Ask whether you need a datum or an analysis

A request for a raw figure differs from a request for expert context. Published munitions costs can often be found directly, but the interpretive question, such as what the numbers mean for capability, tradeoffs, or policy, needs to be stated. A specialist cannot infer which comparison or decision the questioner cares about from a bare request for cost data. Starting with the information the answer should cover makes it easier to word the question around that need. The result is clearly a request for a datum, an evaluation, or an argument. Precise historical questions determine which evidence is relevant and how it should be interpreted.