How to Use the 5Ws and H Framework to Structure a Research Paper

The 5Ws and H Framework for Structuring a Research Paper

🟡 1. What – What is this research about?

This forms your Title, Abstract/Executive Summary, and Introduction.

🔹 Title
State what your research is about in a clear, engaging way. Think like a journalist: “What is the story here?”

Example: “Radio for Peace: A Community-Led Approach to Conflict Resolution in Jos North, Nigeria”

🔹 Executive Summary
Answer: What did we study, what did we find, and what do we recommend—all in one paragraph (150–200 words).

🔹 Introduction
Clarify:

  • What is the conflict or communication problem?

  • What has been happening?

  • What is missing or misunderstood about it?

  • What questions are you trying to answer?

🎯 Tip: Pretend you're explaining this to a local chief, NGO funder, or a curious journalist—what’s the conflict, why does it matter, and what are you going to dig into?

🟢 2. Who – Who are the key players in this conflict or issue?

This covers your Stakeholder Analysis, integrated in your Findings, Theory, and Methodology.

Ask:

  • Who are the people, institutions or platforms involved in the conflict?

  • Who is affected? Who benefits? Who is silenced?

  • Who spoke to you (interviews, surveys, data sources)?

Example: Community elders, youth, women, media houses, religious groups, NGOs, local government, Facebook users.

🎯 Tip: Use stakeholder maps, tables, or quote blocks to make the “Who” visible and alive.

🔵 3. Where – Where is the conflict or communication issue happening?

This anchors your Contextual Background and Case Selection.

Ask:

  • Which town, village, country, institution or digital space?

  • Is it rural or urban? Online or offline?

  • Why is this place important?

Example: “This study focuses on Guma LGA in Benue State due to its recent spike in herder-farmer violence and community radio’s increasing influence in the region.”

🎯 Tip: Help readers “see the place.” Use maps, news screenshots, or describe the social texture of the community.

🔴 4. When – When did the events or issues occur?

This helps in framing your timeline, data relevance, and urgency.

Ask:

  • Are you analysing a specific conflict event (e.g., a massacre in 2025)?

  • Is the issue historical (e.g., colonial legacies) or ongoing?

  • When was data collected?

🎯 Tip: Create a simple conflict timeline (3–5 key dates) to make the narrative more dynamic.

🟣 5. Why – Why does this research matter?

This fuels your Problem Statement, Justification, and Strategic Recommendations.

Ask:

  • Why is it important to study this now?

  • Why are current solutions not working?

  • Why should communicators, NGOs, journalists, or policymakers care?

Example: “Although multiple peace campaigns have been funded in this region, local youth feel excluded from the process and distrust government-led messaging. This study explores why.”

🎯 Tip: Use real voices (quotes), incidents, or funding reports to support your ‘why’.

🟠 6. How – How did you do the research, and how can your findings solve the problem?

This is your Methodology, Findings, and Recommendations.

Ask:

  • How did you gather information? (interviews, media analysis, simulations)

  • How are you analysing it? (thematic analysis, framing, theory)

  • How can your results inform future action?

🎯 Tips:

  • Be clear but not too technical.

  • Visualise findings using tables or charts.

  • Offer practical “how-to” recommendations for communicators in the field.

🧩 Putting It All Together (Quick Visual Layout)



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