Asking questions can be tricky. When you are stumbled onto a problem and you need some advice, the quality of the questions you ask can affect the quality of answers you get. If the questions are not formulated properly, not only will there be disappointing answers, but there could also be an annoyed replier.

Formulating a good questions can be hard. I’ve asked and received bad questions in the past and I know how negative a bad question can affect a conversation. One thing I often do is to take a moment to collect my thoughts. I often found myself to be scatter-brained when facing a problem for too long. After collecting my thoughts I could start looking for which details that I would need, then figure out how or where the details fit into the problem I’m facing. I would try to use that to provide a clearer picture of what I’m doing and what I’m looking for in my questions.

If it’s in writing, PROOFREAD! I agree with the suggestions in StackOverflow that spelling, grammar, and punctuation are very important when asking a questions. I often proofread at least twice (will still leave mistakes, need to improve my proofreading skills) before posting, and at times edit my questions a good many times. I also agree with the idea to ‘pretend you’re talking to a busy colleague’. Sum up the details, and not waste anyone’s time.

Another thing is to use the ‘The Golden Rule: Imagine You’re Trying To Answer The Question’ from Writing the perfect questionn. Read your own question as you are looking at it fresh and about to answer it. Does the question make any sense and is it clear on what it is asking?

I also found this article How to Be Amazingly Good at Asking Questions that has some techniques to help you find what you need to know.