I propose the following as the "homework" close statement:
Exercise questions must demonstrate effort to solve the underlying problem. For help asking a good exercise question, see: How do I ask exercise questions on Chemistry Stack Exchange?
The first encounter a visitor has with the concept of "homework" questions on this site is probably through a close vote on a question they have posted. Here is the text accompanying a post closed as homework:
Homework questions must demonstrate some effort to understand the underlying concepts. For help asking a good homework question, see: How do I ask homework questions on Chemistry Stack Exchange?
The link will take them to a meta page with a somewhat convoluted explanation of the homework concept and its enforcement. Note that the requirement to "demonstrate some effort to understand the underlying concepts" is not repeated anywhere in the meta page (arguably it is implicit).
Now, based on the documentation and comments to the OP and this answer, the following recaps my updated understanding of what minimal conditions are satisfied by an acceptable homework question:
- Includes the OPs attempt to solve the problem (shows work)
The documentation should emphasize this point.
Note again that "demonstrating some effort to understand the underlying concepts" is only implicitly suggested in the idea that the OP should show their attempt to solve the problem.
The current documentation describing what is meant by homework would appear to be unnecessarily lengthy and unclear.
The fulfillment of other conditions listed in the meta doc page is (again, based on comments to this post and answer) encouraged but is not (in my understanding) considered essential (might even be considered cosmetic) and should not lead to a homework close vote.
The above needs to be made clearer. IMHO that meta page and/or the message supplied when posts are closed as homework needs editing/clarification.
The following recaps (my prior understanding of) what minimal conditions are satisfied by an acceptable homework question, summarizing current documentation:
- Satisfies the following conditions (covered by other vote-to-close options):
- Not a duplicate
- Focused on one question (narrow in scope)
- Clearly worded for others to fully understand
- Complete, explained with sufficient detail to allow solution
- Includes the OPs attempt to solve the problem (shows work)
- Not a picture of the question or notes.
- Includes a descriptive title.
- Referenced (provides the source of the problem: textbook, teacher...).
The following is how I think the above policy should be implemented:
If one of these conditions is not satisfied, a vote to close is justified until further edits are made to address the issue(s).
Use one of the alternative vote-to-close conditions (duplicate, completeness/clarity or focus) if there is only one flaw with the post, even if the post is a homework question. If there are multiple flaws it is convenient to use the homework option if the post can be classified as a homework question. Note the definition of a homework question:
A “homework question” is any question whose value lies in helping you understand the method by which the question can be solved, rather than getting the answer itself. This includes not just questions from actual homework assignments, but also self-study problems, puzzles, etc.
The following is a review of some sources of documentation on available close options and what criteria determine whether a post is a homework question and whether it is an acceptable homework question.
Starting from the question draft page, it is after clicking on three links that you arrive at a (quite thorough) definition of what is considered homework and how to ask an acceptable homework question. I do not copy the entire text from that answer since it is pretty long, but it is worth copying some excerpts:
What kinds of questions are considered homework questions?
A “homework question” is any question whose value lies in helping you
understand the method by which the question can be solved, rather than
getting the answer itself. This includes not just questions from
actual homework assignments, but also self-study problems, puzzles,
etc.
...
Can I ask a homework question here?
Yes, but there are a couple of things you need to make sure of first.
As a general rule, we do not discourage homework questions, as long as
they are related to chemistry. But do keep in mind that Chemistry
Stack Exchange is not primarily a homework help site; it’s a place to
get specific conceptual chemistry questions answered. The list in the
following section will help you ask questions about your homework in a
way that fits in with the site’s philosophy.
How should I ask a homework question on this website?
The following is a selection of the more relevant stuff from the answer to that last question ("How should I ask a homework question on this website?"):
- See if an existing question helps you.
- Show your work and ask about the specific concept that gives you trouble. We expect you to narrow down the problem to the particular
concept that’s giving you trouble and ask about that specifically.
- Write down your question. Write your question in the Body box. Your question should be clear even without the title. Write your
question out in full; do not post a picture of the question or your
handwritten notes.
- Write a descriptive title. Do not use a clickbait title.
- Reference the source.
For reference, here is another copy of the text accompanying the close as homework option on any post:
Homework questions must demonstrate some effort to understand the underlying concepts. For help asking a good homework question, see: How do I ask homework questions on Chemistry Stack Exchange?
For the record, below are the official general criteria listed for closure. The following can be viewed by navigating to the What does it mean if a question is "closed"? page from the side menu on the "how to ask" page:
Why are some questions closed?
...
These are the categories of questions that may be closed by community
members with the close/reopen votes privilege. The quoted text below
reflects what is shown to close voters when voting to close a
question:
Duplicate of... - the fundamental goal of closing duplicate questions is to help people find the right answer by getting all of
those answers in one place. There’s more information in our duplicate
questions help center article.
This question has been asked before and already has an answer.
Off-topic because… - each community decides which specific topics are and are not allowed on their site. You can see this list of
off-topic subjects for this site by viewing this help center article.
Needs details or clarity - sometimes we need more information in order to help solve your problem.
Please clarify your specific problem or add additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it’s
hard to tell exactly what you're asking. See the How to Ask page for
help clarifying this question.
Edit your post to be more specific about what you're looking for, and be sure to address any concerns that other users brought up in the
comments.
Needs more focus - if your question has many valid answers (but no way to determine which - if any - are correct), then it probably needs
to be more focused to be successful in our format.
Please edit the question to limit it to a specific problem with enough detail to identify an adequate answer. Avoid asking
multiple distinct questions at once. See the How to Ask page for help
clarifying this question.
This can often be fixed by breaking the question into multiple questions or focusing on a specific part of the problem.
Opinion-based - discussions focused on diverse opinions are great, but they just don't fit our format well.
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost
entirely based on opinions, rather than on facts, references, or
specific expertise.
It’s often possible to rewrite opinion-based questions to focus on a more fact-based line of questioning. If you see a way to do this,
consider editing the question.
The following explanation for deciding what is considered off-topic within chem SE is provided in a page linked from the What does it mean if a question is "closed"? page. This leads through a further link to a detailed explanation of what is considered homework.
What topics can I ask about here?
Chemistry Stack Exchange is for scientists, academics, teachers and
students of chemistry.
Questions may be of any level, but should be of the following types:
- Questions asking for explanation of a chemistry concept
- Questions relating to observed chemical phenomena
- Questions about experimental techniques and technology
- Questions about nomenclature, standards, et cetera pertaining to chemistry.
Some kinds of questions aren't allowed here:
Do-my-homework questions: Homework questions are OK, but they must follow these guidelines. Please don't ask "do my homework for me" type
questions – we only clear conceptual doubts in homework questions and
will not do your work for you.
Pitches for your own personal theories or work: We deal with mainstream chemistry here. Anything that couldn't be published in a
reputable journal is probably not appropriate at this site.
Computational questions: If your question is purely about numerical methods you are using in a simulation/etc, it is probably
more appropriate at Computational Science.
Personal medical questions are off-topic. We cannot safely answer questions for your specific situation and you should always consult a
doctor for medical advice.
Legal questions relating to chemical substances and techniques are off-topic. Laws can vary significantly by jurisdiction. You should
consult a legal expert in your jurisdiction instead of a random person
on the internet.
Please look around to see if your question has been asked before. It’s
also OK to ask and answer your own question.