Historical inquiry requires that students ask one or more good questions. Good questions are those that launch an investigation into the data, and require students to analyze the data in order to find an answer. Good questions are therefore probing questions. For example, students' questions might indicate what they want to learn more about, verbalize a problem they are having trouble understanding, identify an issue to resolve, or explore cause and effect over time. Triangulate the data.
Historical research requires that students obtain data from multiple sources.
Embedded in the idea of triangulation is that of searching out information from multiple sources and using information from different types of sources. Hypothesize a tentative answer. A good working hypothesis is an educated guess that provides the basis for further investigation. When students hypothesize answers to their questions, they are making explicit a possible explanation for the facts as they understand them at the moment. Once a working hypothesis has been generated, the student must continue research to verify whether the original hypothesis holds up under further scrutiny.