20 categories

Start Here

Orientation for new members: how this community works, how to ask a question that gets a good answer, and where to find the maintained documentation before you post.

60 topics2,911 posts30 solved Moderators: hana.sato, KLindqvist About this category

Welcome 30 How to Ask 30

60 topics

Topic	Participants	Replies	Views	Activity
Are there stupid questions here? A staff answer, at length Start Here › Welcome beginner friendly guidelines onboarding trust levels Solved Are there stupid questions here? A staff answer, at length I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+122	153	50k	11mo
The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — the long version Start Here › How to Ask onboarding beginner friendly guidelines The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — the long version Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. Question in the title. Context below, and I…	+129	142	49k	8mo
Titles that describe the question, not the situation Start Here › How to Ask onboarding site feedback guidelines worked example Closed Titles that describe the question, not the situation — setting out what I have, and where I think it stops being reliable. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things people…	+139	153	22k	8mo
Why "any advice?" is the least effective ending for a post Start Here › How to Ask worked example guidelines site feedback beginner friendly The question in the title: Why "any advice?" is the least effective ending for a post I will give what I have already checked below so nobody repeats it. I want to check my reasoning rather than get a…	+115	126	55k	20mo
What happens after your first post: likes, trust levels, and why none of it matters much — what changed since Start Here › Welcome onboarding beginner friendly trust levels guidelines Solved The question in the title: What happens after your first post: likes, trust levels, and why none of it matters much — what changed since I will give what I have already checked below so nobody repeats it. I…	+105	118	57k	9mo
Why we ask for units every single time, with three examples of what goes wrong Start Here › How to Ask worked example onboarding beginner friendly guidelines Why we ask for units every single time, with three examples of what goes wrong — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Question in the title. Context below,…	+118	135	2.2k	11d
I joined for one answer and stayed for a year — what changed my mind Start Here › Welcome guidelines onboarding trust levels Posting this under the heading it deserves: I joined for one answer and stayed for a year — what changed my mind Everything below is what sits behind that. Question in the title. Context below, and I have…	+96	114	17k	just now
The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour Start Here › How to Ask worked example site feedback onboarding beginner friendly Wiki The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — setting out what I have, and where I think it stops being reliable. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things…	+113	127	2.7k	13h
What this community means by "a source", in practical terms Start Here › Welcome beginner friendly trust levels guidelines Solved Asking directly, because I could not find a straight answer: What this community means by "a source", in practical terms Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things people…	+107	122	1.9k	10mo
Second pass at: Which categories are strict and which are relaxed, honestly Start Here › Welcome guidelines beginner friendly trust levels onboarding Wiki On the subject in the title: Second pass at: Which categories are strict and which are relaxed, honestly Working notes rather than a conclusion. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+93	99	36k	3d
Reading order for a first week here, and what to skip until later — what changed since Start Here › Welcome onboarding guidelines beginner friendly trust levels Reading order for a first week here, and what to skip until later — what changed since Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. I want to check my reasoning rather…	+89	93	28k	4h
Reading order for a first week here, and what to skip until later Start Here › Welcome onboarding guidelines beginner friendly trust levels Reading order for a first week here, and what to skip until later Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. I want to check my reasoning rather than get a conclusion.…	+112	117	3.1k	15mo
Second pass at: How to ask a question when you cannot say why you are asking it Start Here › How to Ask onboarding worked example guidelines Solved Second pass at: How to ask a question when you cannot say why you are asking it — setting out what I have, and where I think it stops being reliable. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+73	81	16k	4mo
How to ask about something you suspect is a bad idea Start Here › How to Ask onboarding site feedback guidelines beginner friendly Solved The question in the title: How to ask about something you suspect is a bad idea I will give what I have already checked below so nobody repeats it. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+81	87	16k	2mo
Asking a follow-up: new topic or new reply? Start Here › How to Ask worked example onboarding beginner friendly Solved Asking a follow-up: new topic or new reply? — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the…	+68	73	40k	1d
What to include when your question involves a chromatogram Start Here › How to Ask guidelines beginner friendly worked example Solved What to include when your question involves a chromatogram I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+49	54	58k	6mo
Five questions in one post gets you one answer — how to split them Start Here › How to Ask guidelines site feedback worked example Closed On the subject in the title: Five questions in one post gets you one answer — how to split them Working notes rather than a conclusion. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the…	+84	90	1k	2mo
How to ask a question when you cannot say why you are asking it Start Here › How to Ask beginner friendly site feedback worked example onboarding Solved Asking directly, because I could not find a straight answer: How to ask a question when you cannot say why you are asking it Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things people…	+49	53	36k	4h
Lurking for two months before posting: was that the right call? Start Here › Welcome guidelines trust levels beginner friendly Asking directly, because I could not find a straight answer: Lurking for two months before posting: was that the right call? Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things people…	+67	71	11k	8mo
How much context is too much context in a first post? Start Here › How to Ask guidelines beginner friendly onboarding site feedback Solved How much context is too much context in a first post? I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+70	74	935	18d
What "marked as solution" means and who gets to mark it — does this still hold? Start Here › Welcome onboarding beginner friendly guidelines Solved What "marked as solution" means and who gets to mark it — does this still hold? I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. I want to check my reasoning rather…	+69	74	2.4k	3mo
Why "any advice?" is the least effective ending for a post — the long version Start Here › How to Ask guidelines site feedback worked example onboarding Solved Asking directly, because I could not find a straight answer: Why "any advice?" is the least effective ending for a post — the long version Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the…	+79	83	1.6k	9mo
What to include when your question involves a chromatogram — one year on Start Here › How to Ask worked example guidelines site feedback onboarding Asking directly, because I could not find a straight answer: What to include when your question involves a chromatogram — one year on Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the…	+69	75	862	14d
Why the Start Here categories exist, and what they are not for Start Here › Welcome guidelines trust levels onboarding beginner friendly Solved Why the Start Here categories exist, and what they are not for — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried…	+40	44	32k	1d
Which categories are strict and which are relaxed, honestly Start Here › Welcome onboarding beginner friendly guidelines trust levels Solved Which categories are strict and which are relaxed, honestly I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below. I want to check my reasoning rather than get a conclusion.…	+47	53	1.8k	2d
Titles that describe the question, not the situation — what changed since Start Here › How to Ask beginner friendly site feedback worked example guidelines Posting this under the heading it deserves: Titles that describe the question, not the situation — what changed since Everything below is what sits behind that. Question in the title. Context below, and I…	+29	33	29k	10mo
[2026 update] Are there stupid questions here? A staff answer, at length Start Here › Welcome guidelines trust levels onboarding Solved Closed Are there stupid questions here? A staff answer, at length — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+36	40	2.4k	1mo
The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — does this still hold? Start Here › How to Ask beginner friendly onboarding site feedback guidelines The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — does this still hold? — that is the question, and I have not found it answered plainly anywhere I have looked. Question in the title. Context…	+19	23	40k	14d
Coming back to: A newcomer's list of things that confused me, and the fixes Start Here › Welcome guidelines onboarding trust levels beginner friendly Posting this under the heading it deserves: A newcomer's list of things that confused me, and the fixes Everything below is what sits behind that. Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to…	+4	8	57k	23d
Revisiting: Reading order for a first week here, and what to skip until later Start Here › Welcome guidelines trust levels onboarding Posting this under the heading it deserves: Revisiting: Reading order for a first week here, and what to skip until later Everything below is what sits behind that. I want to check my reasoning rather than…		2	60k	4mo

Sponsored Sigma-Aldrich — certified reference materialsReference standards, analytical reagents and certified materials for method calibration. If you are validating a method, this is where the standard comes from.Reference standards →