by |

On Asking Questions and Academic Love

I remember my first forays into question-asking at the CS colloquium in my first semester.  John Riedl told me to have a question ready for every single talk and, if no one else has one, ask it, no matter how good you think it is. This was pretty scary for someone with a music ed undergrad from Ohio State and a fine, but professionally oriented, CS masters from James Madison. So I felt ill-prepared for deep thoughts on talks about phase transitions in the difficulty of 3-SAT problems or statistics questions for Bob Kraut.

But I made the questions, and I asked the questions, and as those who have seen me at conferences can attest, I continue to do so. I’m glad John made me do it; here’s why*.

First, paying enough attention to a talk to make a good question means that I’m actively engaging with the ideas and with the speaker. This, in turn, means I’m not checking e-mail, working on my own slides, making mildly amusing comments on Facebook, or other things that we regularly criticize our students for in the classroom that take us away from the moment and the speaker.

Second, thinking hard about topics, especially ones that aren’t in my comfort zone, can lead to new ideas. I try to go into talks (and papers) with a “what’s in this for me” attitude–what can I learn or use from this talk?  When I do that, almost any talk or topic is interesting, even if I have to do translation work to connect topic X to my own interests**.

Finally, questions are love in academia. I’ve had talks when I’ve gotten two questions, and although I try to tell myself it’s because I’m full of blinding insight, that statement is full of something else. Asking a question says “I cared enough about your work to think hard about it.” We can all use a little more love.***

So, spread the love. Pay some attention and ask some questions. It’s part of being in the community.

A couple of quick notes for new question askers. First, don’t make the question about you. It’s okay to ask hard questions^, and asking good questions can help you be more visible^^, but don’t ask a question just to demonstrate that you’re smart. We’re all smart. Second, don’t make the question about you. Some questions are thinly disguised opinion pieces and/or self-promotion, and we don’t need any more of those.  Third, don’t make the question about you. If you’re taking the ideas into your domain, help bring them back out for the speaker and the audience so they make sense.

On question style, be more like an interviewer than a lawyer. Lawyers often ask yes-no questions, leading questions, and questions where they already know the answer. Usually, those lead to boring answers. So do questions where the answer is likely to be about details that are in the paper but that (probably correctly) got left out of the talk for space^^^.

Instead, shoot for more open-ended questions that give the speaker room and context to breathe and be creative. I don’t have a lot of canned strategies for this, but folks with some humanities/critical/philosophical background often ask nice questions by bringing the topic up an abstraction level. For example, at a talk on how recommender interfaces change opinions, someone asked whether this was a good or bad thing, which was an awesome question that got at the heart of what recommender systems do. It can be fun, done with care, to call attention to an aspect of the topic that’s not focused on in the talk. In the HCI/CSCW world, asking about social implications or compelling applications of technology/systems papers is a common model, as is asking about technical or design implications of experimental or observational studies. Asking about how the ideas fit nearby, related domains or ideas can lead to nice chats. Finally, asking about unexpected things that happened during the study can lead to interesting insights.

Here’s hoping I ask fewer questions at CSCW next week because you pass this on to students and other folks who carry the torch. Thanks for reading and let everyone know if you have strategies (or alternate opinions) around good question-asking.

—

* A few other folks who have written about this, with extra detail and somewhat different takes, for folks who want to think more about question-asking goals and strategies:

** I really like dodging outside of my topic areas. Although there’s value in and pressure to be deep and a little narrow in academia, there’s also value in being broad and establishing intellectual trade routes.

*** Questions can lead to longer-term conversations later. My first encounter with Jofish Kaye and Janet Vertisi was asking a question at their CHI 2006 talk on personal archiving. Little did I know I’d be hanging out with them at Cornell shortly thereafter, and having gone, thought about their topic, and asked the question paved the way for natural interaction later.

^ Best done gently. I remember someone basically calling someone else a fraud at a machine learning conference once, which put a damper on things.

^^ Especially if you announce your name and institution, which should be a conference norm. At most talks most people won’t know most people, and it’s good for community to announce.

^^^ Methodology questions often have this flavor. If you have a deeper question that depends on method info, go for it, but conversations about big ideas are usually more fun than those about p-values, Krippendorph’s alphas, or algorithm parameters.

 

Associate Professor in Information Science at Cornell and rotating Program Officer in Cyber-Human Systems at NSF.

Published

Write a Comment

Comment

232 Comments

  1. Your article is extremely helpful exceptionally fascinating subject i am looking that sort of post thank for imparting to us keep it up. Hognose

  2. Interesting topic for a blog. I have been searching the Internet for fun and came upon your website. Fabulous post. Thanks a ton for sharing your knowledge! It is great to see that some people still put in an effort into managing their websites. I’ll be sure to check back again real soon. Hognose

  4. Thank you because you have been willing to share information with us. we will always appreciate all you have done here because I know you are very concerned with our. 메이저사이트

  5. Asking questions is the essence of academic love, sparking curiosity and deeper understanding. Much like a leather hooded coat that offers warmth and protection, questioning shields us from ignorance and inspires exploration. Embracing inquiry fosters intellectual growth, allowing us to uncover knowledge hidden beneath layers, just as a coat conceals its wearer.

  6. Very efficiently written information. It will be beneficial to anybody who utilizes it, including me. Keep up the good work. For sure i will check out more posts. This site seems to get a good amount of visitors. 바카라사이트

  7. My brother recommended I might like this web site.
    He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine
    just how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!

    my website; game online

  8. This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. judi bola

  9. Thank you because you have been willing to share information with us. we will always appreciate all you have done here because I know you are very concerned with our. alexistogel

  10. This is a great website but for more printing for education and schools – try these

  11. Thanks for every other informative site. The place else may just I get that kind of information written in such an ideal means? I have a venture that I’m just now operating on, and I have been on the look out for such information. qqkuda

  12. Awesome article, it was exceptionally helpful! I simply began in this and I’m becoming more acquainted with it better! Cheers, keep doing awesome! ibosport v1

  13. I want to say thanks for beautiful blog sharing with us. Your blog really great resource to update my knowledge. ufabet

  15. An fascinating discussion is value comment. I think that it is best to write extra on this matter, it won’t be a taboo topic however generally people are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers f20 adalah penyakit

  17. An interesting dialogue is price comment. I feel that it is best to write more on this matter, it may not be a taboo topic however usually individuals are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers. situs bola

  18. Asking questions is fundamental to academic growth, much like how curiosity drives innovation in games like *Among Us*. Just as players probe each other to uncover hidden truths, students should feel empowered to ask questions and seek knowledge. So, whether you’re exploring a subject or Buy Among Us Hoodies, curiosity fuels both learning and style.

  19. If more people that write articles really concerned themselves with writing great content like you, more readers would be interested in their writings. Thank you for caring about your content. Money6x

  21. Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. I can’t wait to read lots of your posts. Casino Online Terpercaya

  23. I really thank you for the valuable info on this great subject and look forward to more great posts. Thanks a lot for enjoying this beauty article with me. I am appreciating it very much! Looking forward to another great article. Good luck to the author! All the best! slot gacor terpercaya

  24. Experience the ultimate gaming thrill with Drift Hunters! Play directly in your browser, enjoy fullscreen mode, and immerse yourself in uninterrupted … drift Hunters Unblocked 76

  25. I am very much pleased with the contents you have mentioned. I wanted to thank you for this great article. link togel

  26. Thanks for your post. I’ve been thinking about writing a very comparable post over the last couple of weeks, I’ll probably keep it short and sweet and link to this instead if thats cool. Thanks. slot online

  27. Asking questions is at the heart of academic growth, sparking curiosity and deepening understanding. Just as we plan our christmas outfits 2024 , carefully considering style and comfort, academic love thrives when we thoughtfully approach learning, asking the right questions, and embracing the process of discovery.

  28. Bizzetimefeed: Your source for the latest business news, finance tips, and industry insights to stay ahead in today’s market. bizzetimefeed

  29. The Rare Breed Triggers FRT 15 V2 is an enhanced version of the original Forced Reset Trigger (FRT-15) designed for AR-15 rifles. Frt Trigger

  31. Asking the right questions is key to growth, just as a cyberpunk 2077 leather jacket symbolizes confidence and individuality in a futuristic world. Both represent an ongoing quest whether in academics or fashion. Just as we ask questions to evolve, we choose pieces like this jacket to express our unique journey.

  32. Wow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It’s so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also pheromone fragrance​

  33. The Dollar Business FZ-LLC is your global trade partner, boosting success for both importers and exporters. We pave way for a holistic trade approach, shaping trade patterns, redefining risk management strategies, and provide to you a deep understanding of both the local and global business landscapes. Sail through the complexities of global commerce with our persistent dedication and unflinching support. Playing the catalyst for global business success, we empower importers and exporters with expert insights, actionable analytics, and innovative technology.