What are the characteristics of a good analytic question?

• A. It is narrow.
• B. It is general.
• C. The characteristics of a good analytic question are: Addresses a gap relevant to the client; has a subject and a verb, is open-ended and has specificity appropriate to client mission.
• D. It is hypothetical.

Answer: (C)

A good analytic question is one that grounds the analysis in a real client need and sets the direction for investigation. It should identify a gap the client cares about, be constructed with a clear subject and verb so it forms a complete, answerable inquiry, be open-ended to allow exploration rather than a simple yes/no verdict, and have a level of specificity that fits the client’s mission and available resources.

Addresses a gap relevant to the client ensures the work produces useful, actionable insights rather than generic information. Having a subject and a verb makes the question concrete and researchable, turning the inquiry into a proper line of analysis rather than a vague idea. Being open-ended encourages examining evidence, generating hypotheses, and considering multiple outcomes instead of shutting down exploration too early. Specificity appropriate to the client mission keeps the question focused enough to be doable within time, data, and analytical constraints, while still allowing thorough analysis.

If a question is only narrow, it may miss important broader implications. If it’s only general, it’s too vague to guide a real investigation. If it’s purely hypothetical, it may not address an actual information need the client has. The combination of relevance, structure, openness, and mission-aligned specificity makes the third option the best fit.