YouAskUs.com discourages and may remove questions that:

• request private information about individuals
• want assistance in conducting illegal activities
• are meant to sell or advertise products
• refer or relate to adult content
• seek specific information about YouAskUs.com (See Contact Us)

Sometimes a Researcher will issue a Request for Question Clarification on your question. When you log in, click the "My Questions" tab. Select the question you wish to clarify and follow the procedure as described above to post your clarification.

When credit cards are submitted through our secure online form, they are checked against the account information by our third-party credit card processor. If information submitted is invalid, the credit card will not be accepted.

The information you provide will only be used by us in an effort to serve you better. We don't share or sell your personal information. For more details please see our Privacy Policy.

1. Subject

   Summarize in a few words what your question is about. This will help Researchers select the questions they want to answer. Sometimes your question is short enough to be repeated in the subject line. If you are having trouble writing your subject line, put down a few key words so that researchers will at least know the general direction of your question.

   Examples: "whale watching", "History of Green Bay Packers”, "official languages of Switzerland"

   
   
2. Question

   Many will wonder how to phrase a question so that they get a good answer. Here are some tips from our Researchers.

   1. Certain questions are not recommended. We discourage, and may remove, questions that: Contain your personal contact information (email, phone number, full name); Request private information about individuals; Want assistance in conducting illegal activities; Are meant to sell or advertise products; Refer or relate to adult content; Seek specific information about YouAskUs.com (see “Contacts” instead)
   2. Multi-part questions create problems: Multi-part questions often do not get answered because they can be difficult to answer well. If you have a complex, multi-part question, you will typically get better results by posting parts of the question separately, so that Researchers can choose to answer the parts of the question they find most interesting. This way, too, you can benefit from the expertise of multiple Researchers rather than relying on only one.
   3. Tell us what you already know: When writing your question, please include a summary of any information that you may already have about your question including specific links if they are pertinent or have proven to be dead-ends. This will help Researchers understand where to begin their research for you.
   4. Indicate the kind of answer you want. Let the Researchers know what will and won't be a good answer for your question. For example, "I want names of record stores in Chicago. I don't want names of record stores in the suburbs of Chicago, only in the city itself." Or, "I want the names of all the recent American Presidents and their wives. By recent, I mean from 1960 on. I don't want anyone from before 1960."
   5. Provide detail. To streamline the process avoid having to provide additional information to Researchers AFTER you have posted the question via the clarification process, provide as much detail as possible upfront about your question. For example, if you are asking about a law in some state, provide the name of the state. Also, avoid ambiguity; e.g. “What is the President’s wife’s name?” what President of what country?
   
   
3. Price

   The price you set for your question should take into account the following factors:

   How quickly you want an answer...
   The higher the price you set for your question, the more likely a Researcher will begin work on your question quickly. Researchers earn a share of the price of the question when they post an answer to it.

   How complex the question is...
   The more complex the question, the more time it requires for a Researcher to answer. A Researcher will only want to answer a complex question if he or she feels adequately compensated for the time expended. If you have a sense of how long it will take a Researcher to find an answer, you should take that into account. For example, if you know your question could take 3 hours to answer, you should price your question higher than you would if your question would take only 15 minutes to answer.

   How valuable the information is to you...
   Only you can determine the value of the information you're seeking. If it's important and urgent, you should price your question higher, because a Researcher is more likely to answer higher value questions quickly.

   
   
4. Category

   Choose a major category that best fits your question's overall character. Once you choose a major category, you will be prompted to choose a subcategory within it. If you're having trouble choosing a category, choose the one that's closest to your topic or could include your topic.

1. Edit your question content
   You cannot edit the original text of your question, but you are able to 'clarify' your question at any time, even when it is reserved by a researcher. Clarifying your question is a good idea if you want to add new information to help the Researcher or if you think rephrasing your question will make it easier for the Researcher to answer. To clarify your question, go to "My Account" and select "My Unanswered Questions." Choose the question you wish to clarify. Select "Clarify Question" in the question field to open the clarification window. Click "Post Clarification" once you've completed adding your new information. You can also change the category that your question is under. To do that, click on the "Change Question Parameters" button.
   
   
2. Change your question price
   You can change your price at anytime as long as your question is not currently “reserved” and being answered by a Researcher. To change your question price, go to "My Account," select "My Unanswered Questions" and click on the question with the price you want to change. Then click on "Change Question Parameters" to modify the price.
   
   
3. Get clarification on the answer to your question
   If the answer you receive to your question is unclear for whatever reason, you can request a clarification at no additional charge. You should ask for a clarification if you feel the answer is incorrect or incomplete, or if you simply want more information on your subject. To request a clarification, go to your account page and select "My Answered Questions". Select the question you would like clarified. Click the "Clarify Answer" button to open the clarification window. Select "Post Clarification" when you are done typing.