When thinking about what makes a good question, we can often learn the most from other models. What follows is a number of sample YouTube questions that have been posted for the CNN/YouTube debates; followed by some commentary on the quality of the question. This isn’t meant to be overly critical of the questioners but is intended to help us refine our own questions to maximize their impact.

A good question is like a good photograph. Photographs are often judged on these aesthetic criteria:

*Sharpness (is the picture blurry?)

*Focus (does the picture highlight certain interesting features of the subject?)

*Color (does the picture showcase hues in dramatic ways?)

*Composition (does the picture create visual tension?)

*Light (does the picture illuminate the subject uniquely?)

The absence of one or more of these criteria weakens the overall visual effect. In the same way, not having these elements present in a question often results in a weak query. Dodging these pitfalls won’t guarantee your question will be good, but falling into one of these traps will assure your question will be weaker.

Pitfall #1: Lack of Sharpness

This is a great question, but it suffers from a tendency of question askers to begin with the phrase “do you think” and then follows with some very strong language about the for-profit health care system. “Do you think,” “what is your opinion on,” and similar prefaces to questions often allow a candidate to slide right into their talking points. Of course the candidate thinks! Using loaded language is often ineffective–it puts the candidate on the defensive. Exaggerated language often, as a consequence, lacks precision which allows the candidate a considerable amount of wiggle room. In this case, for example, a candidate could say that health insurance CEO salaries are too high and should be curtailed, but a single payer system has faults too–evading what seems to be the questioner’s real goal.What this question really lacks is sharpness that forces a candidate to go on the record with a public statement or to negotiate really tough issues.

Pitfall #2: Lack of Focus

There is often a tendency to shape questions around big issues and throw everything you can think of into it. Here, Cj425 asks “about our economy in general” and goes on to touch on Social Security, taxes, value of dollar, and buying power–all of which are important issues, but difficult to tackle in just one answer.In this case, the questioner might have been better off asking a question that tried to narrow the focus to ask how the candidates would ease the tax burden on poor and middle class families. Alternatively, they could have asked if the candidates were in favor of extending George W. Bush’s tax cuts. Both of these questions have a focus that the first one lacks.

Pitfall #3: Lack of Color

Certainly, we should applaud five year olds for taking such an interest in domestic politics; however, the question she asks is pretty bland: “Will Social Security be there for my generation? If so, how are you going to fix it?” A good question needs to generate excitement. Perhaps telling a short anecdote, or using very descriptive language or an evocative metaphor, would produce a more interesting question. An alternative way of phrasing this question might be to ask “Social Security has been a safety net that has caught millions of Americans falling into retirement unprepared; how will you mend the frays in this system caused by years of neglect?” Using a simple metaphor makes the question more appealing to the ear and stimulates a visual image too!

Pitfall #4: Lack of Composition

Well, it would be difficult to compose a question worse than this one. Remember that you want your question to be clear and understandable–don’t use slang, jargon, or overly technical terms. A good question has a setup component, and then an action component. The setup phase of the question gives some information or context that establishes the grounds for the question (what information needs to be shared in order for the question to make sense?) The action phase of the question is where you actually formulate a concise, well-worded query to seek an answer.

Pitfall #5: Lack of Light

American politics in particular tend to be bitingly partisan. This video question, submitted by the director for “Stop Her Now” (an anti-Hillary Clinton organization), replicates a number of common arguments regarding health care (that government is ineffective at providing services, that private corporations are better suited for delivering health care). While these are fair issues to discuss, the tone of the questions is a little rancorous and redraws the old, familiar battle lines between public and private responsibility. When thinking about generating a question, think about whether or not you can come up with a question that forces people to look at the issue in a new way. Oftentimes, by sharing a personal experience or a startling fact, you can setup a question that encourages people to think about old problems with fresh eyes. A good question sheds new light on old controversies.

For more, watch CNN’s feature on “debateable debate questions.”