2
Reflection: asking questions and proposing answers
I have always preferred to reflect upon a problem before
reading on it.
Jean Piaget
This chapter
r encourages you to develop the confidence and ability
to speculate early about possible answers to your
topic, and avoid getting bogged down in unproductive,
time-consuming reading and notes.
It does this by
r emphasising the importance of your interest in and
enthusiasm for the topics you choose to write on (as
opposed to more utilitarian reasons)
r showing you the meanings of the question words and
instructions used in essay topics, how to interpret them
and how to ask your own questions
r providing a logical approach to speculating about the
shape of possible answers, drawing mostly on your
existing knowledge
r illustrating how you can come up with a draft paragraph
which will help guide your later thinking and more
detailed reading.