A good scientific question has several key characteristics that make it effective for guiding research and experimentation:
- Objective and Testable: It should be framed in a way that allows for empirical testing through observation or experimentation, avoiding subjective opinions or beliefs
- Narrow and Specific: The question must be focused enough to be answered with data that can be realistically gathered. Broad questions should be broken down into more specific ones to enable precise investigation
- Clear and Understandable: It should be stated clearly, using well-defined concepts and avoiding jargon, so both scientists and the audience can understand what is being asked
- Complex and Analytical: Good scientific questions cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" or by easily found facts; they require detailed explanation, synthesis of information, and original interpretation
- Relevant and Original: The question should address a meaningful problem or gap in knowledge and contribute to ongoing scientific or societal discussions. It should have some element of originality, even if it builds on existing knowledge
- Feasible: It must be possible to answer the question within practical constraints such as time, resources, and access to data
- Formulated for Experimentation: Often, good scientific questions take the form of "What is the relationship between X and Y?" or "What is the effect of X on Y?" to facilitate hypothesis testing and experimental design
In summary, a good scientific question is clear, focused, testable, complex enough to require investigation, relevant to the field, and feasible to answer through systematic research and experimentation
