An excerpt from Chic Thompson’s book, “What a Great Idea” urges us to ask “Why” a problem is occuring, and then ask “Why” four more times. Here’s how:

1. Why has the machine stopped?
A fuse blew because of an overload
2. Why was there an overload?
There wasn’t enough lubrication for the bearings
3. Why wasn’t there enough lubrication?
The pump wasn’t pumping enough
4. Why wasn’t lubricant being pumped?
The pump shaft was vibrating as a result of abrasion
5. Why was there abrasion?
There was no filter, allowing chips of material into the pump

Asking “Why” 5 times lead us to the conclusion: Installation of a filter solves the problem.

This technique of deep probing is useful to understand and define key issues in research. Often, we may incorrectly focus on the obvious symptoms rather than the root cause of the issue. While asking “Why” 5 times explicitly in surveys may be less than desired, it can be a useful thought process to help us phrase questions effectively.