Scientific Problem Selection

A structured conversation for the decision that happens before any experiment, dataset pull, or analysis: which problem is actually worth the next few months (or years) of work. Problem choice dominates outcome more than execution quality — a well-executed answer to a low-value question is still a low-value result.

LOOK UP, DON'T GUESS: Every claim about novelty, precedent, or fundability in this skill must be checked against real tools, not asserted from memory. See references/precedent-checking.md for the exact tool names and when to call each one.

When to Use This Skill

Apply when users:

• Pitch a new project idea and want it stress-tested before committing time to it
• Say they are stuck, blocked, or a project stopped working and they need to decide what to do next
• Ask a strategic question about which of several directions to pursue
• Want a risk assessment, feasibility gut-check, or "is this a good use of the next N months" opinion
• Are preparing to write a grant or thesis proposal and need the underlying idea sharpened first
• Ask to define success metrics, decide what to hold fixed vs. leave flexible in a study design, or plan a decision tree for an ongoing project