Somebody posted a question that makes an assumption I disagree with or think might be wrong. How do I best inform the asker of this? Do I post a comment or an answer, or should I vote to close the question or do nothing at all?

This is called a frame challenge: I claim or suggest that the question is based on a misconception, wrong assessment of a situation, or similar. The frame set by the asker is challenged by the answer or comment I want to post.

This FAQ is mostly a set of guidelines that should give an idea of best practices and avoid unnecessary confrontation. There often is a lot of leeway, but drastic deviations will be moderated.

It is mainly based on this discussion and was further discussed here. If you want to propose changes, please ask a new question.

Table of Contents

We primarily distinguish frame challenges by what the false premise is about:

• Misconceptions about academic procedures, norms, or similar
• Misconceptions about off-topic aspects
• Wrong goal (XY problem)
• Wrong assessments of individual experiences including experiences of sexism, racism, discrimination, and other traumatic events
• General rules of thumb