What makes a "Good Question"?

While discussing about types of answers and questions with a friend, we deliberated upon "What makes a Good Question" Be it a Deliberation of a specific topic, a Group discussion, or a Problem-Solving exercises or Brainstorming, we all attempt in providing answers and suggestions. The thought came to my mind that "The right answer can be good, but often the right question can be better". In many cases, the right question which is specific may lead to a good answer as well. Any thoughts, views or suggestions?
Clarification added:I just wanted to clarify that this query was not restricted to Linkedin Questions. It was more generic for any situation.

Thanks,

Sujatha
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Responses Received:

Messages from Praveen PM:

The question itself is generic :) The 'goodness' or quality of the question should be assessed based on the context. Some thoughts on key aspects of a 'good question'! 1. High level focus - helps people think in a wide band, still maintaining the focus on core concept 2. Relevance - the question should have a purpose and relevance to some context. 3. Thought provoking - the question should trigger the thoughts of the thinker 4. Unbiased - If the question is for decision making, it should be unbiased and the person who tries to answer should not be persuaded by the inclination towards specific options or alternatives 5. Presention - Importance should be given to the way the question is put forward. If presented interestingly there shall be many takers 6. The language - effective use of key words and clarity of thought expressed through the best means 7. Simplicity - Understandable by all, unless meant for a specific group!

Messages from Tom Field :

A good question shares the same hallmarks as good journalism: * Accuracy * Clarity * Brevity Nothing sends me clicking elsewhere faster than a question that goes on for five paragraphs, and by the end I *still* don't really understand what the questioner wants to know. best, Tom

Messages from Dr. Shaun Jamison:
My answer assumes that you are looking for a question in the circumstances you described: Deliberation of a specific topic, a Group discussion, or a Problem-Solving excercise or Brainstorming. A good question allows for a good answer. A good question is stripped of judgment, assumed facts or outcomes. A good question is not a "set up" for an attack. A good question is short and understandable. A good question is typically stripped of heavy emotion. A good question is actually phrased as a question. A good question is one that is asked and then the question keeps silent until someone else answers. A good question is usually open ended and not multiple choice or true/false. A good question is related to the task at hand. A niave question can be a good question. A good question comes from curiosity. A good question makes you think before you respond. Shaun Jamison

Messages from Terrence Seamon

Your question is a good question: - it's short - it's open (vs closed) - it's intriguing - it invites

Messages from Scott Paul Goldman
Are we limiting this to Linkedin Q&A or is this a general questiion? In terms of linkedin, a good question ( for me ) has a few components: 1- it must be brief 2- it should grab my interest 3- it should compel me to answer 4- it should motivate me to view other responses 5- it should inspire me to learn more about the subject 6- it must be objective and not shaded in an attempt to derive an intended response 7- it should be a sincere question and one that others could benefit from 8- if it's about a dilemma, it should be stated in such a way that the author is TRULY interested in feedback and willing to take advice if practical 9- it should not be a waste of our time

Messages from Mamta Narang
All I know is a question tells the wisdom of the person and the answer tells us - 'How clever the person is?'

Messages from Lucy Morton-Haworth
A good question inspires poeple to think hard - something people generally don't know the answer to so invites discussion, opening minds to new ideas and things they may not usually think. It is informative and educational.

Messages from Gerald Lo

For me, a good question ought to be an actual question. I see some of the postings here appear not to be actual questions at all. I feel that the best questions are those which does not strongly betray how the questioner feels the answer should sound. There seem to be quite a few askers who appear to have made up their minds. Beyond these opinions of mine, I feel all questions are good. I don't know how to answer most of them.

Messages from Nishith Trivedi

Hi Sujatha, This in itself is a good question ;-) A question is defined by Wikipedia as "A question may be either a linguistic expression used to make a request for information, or else the request itself made by such an expression. This information is provided with an answer." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question A good question would be one that would lead the deliberation / discussion/ exercise in the direction whereupon the learning quotient in the context of the subject would increase for all. It should lead to more possibilities than the stated intent of the question.

Messages from Gavin Park
Answers offer one way of providing a solution, whereas a good question can spawn several different answers. When asking a question, you need to think about what sort of answer you want to hear back. Make the person answering consider alternatives

Messages from Robert Fornal
A good question provokes thought ... often with a focus in one particular direction, keeping the answer providers on track.

Messages from Pankaj Shukla
Your question itself is a very good question!! I think any question which initiates the logical reasoning and different thoughts from different persons is a good question. There must be multiple logical answers to a good question. It is not necessary that may subscribe to the idea of the responder or not. Any question which may lead to healthy discussion is a good question. Any question which has possibly one answer is a bad question.

Messages from Ray Dassen

In the context of technical problem solving, I'd recommend the articles "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way" by Eric S. Raymond and Rick Moen and "How to Report Bugs Effectively", by Simon Tatham. Both address various aspects of what makes a good question / problem report, with an underlying theme of "put yourself in the recipient's shoes. In my experience, often with the good questions, it's not so much the questions themselves that are good, but the effort the asker takes to state the context they are raised in.
Links:
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html

Messages from William F DeVault
A good question shows the integrity of earnest curiosity, frames well the necessary answer(s) and is clear in both its point of enquiry and its intention. Good question example: This morning I noticed we have more employees driving to work than we have parking spaces available. What are some ways we could resolve this problem without forcing the employees to pay for parking in a public facility? Bad question example: What are we going to do about parking? I always advise job seekers to ask questions in their interviews, and to think about what they ask and how they ask it. I, for one, consider a good question as a stronger indication of a smart and engaged individual than how they answer my questions.

Messages from Jay Hamilton-Roth:

Another aspect of a "good question" is how much I care about the question (i.e., my emotional involvement). Do I have a background for understanding what is asked? Are answers to the questions something I care about? A "good question" draws me in, makes me want to think about it, and get involved in answering it.

Messages from David Phillips
Let me dig back into my neurological archives to the days when I taught high school.... A good question will call the respondent to assess various options as responses, then articulate the relative merit of each option, along with the reasoning to support that appraisal. Responses, in turn, reflect more than simple rote learning, basic comprehension, or even synthesis of ideas--they display the higher-ordered skill of evaluation.

Messages from Mohamed Taher
You are on the right spot. If you get attention from many in the Linkedin, within a couple of hours, then you have a Good Question. If there are no responses --whatever is the subject and issue, you know other wise.

Messages from Mykel de Willigen
Most people focus on creating solutions, there's a tendency to forget to ask what is the problem, are we solving the true cause of this problem. Solutions to the wrong problem seem to create progress, but usually end up creating more and bigger problems.

Messages from Marietta C. Baglieri :
A good question, in my estimation, is one that actually "provokes" the thought process .. in order to formulate an answer .. Marietta

Messages from Sandeep Balaji:

I see that you have gotten a lot of cool responses. A question is a set-up at digging out either qualitative or quantitative information to fill in a missing block in your thought process. Essentially the root of all questions are defined/undefined problems :-) I hope you don't ask me another question! Thanks and Regards, Sandeep

Messages from Tarek Foda
Sujatha Foe me there is nothing called a bad question. Every question is good in its own way because it helps people to understand what they inquiring about. Understanding levels differ from one person to another; that make questions that might be related come in different forms. Knowing that makes everyone understand that there is no bad question.

Messages from Brad Federman
I believe the best types of questions are non leading or assuming. They raise our level of thinking. They force us to examine our bias and thought process. They ask us to think of "What if..."

Messages from Dan Ogden:
A "Good Question" inspires. Whether the question is technical or solution-driven in nature, or hypothical, or rhetorical, a "Good Question" gives the potential answerer all the needed information in such a way as to motivate him or her to answer to the best of their ability, whether that is expressed in a dissertation on the subject or merely a wisecrack (I've been known for providing both, I'd like to think). Quoting from "The Matrix": It's the question that drives us. A "Good" one does this, better.

Messages from Danny Small:

A good question would be similiar to what a child would ask - they have a desire to know information which will help them grow and progress. sometimes the question can be really simple - how many answers has your question been given already? In mentoring or coaching, we want the people to go past their boundaries - to see more than they previously thought possible. for me, every question is good as it lets me know the person is seeking to find something else. Regards Danny

Messages from Sergio Coelho:

A good question should make me think! :) Regards, Sergio

Messages from Bryan Entzminger:

A good answer provides enough context that answers will be relevant but not so much that creativity will be constrained and generally need to be asked in somewhat concrete or action terms, which makes them easier to conceptualize.

Messages from Tomas Hoffmann:
All questions are the good ones. Sometimes people feel ashamed of asking something because they may sound stupid to their colleges. My one experience has shown me that if those people do not ask those little questions they may not get the whole idea, damaging the outcome of the project. Consequently, managers, leaders and colleges should pay attention to this kind of “stupid” question, and not laugh about it. Asking questions helps human beings to understand each other. If we do not use this tool, it will be harder to build a context where everyone knows what the other means. Questions help us to communicate, and communication is the key to success.

Messages from Jermina Menon:
Sujata, you've hit the nail on the head. The right question is more important than the right answer. If you have the right question, chances of hitting upon the right answer are obviously quite high. And honestly it’s so often – at work one tries to solve something that is seen but does not understand why it happened – and that is possibly where the right question is hiding too! (Sometimes this happens in personal life too!)

Messages from Frank Gorrell:
Dear Sujatha, I believe there are two means to the end of a good question. One is that it is topical, i.e., relates to events or practices occurring now. The other is that it is a question that many people would like to ask. Naturally, asking any question to ensure understanding is a good question, at least from the questioner's side. Regards, Frank Gorrell, MSA, CPA

Messages from Ana Nobre Rebelo Gonçalves:
Sometimes, when you put a question and the other person exclaims : "Good question!", that means he's trying to gain some time to pick up an answer...and that the question was really good. When I direct brainstorming meetings, I keep on wondering : what are you going to ask me that leads my thinking to broad solutions and alternatives? Ask me something that enhances my basis for a decision. Put some questions that can help evaluate the best solution. Good questions are supposed to do this.

Messages from Mukund Toro:

Just wanted to add to what other respondents have said. Good question is also respondent centric. A good questioner will have a fair idea of the respondent's level of engagement, prior knowledge and information. A good question should lead to a discussion which benefits both the questioner and the respondent.

Messages from Jonah Hughes:
There are no bad questions; therefore, there are no good questions.
Links:
http://www.anonymousjr.com/

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My Comments:

A good question, which is to the point, specific, thought provoking, and well presented can evoke excellent responses.