14
$\begingroup$

If someone asks two closely related questions A and B about a topic (where it's understandable that they didn't post two separate questions*), and question A is a duplicate of an older question A', but B is not really answered by A', how shall we proceed?

If question B is a duplicate of B', I think the way is to close as a duplicate of, say, A', and afterwards add B' to the list of targets, so that all information is available and the OP gets their answers.

But otherwise? Shall we answer only B and mention A' in an answer?

Here is a specific fictional example: A = What are the units in the ring XYZ, B = Show that the units of the ring are preserved under operation UVW. Assume we find a duplicate target A' of A, but we don't find B', and the OP also cannot answer themselves B by reading A'.

What happened quite often in the past is that (A+B) has been closed as a duplicate of A' when B was rather small (or B' was hard to find) and the answer to B was given in the comment section, also as a sort of justification that A' is enough reason to close. Is this what we want in MSE?

I have been in both sides here in the past. And not every OP was happy when their question has been closed as a duplicate but only parts of their question has been answered in the target. That is why I am asking. It would be nice to have a clear guideline for these kind of situations.

*This restriction means that this is not a duplicate of On closing questions as duplicates of "multi-questions" as far as I can tell. But it is highly related of course.

$\endgroup$
2
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ To me it's clear that such questions should not be closed. The right thing to do, I think, is to leave a comment on partial duplication. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 6 at 16:31
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Assuming the follow up question has new, non-duplicative, content and is otherwise up to standards, I would definitely keep the question open. Perhaps leave a comment citing the partial duplicate and proposing that the OP modify their post to incorporate that partial result. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 6 at 20:31

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
12
$\begingroup$

To convert my comment to an answer:

  1. Do not close as a duplicate, since it is not.

  2. Answer Part B of the question.

  3. Add a note either in the answer or in a comment to the post that Part A is a duplicate of another question which already has a satisfactory answer, namely, A'.

(Incidentally, A' does not have to be an older question.)

A more difficult situation (which sometimes happens) is when A' does not have a satisfactory answer. For instance, A'="What are the units in the ring XYZ?" and the accepted answer to A' is "I do not know how to describe the units of XYZ, but here is a proof, using the axiom of choice, that XYZ has infinitely many units." (Actually, this is more-or-less a true example.) But this is a topic for another discussion.

$\endgroup$

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.