Stasis Theory for Research and
Teamwork
Introduction
Stasis Theory for Research (from The OWL at Purdue)
• Stasis theory can help writers build information for all types
of communication, and it can help writers conduct careful
inquiry for exploratory and empirical research.
• Stasis theory is good for conducting research, because it
acts as a series of analytical questions that helps writers
collect information about the problem, issue, or topic
under investigation. When answering the stasis questions,
writers should try to gather information from a number of
different credible resources, both primary (interviews, etc.)
and secondary (literature review, etc.), to triangulate their
data
Specifically, stasis theory asks writers to
investigate and try to determine:
• the facts (conjecture)
• the meaning or nature of the issue (definition)
• the seriousness of the issue (quality)
• the plan of action (policy).
Fact
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Did something happen?
What are the facts?
Is there a problem/issue?
How did it begin and what are its causes?
What changed to create the problem/issue?
Can it be changed?
It may also be useful to ask critical questions of your own
research and conclusions:
• Where did we obtain our data and are these sources
reliable?
• How do we know they're reliable?
Definition
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What is the nature of the problem/issue?
What exactly is the problem/issue?
What kind of a problem/issue is it?
To what larger class of things or events does it belong?
What are its parts, and how are they related?
It may also be useful to ask critical questions of your own
research and conclusions:
• Who/what is influencing our definition of this
problem/issue?
• How/why are these sources/beliefs influencing our
definition?
Quality
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Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
How serious is the problem/issue?
Whom might it affect (stakeholders)?
What happens if we don't do anything?
What are the costs of solving the problem/issue?
It may also be useful to ask critical questions of your own
research and conclusions:
• Who/what is influencing our determination of the
seriousness of this problem/issue?
• How/why are these sources/beliefs influencing our
determination?
Policy
• Should action be taken?
• Who should be involved in helping to solve the
problem/address the issue?
• What should be done about this problem?
• What needs to happen to solve this problem/address this
issue?
It may also be useful to ask critical questions of your own
research and conclusions:
• Who/what is influencing our determination of what to do
about this problem/issue?
• How/why are these sources/beliefs influencing our
determination?
The graphic below illustrates how information built using the
stasis questions is used in an exploratory white paper, an audience
analysis and problem solution report. These documents might be
assigned in a composition or professional writing course, or you
might have to conduct research for these types of communications
in the workplace.
The stasis questions can also be integrated into maps that illustrate
exploratory and empirical research methods. The map below
illustrates how the stases can be used to help explore an issue before
writers form a thesis or argument.
The stasis questions can also help guide empirical research
and argumentative work associated with problem-solution
papers and reports, as illustrated in the map below.
Lastly, the stasis questions can help
identify important gaps in knowledge. If
you cannot answer some of the stasis
questions effectively, you have identified
a gap in knowledge that might need to
be filled by conducting more research.