The Five Ws, Five Ws and one H, or the Six Ws are questions whose answers are considered basic in information-gathering. They are often mentioned in journalism (cf. news style), research, and police investigations. They constitute a formula for getting the complete story on a subject. According to the principle of the Five Ws, a report can only be considered complete if it answers these questions starting with an interrogative word:
- Who is it about?
- What happened?
- When did it take place?
- Where did it take place?
- Why did it happen?
Some authors add a sixth question, “how”, to the list, though "how" can also be covered by "what", "where", or "when":
- How did it happen
Each question should have a factual answer — facts necessary to include for a report to be considered complete. Importantly, none of these questions can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no".
In British education, the Five Ws are used in Key Stage 3 (age 11–14) lessons.
Read more about Five Ws: History