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MCW Mod
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I don't understand your question

We are a Q&A site. Built into that is the assumption that the Original Poster(OP) asks a question, and we do research to provide an answer.

If the title doesn't clearly convey a question, if it looks like word salad, or if the syntax is difficult to understand, then skilled and knowledgeable researchers may pass over the question to look for something more interesting.

This also sometimes a signal that OP is groping to find the right question; that OP recognizes that the topic is more complicated and they're searching for the right armature to do research.

In either case, the best approach is to revise the title to ask a question - begin with Who/what/Where/When/Which (be careful with "why"). If you can't ask a clear question, then best practice is to take a step back and ask a simpler question; once that is answered, it may provide the clarity to ask a more complicated question.

But ultimately, your question has to attract interest before it will get an answer.

This is closely related to

  • OP replies in comments (If the OP has to explain the question in comments, it is likely that the community doesn't understand; edit the question to address the comments

  • Question in the passive voice; primary schools and pretentious journals have taught us that academics speak in the passive voice. But outside of pretentious artificial environments, people speak in active voice; they ask questions that indicate what they want to know. If you want me to do research on your behalf, ask me like a person, not like you're talking down to me.

I don't understand your question

We are a Q&A site. Built into that is the assumption that the Original Poster(OP) asks a question, and we do research to provide an answer.

If the title doesn't clearly convey a question, if it looks like word salad, or if the syntax is difficult to understand, then skilled and knowledgeable researchers may pass over the question to look for something more interesting.

This also sometimes a signal that OP is groping to find the right question; that OP recognizes that the topic is more complicated and they're searching for the right armature to do research.

In either case, the best approach is to revise the title to ask a question - begin with Who/what/Where/When/Which (be careful with "why"). If you can't ask a clear question, then best practice is to take a step back and ask a simpler question; once that is answered, it may provide the clarity to ask a more complicated question.

But ultimately, your question has to attract interest before it will get an answer.

I don't understand your question

We are a Q&A site. Built into that is the assumption that the Original Poster(OP) asks a question, and we do research to provide an answer.

If the title doesn't clearly convey a question, if it looks like word salad, or if the syntax is difficult to understand, then skilled and knowledgeable researchers may pass over the question to look for something more interesting.

This also sometimes a signal that OP is groping to find the right question; that OP recognizes that the topic is more complicated and they're searching for the right armature to do research.

In either case, the best approach is to revise the title to ask a question - begin with Who/what/Where/When/Which (be careful with "why"). If you can't ask a clear question, then best practice is to take a step back and ask a simpler question; once that is answered, it may provide the clarity to ask a more complicated question.

But ultimately, your question has to attract interest before it will get an answer.

This is closely related to

  • OP replies in comments (If the OP has to explain the question in comments, it is likely that the community doesn't understand; edit the question to address the comments

  • Question in the passive voice; primary schools and pretentious journals have taught us that academics speak in the passive voice. But outside of pretentious artificial environments, people speak in active voice; they ask questions that indicate what they want to know. If you want me to do research on your behalf, ask me like a person, not like you're talking down to me.

Source Link
MCW Mod
  • 34k
  • 36
  • 48

I don't understand your question

We are a Q&A site. Built into that is the assumption that the Original Poster(OP) asks a question, and we do research to provide an answer.

If the title doesn't clearly convey a question, if it looks like word salad, or if the syntax is difficult to understand, then skilled and knowledgeable researchers may pass over the question to look for something more interesting.

This also sometimes a signal that OP is groping to find the right question; that OP recognizes that the topic is more complicated and they're searching for the right armature to do research.

In either case, the best approach is to revise the title to ask a question - begin with Who/what/Where/When/Which (be careful with "why"). If you can't ask a clear question, then best practice is to take a step back and ask a simpler question; once that is answered, it may provide the clarity to ask a more complicated question.

But ultimately, your question has to attract interest before it will get an answer.