Who Gets to Define the Question?

A study can answer its stated question carefully and still leave an important concern outside the frame. That makes the choice of question part of the inquiry—not just a step before it begins.

When research affects a community, who should help decide what counts as a meaningful question and useful evidence: researchers, the people affected, or both? And when their priorities differ, what would a fair process look like without pretending every disagreement can be resolved by data alone?