Deciding what the question means, and how you should go about answering it, requires analysis of the question.

Every assignment question has a set of instructions, which include:

1. Key words or phrases that specify the topic

These are a part of the assignment statement and provide you with the subject about which to write. It is important to identify all of the key terms or phrases in an assignment question. If you do not identify all of the key concepts, your search for information and the approach you take in answering the question may be too broad, and you may not answer the question properly.

2. Contextual boundaries that impose limits on the scope of content of an assignment

These act as limits on the time, place, number of events, or sources that you need to consider in responding to a question.