KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS WHAT IS A KNOWLEDGE QUESTION A

KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A KNOWLEDGE QUESTION? A knowledge question has three features. General Open Question About Knowledge Question

CON. Knowledge question are questions about knowledge. They are not questions of knowledge, but rather questions about the mechanisms we use to create knowledge. Knowledge questions are open in the sense that there a number of plausible answers to them. Knowledge questions are expressed in general terms. The question should be general and approachable from multiple angles, not a single subject discipline or situation. For example, “How can physicists know the Higgs boson exists? ” This question can be made more general: “How do physicists use theoretical predictions in producing knowledge? ”

EXAMPLES 1. Not a knowledge question: “How does the placebo effect work? ” An answer to this might require a technical explanation in psychology. A good knowledge question: “How could we establish that X is an “active ingredient” in causing Y? ” This question is a general question about how we can know about causal links. 2. Not a knowledge question: “How can we predict future population Growth in Africa? ” A good knowledge question: “How can a mathematical model give us knowledge even if it does yield accurate predictions? ” This question is general and explores the purpose of mathematical modelling.