2.3: Ask a Good Question

Science aims to ask questions about the universe and everything in it, including us. In my classroom and online teaching experience, it’s a rare student who asks a question about a topic or concept being covered in the course. Perhaps students fear that they will appear unknowledgeable and their instructor or their classmates will judge them. Maybe it’s because nobody likes a smarty-pants (e.g., Rentzsch and Schröder-Abé 2014). Or maybe students just aren’t curious about the topics on the syllabus—the saddest of all possibilities.

Whatever the reason, I like to think that many students don’t realize that asking questions is a good thing. Journalists and scientists learn very early in their careers that asking great questions reaps great benefits. Experienced journalists and scientists can ask questions that other folks never think of. Just like surfing Bonzai Pipeline takes practice (and a bit of nerve), asking good questions takes practice (and a bit of confidence). Like the big wave that got away, an unasked question is an opportunity missed.

In science, however, we differentiate between scientific and nonscientific questions. A scientific question concerns the natural and observable world. As outlined by the National Research Council (NRC 2002), a scientific question is one that “can be investigated empirically,” that is, by using our senses to gather evidence. Questions like why is the ocean blue, why do waves break at the shore, and how do sperm whales hold their breath so long can be answered using science. Questions about if God exists or whether humans have untapped mental powers aren’t scientific. They don’t lend themselves to observation (at least not at this time).

A scientific question typically builds upon previous research and scientific theory; it “links research to relevant theory” (NRC 2002). A newly posed scientific question contributes to a chain of reasoning, a logical extension of previous work. It’s not enough to simply work on a question in a field of study in which others are working. A scientist’s work requires an intimate knowledge of what has been published in that field and what questions remain unanswered. A scientist’s questions pick up where others left off or take the next step in a series designed to figure something out. A 12th-century quote popularized by Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727) sums it up nicely: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” (Newton 1675). The discoveries of modern science owe their existence to the discoveries of scientists in previous times.

Scientific questions must be general enough to apply in different settings. A study that focuses on one event in one place at one time will be difficult to replicate and generalize. Research on human behavior in social sciences and education often faces problems of replicability and generalization. Replicability stands at the heart of scientific progress. If a scientist’s results cannot be replicated, then those results will be questioned and potentially dismissed.