, Writing is not about waiting for inspiration alone—it’s also about asking the right questions which can also spark inspiration, guide your thinking and shape your meaningful research work.