The phrase "a controlling question" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts such as research, surveys, or discussions where a question is designed to guide or influence the direction of the conversation or inquiry.
Example: "In our study, we identified a controlling question that helped us focus our analysis on the key issues at hand."
Alternatives: "a guiding question" or "a leading question".
The District Court's judgment on entry of a default and certifying a controlling question of law is reported at 32 F.R.D. 604.
When attention has been focused on other issues, or when the court from which a case comes has expressed no views on a controlling question, it may be appropriate to remand the case, rather than deal with the merits of that question in this Court.
Under a federal statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), the judge must determine that the decision allowing the case to proceed "involves a controlling question of law as to which there is substantial ground for difference of opinion and that an immediate appeal from the order may materially advance the ultimate termination of the litigation".
The researchers dealt with this potential bias by inserting a control question on ear-buzzing, for which the rates of the two groups were the same.
The cohort who did the laboratory activity scored significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the cohort who did the literature review, while no significant difference between the cohorts was found on a control question (p < 0.05).
Think of something mentally stressful when answering a control question -- like the time when you were a kid and your dog was hit by the train.
While participant time (to answer a control question) was just over 20 minutes, this was only for the 40% of questions where the participant chose to try to answer the question.
A control question was asked twice in order to ensure the reliability of the answers.
The presentation of this adverse reaction in package leaflets already includes comparative risk data and was therefore used as a control question.
