Students will learn that informal and formal inquiries require different types of questions. Formal inquiries require an established process and typically include a specific goal. For example, a formal inquiry into how students can manage homework in an effective way might generate a question such as “What strategies can students use to complete homework on time?” An informal inquiry does not require the same complex process as researching a formal topic. The goal of informal inquiry is often to gain context for something or to begin exploring a new topic in a general way. For example, students investigating a simple topic such as favorite music amongst students may generate questions such as “What is your favorite song? Or If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a classroom, what would it be?”

During inquiry and research, students are expected to formulate questions to guide their research. As the research process evolves, the original questions change due to new information, findings, or reflections on the subject being researched. When students modify, or clarify, their questions, they refine the analysis of their topic. The clarification of questions is ongoing throughout the research process.