How to Use Thinking Through Questions in Domain Mapping

1. The Foundational Role of Questioning in Action Research
2. Section 1: Framing the Problem through Interdisciplinary Interrogation
   1. Philosophical Questioning: Uncovering Hidden Premises
   2. Critical Questioning: Challenging the Obvious
   3. Expansive Questioning: Exploratory Problem Framing
3. Section 2: Setting Visionary Goals through Strategic Expansion
   1. The Magic Wand Technique for Aspiration
   2. Long-Lever Questions for Systemic Shift
   3. Biblical Integration and Character Development
4. Section 3: Ideation via Mindmapping and Domain Mapping
   1. Exploratory Questioning and the Multiplicity of Options
   2. Generative Questioning and “Plussing”
   3. Novel Associations: Breaking the Box
5. Section 4: Formulating Research Questions Aligned with DOLI Project Types
   1. The Architecture of a Research Question
   2. Aligning Questions with Intention
6. Sections 5-6: Rapid Literature Review and Source Evaluation
   1. Critical Questioning of Sources
   2. Questioning Generalizations and Loaded Inquiries
   3. The “Barometer” Approach to Literature
7. Section 7: Observing, Reflecting, and Revising
   1. Revision as Intellectual Humility
   2. Embracing the Experimental Approach
8. Comprehensive Deliverables and the DOLI Graduate Profile
9. Conclusion: The Persistence and Courage of the Scholar-Practitioner
10. Article Infographic
    1. Works cited

The transition into doctoral-level research within the Doctor of Organizational Leadership and Innovation (DOLI) program at City Vision University necessitates a fundamental shift in how the student interacts with information, organizations, and the concept of “truth” itself. The DOLI program is designed to evolve leaders who are adaptable and demonstrate the ability to disrupt the status quo with creative and useful innovations that lead to change and transformation.1 Central to this evolution is the mastery of the “scholar-practitioner” identity, a role that bridges the often-disparate worlds of academic theory and practical ministry.2 This report provides exhaustive guidance for the successful completion of Project 2: Research Project Brainstorming & Domain Mapping, centering on the rigorous application of the principles established by Anthony Weston and Stephen Bloch-Schulman in their seminal work, Thinking Through Questions: A Concise Invitation to Critical, Expansive, and Philosophical Inquiry.

The Foundational Role of Questioning in Action Research

Action research, the cornerstone of the DOLI program, requires students to apply research methods to practical research topics in their professional field.2 Unlike traditional academic research, which may seek knowledge for its own sake, action research at City Vision University focuses on solving practical challenges facing an organization or a larger movement, particularly those serving the poor and addicted.2 To navigate this path, students must recognize that questioning is not merely a tool for gathering information; it is a sophisticated art form that can be developed through focused practice and attention.5 For the doctoral student, questioning serves as the primary mechanism for “Thinking Through” a problem—a process that is often more valuable than the initial answers it yields.5

The DOLI program emphasizes that innovation is a strategic movement-building tool.2 Therefore, the research process must produce knowledge that is both biblically grounded and systemically informed.2 By applying critical, expansive, and philosophical questioning techniques, students can ensure their Project 2 deliverables are visionary, rigorous, and aligned with the university’s mission to be twice as relevant at half the cost of comparable options.2

Component of Inquiry	Primary Analytical Objective in DOLI Research	Impact on the Scholar-Practitioner
Critical Questioning	Evaluating the reliability of sources, identifying biases, and testing the logic of generalizations and explanations.	Establishes the “Scholar” foundation by ensuring research is grounded in credible, peer-reviewed evidence.5
Expansive Questioning	Breaking out of cognitive “boxes” through techniques like plussing, magic wand queries, and novel associations.	Cultivates the “Innovator” mindset, allowing the leader to see possibilities where others see stuck problems.5
Philosophical Questioning	Interrogating the unstated assumptions, definitions, and big-picture implications of organizational practices.	Deepens the “Leadership” perspective by aligning strategy with theology and long-term values.2

Section 1: Framing the Problem through Interdisciplinary Interrogation

The first section of Project 2 requires the student to summarize the problems they wish to solve, categorized by social, organizational, and personal dimensions.6 In an environment that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA), standard problem identification is rarely sufficient.1 Students must move beyond “Question-Answering” environments—where answers are settled—and embrace “Questioning-Centered” inquiry, where the problem itself is treated as fluid and open to reframing.5

Philosophical Questioning: Uncovering Hidden Premises

Philosophical questioning is the primary tool for Section 1 because it addresses what we normally take for granted.5 Students must ask What? and Why? questions that probe the foundations of their organization. For example, if a student identifies “mission drift” as a problem, a philosophical approach would ask: “What is the essence of our mission?”, “How do we define success?”, and “Why have we adopted our current definition over alternatives?”.5 This type of interrogation is essential to avoid mission drift and secularization, a core concern of the DOLI program.2

Furthermore, the student must “unpack the backstory” of the problem. This involves asking why the problem has surfaced in its current form and what historical or cultural shifts have influenced its trajectory.5 In the context of Christian ministries serving the poor, this may involve identifying where secular models of management have replaced theological visions of community and restoration.2

Critical Questioning: Challenging the Obvious

The scholar-practitioner must maintain a degree of healthy mistrust toward what appears “obvious”.5 Critical questioning in Section 1 serves as a safeguard against accepting surface-level explanations for organizational failure. Students are encouraged to use “Key Critical Questions” such as: “Is this piece of information really true?”, “Who stands to benefit from this framing of the problem?”, and “What evidence supports the claim that this is the primary obstacle?”.5

This stage of inquiry helps the student distinguish between a “Personal Problem” (e.g., a lack of specific leadership skills) and an “Organizational Problem” (e.g., a structural lack of health or growth).6 By questioning generalizations about why an organization is struggling, the student avoids the trap of “verbal annihilation”—where difficult questions are silenced in favor of maintaining a comfortable but failing status quo.5

Expansive Questioning: Exploratory Problem Framing

Section 1 also benefits from exploratory questioning, which is designed to broaden the scope of the problem.5 Instead of viewing a problem as a fixed “box” with no exit, the student should approach it with openness and curiosity.5 This involves asking: “What if the problem isn’t what we think it is?”, “What other facets of this challenge have we ignored?”, and “How might an outsider from a completely different discipline view this situation?”.5 This interdisciplinary perspective is a major learning outcome of the DOLI program.2

Section 2: Setting Visionary Goals through Strategic Expansion

Section 2 of Project 2 requires students to delineate their goals internally (knowledge, skills, character) and externally (impact on stakeholders, organization, and society).6 These goals must balance visionary aspiration with realistic milestones. Expansive questioning techniques are the most potent tools for this section, as they are specifically designed to help students think “outside of the box” and move large, complex ideas.5

The Magic Wand Technique for Aspiration

The “Magic Wand” question invites the student to leap directly to a perfect solution: “If you had a magic wand and could solve this problem in any way you wanted, what specifically would you do then?”.5 In setting “Social Goals” for a doctoral project, the student might use this technique to imagine a community entirely free from the cycle of addiction, rather than just a community with a slightly more efficient recovery program.5

By starting with the ideal, the student identifies the ultimate “Value Proposition” of their work.8 They can then work backward to determine which elements of that perfect solution can be realistically implemented through their doctoral project. This prevents the goals from being stunted by early-stage negativity or the assumption that “it will never work”.5

Long-Lever Questions for Systemic Shift

Long-lever questions are high-impact inquiries that provide the “leverage” to move deeply rooted problems.5 In the DOLI program, this translates to shifting from a mastery of a single division in an organization to a comprehensive systemic mastery needed to lead across the entire organization.2 For Section 2, the student should formulate goals that act as long-levers.

Goal Dimension	Focus Area	Long-Lever Question Example
Individual	Your Knowledge & Skills	“How can I acquire the technological leadership skills to transform our service delivery model entirely?” 2
Organizational	Organizational Health	“What would it take to establish a trauma-informed culture of health that survives beyond my tenure?” 2
Social	Movement Impact	“How can this project diffuse an innovation that changes the standard of care for our entire denomination?” 2

2

Biblical Integration and Character Development

A unique requirement of the City Vision University DOLI program is the integration of “Heart” (Attitudes/Character) into the doctoral journey.2 Section 2 asks students to consider how their project will impact their character. Philosophical questioning is useful here to ask: “What does it mean to be a ‘wounded healer’ in a leadership context?”, and “How does this project align my professional ambition with my calling and purpose of work?”.4 This ensures that the visionary goals are not merely about organizational growth, but about spiritual integration and relational health.4

Section 3: Ideation via Mindmapping and Domain Mapping

Section 3 involves an iterative process of ideation using a mindmap to map the research domain.6 This is not a one-time exercise but an ongoing process of exploratory and generative questioning.5 The student is tasked with significantly improving their initial mindmap based on the learning in the module, particularly the skills of free association and “plussing”.5

Exploratory Questioning and the Multiplicity of Options

Exploratory questioning in Section 3 requires the student to search carefully for what might be easily overlooked or usually left “in the dark”.5 When mindmapping, the student should use the “Flashlight” icon of inquiry to explore sub-domains.5 For example, if the primary domain is “Nonprofit Fundraising,” exploratory questioning would branch out into:

• The psychology of donor motivation.
• The impact of blockchain on philanthropic transparency.
• Cross-cultural effectiveness in major gift solicitation.7
• Ethical considerations of data privacy in donor management.9

The goal is to maintain a sense of openness toward the future and to entertain more than one answer for how the domain can be structured.5

Generative Questioning and “Plussing”

Generative questioning is the process of producing new ideas and perspectives when a problem seems stuck.5 In mindmapping, the student should apply the “Plussing+++” technique, which involves taking an initial idea and stretching it to the next level.5 If a node on the mindmap is “Mentor Program,” the student should “plus” it: “What if the mentors were trained via a VR simulation?” “What if the mentor program was funded through a social enterprise model?”.2

Novel Associations: Breaking the Box

When a student feels their domain mapping is too predictable, they should use “Inviting Novel Associations”.5 This involves picking a random word—perhaps from the City Vision Catalog or a news headline—and forcing it into the mindmap.5 For example, if a student picks the word “Efficiency” from the CVU vision statement, they must ask: “How does efficiency intersect with my domain of trauma-informed counseling?”.2 This technique breaks cognitive ruts and allows the student to find new directions across the board, even when they think possibilities have been exhausted.5

Section 4: Formulating Research Questions Aligned with DOLI Project Types

The transition from a broad research interest to a specific initial research question is the primary objective of Section 4.6 Research questions in the DOLI program must be specifically and usefully answerable using action research methods.2 Furthermore, they must align with the student’s chosen DOLI Project Type, whether that is a Book, an LMS Program, a Startup, or an Organizational Intervention.8

The Architecture of a Research Question

A good research question for a scholar-practitioner is one that is specific, not too vague, and deeply interesting to both the researcher and the stakeholders.5 Students must distinguish between “Information Questions”—which can be answered by looking up settled facts—and “Research Questions,” which require the collection and analysis of data to settle a doubt.2

DOLI Project Type	Deliverable Constraint	Required Question Focus
BOOK	35k words, Value Proposition, 100+ references.8	Needs a Philosophical Question regarding the core essence or “big picture” of a subject.5
LMS PROGRAM	4 original courses, 5 hours of recordings.8	Needs a Generative Question about how to effectively diffuse specific innovations through online education.2
START-UP PLAN	Business Plan, Model Canvas, Social Media Plan.8	Needs an Expansive Question regarding market gaps and innovative business models for social good.2
ORG INTERVENTION	Change Model, Assessments, Final Outcomes Report.8	Needs a Critical Question that questions the explanations for current organizational failure and tests a new change model.5
APPLIED RESEARCH	Data Collection, IRB approval, Analysis.8	Needs a Critical Question focused on empirical validation and rigorous data analysis.2

2

Aligning Questions with Intention

Using the “clarify intentions” first step from Weston and Bloch-Schulman, the student must ask what kind of response is needed for their project to succeed.5 If the project type is a “Workshop,” the research question should focus on stakeholder engagement: “What specific participatory activities lead to the highest levels of debriefing success among adult learners in a 7-hour event?”.5 If the project is a “Curriculum,” the question might be: “How can the learning outcomes of this faculty guide be measured for actual behavioral change in the field?”.5

Sections 5-6: Rapid Literature Review and Source Evaluation

The rapid literature review is where the doctoral student demonstrates their “Scholar” capabilities by critically evaluating the existing body of knowledge.2 Students must specify a number of references and provide a public view of their Zotero bibliography.6 The evaluation of these sources is conducted through the lens of critical questioning.

Critical Questioning of Sources

Critical questioning seeks out the best sources for beliefs and aims to make the best inferences from well-founded facts.5 Students must move beyond simply collecting information and begin to “Question Sources” systematically.5

1. Credibility and Bias: Students must ask: “Who is the author?”, “What is their institutional affiliation?”, and “Do they have a hidden slant or ‘fake news’ agenda?”.5
2. Primary vs. Secondary Research: Students must recognize that Google Gemini Deep Research is, by its nature, secondary research.6 While useful for understanding a field, it typically does not provide access to the peer-reviewed journals required for a high-level review.6 Therefore, critical inquiry demands that the student go beyond the “top hits” and access papers behind paywalls that define the field.5
3. Methodological Soundness: When a source provides an “explanation,” the student must “Question Explanations” by asking if there are other, better ways to account for the results.5

Questioning Generalizations and Loaded Inquiries

Students must be particularly alert to “Questioning Generalizations” within the literature.5 A study that works in a secular corporate environment may not generalize to a faith-based nonprofit serving the addicted.4 Scholar-practitioners must ask if the data truly supports the sweeping claims made by the authors.5

Furthermore, students should identify “Loaded Questions” in the research.5 A loaded question contains a built-in bias that “loads” the inquiry toward an unfair conclusion.5 In organizational leadership literature, questions may be loaded with assumptions about the inherent destructiveness of humans or the absolute necessity of car-intensive campuses.5 The student’s role is to detect these questionable questions and reframing them to serve the project’s specific mission.5

The “Barometer” Approach to Literature

Just as the physics student in the “Barometer Question” story found multiple correct ways to measure a building’s height, the scholar-practitioner must entertain more than one answer in their literature review.5 They should look for competing theories and divergent voices, particularly those from diverse movements serving under-resourced communities.4 This ensures a “Big-Picture” understanding of the research domain that is consistent, well-founded, and comprehensive.5

Section 7: Observing, Reflecting, and Revising

The final section of Project 2 is a reflexive summary where the student observes their progress and revises their earlier framing and questions based on the insights from the literature review.6 This section is critical for integrating Project 2 with the student’s worldview and epistemological foundations.6

Revision as Intellectual Humility

The DOLI program emphasizes “intellectual humility” as a core character trait.2 Students must be willing to “lose the bias of their old position” when the evidence—and the questioning process—suggests a new direction.2 Section 7 requires students to revise their estimates of where expertise lies, specifically acknowledging the percentages of knowledge gained from:

• Peer-reviewed journals.
• Books (including the Bible).
• Undiscovered core research.
• Interpersonal and tacit sources.6

Embracing the Experimental Approach

Scholar-practitioners should adopt John Dewey’s perspective, prioritizing “inquiry”—an open-ended and evolving process—over “knowledge,” which suggests something fixed and finished.5 The revision of Section 1-4 should not be seen as a failure to get it right the first time, but as a successful manifestation of a “Questioning-Centered” mindset.5 By continuously questioning their own theories and plans, students make their doctoral projects stronger and more resilient to future challenges.5

Comprehensive Deliverables and the DOLI Graduate Profile

Successfully completing Project 2 ensures that the student is on track to meet the common deliverables for all doctoral projects, including the IRB application, the finalized literature review, and the public repository of research through tools like NotebookLM and Zotero.8 The integration of questioning principles ensures that these deliverables meet the highest standards of academic and practitioner rigor.

CVU Institutional Outcome	Integration with Questioning Principles	Evidence in Project 2
Communication	Developing coherent, error-free writing for specialized audiences.7	The fluid narrative of the mindmap and the zero-error recite report.6
Spiritual Integration	Articulating a Christian worldview and its impact on work.7	Philosophical questioning of organizational assumptions and mission alignment.2
Quantitative Skills	Applying math to personal and organizational contexts.7	Critical questioning of statistics and generalizations found in the rapid literature review.5
Cross-Cultural Effectiveness	Increasing effectiveness in diverse environments.7	Asking around and exploratory questioning to understand diverse perspectives.4
Continuous Improvement	Implementing a continuous improvement process in organizations.1	The iterative revision of the research plan based on reflection and inquiry.5

1

Conclusion: The Persistence and Courage of the Scholar-Practitioner

The scholar-practitioner journey at City Vision University is not for the faint of heart. Questioning is a risky endeavor; it can be personally challenging and may even require interpersonal courage when addressing established power structures or long-held beliefs.5 Yet, as the example of the patriarch Abraham illustrates, questioning—even questioning God—is a vital part of seeking justice and doing what is right.5

By the end of Project 2, the student should have developed a “whole host of questions that come up to the forefront of the mind automatically”.5 They will have learned to persist through “put-offs” like “it’s company policy,” and they will have the skills to turn “Questionable Questions” to better effect.5 Ultimately, this guidance paper aims to leave the DOLI student as a “better questioner, even more than a better answerer”.5 In a world of fake news, mission drift, and systemic injustice, the ability to think through questions is not just an academic requirement; it is a vital form of intelligent citizenship and a gift from God intended to transform lives, organizations, and movements.4 Through the rigorous application of critical, expansive, and philosophical inquiry, the scholar-practitioner ensures that the “star-spangled banner” of innovation and leadership yet waves over the land of the free and the home of the brave.5

Article Infographic

This report was generated by Google Gemini Deep Research using the prompt:

“You are a professor in a doctoral course on Research Methods for Scholar Practitioners at City Vision University. Write a paper for graduate students in the course that helps to translate the concepts from the book Thinking Through Questions to complete Project 2: Research Project Brainstorming & Domain Mapping. Note that students will use Project 2 Research Planning, Literature Reviews & Domain Mapping to provide direction to their doctoral project based on the type the select (see attached doctoral project types).” It was reviewed by Dr. Andrew Sears for accuracy. The infographic was provided by NotebookLM

Works cited

1. Doctor of Education in Organizational Innovation and Leadership | National University, accessed February 14, 2026, https://www.nu.edu/degrees/educational-leadership/programs/educational-doctoral-in-organizational-innovation-and-leadership/
2. Online Christian Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and …, accessed February 14, 2026, https://www.cityvision.edu/lp/online-christian-doctorate-in-organizational-leadership-and-innovation/
3. City Vision University – The Most Affordable Christian Nonprofit Management & Counseling Degrees Online, accessed February 14, 2026, https://www.cityvision.edu/
4. About City Vision University: Our Mission and History, accessed February 14, 2026, https://www.cityvision.edu/about/
5. Thinking Through Questions A Concise Invitation To Critical, Expansive, And Philosophical Inquiry.pdf
6. Your Name. Project 2. Research Planning, Literature Reviews & Domain Mapping
7. Undergraduate General Education Requirements – City Vision University, accessed February 14, 2026, https://www.cityvision.edu/general-education-requirements/
8. DOLI Project Types
9. Research, Ethics, Compliance, and Safety Training, accessed February 14, 2026, https://about.citiprogram.org/
10. 2025-2026 Catalog | City Vision University, accessed February 14, 2026, https://www.cityvision.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/catalog.pdf