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I'm independently working on some research, and would like to see if there are any other papers on this topic. Can I ask a question on the main site, with a brief description of my work, to see what topics and keywords I can search to get more info and specifically if any other work has been done that is similar to my own?

I'm looking to get recommendations specifically on arXiv math topics, so I can look through papers there, to find similar work. Would such a question be on topic here? If not, is there another stack where it would be on topic?

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    $\begingroup$ At present, there is too little to judge whether your request would be on topic. At the risk of advertising, may I suggest following an approach I took? Many of the questions I have asked on the main site since mid 2016 (available through my user profile) have been about my current interest centered around "jumping primes" (different from jumping champions). Edit your question above to include your first trial question after you get a sense of what might work, and we can tell you if it can fit. Gerhard "There Are Also Other Ways" Paseman, 2016.06.30. $\endgroup$
    – Gerhard Paseman
    Commented Jun 30, 2018 at 22:43
  • $\begingroup$ I was trying to avoid posting my question here. I can, but otherwise why not just post it on main and see what happens $\endgroup$
    – CDspace
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 0:32
  • $\begingroup$ I really just want to know if it's allowed to ask for topic areas, based on my research details. I can give my details in a question on the main site, but would such a question even be accepted there? $\endgroup$
    – CDspace
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 0:34
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    $\begingroup$ Asking for topic areas is usually not well regarded. This forum is for more focused and specific questions. The reason for previewing it here is that people know up front that you are trying to make the question fit the forum. Asking on MathOverflow first gives the impression of making the forum fit the question, and that does not go over as well. However, the worst that is likely to happen with a new question that does not fit is that it will be closed with at best a brief explanation of why. Gerhard "That's What I Have Seen" Paseman, 2018.06.30. $\endgroup$
    – Gerhard Paseman
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 1:30
  • $\begingroup$ @GerhardPaseman Thus my second question.... Where to ask? $\endgroup$
    – CDspace
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 2:47
  • $\begingroup$ I don't know of a good place to ask for topic areas. However, if you ask about a particular object, and references or searches related to the object (or Theorem, Lemma, Proposition), you can then mention your broader interest as motivation, and someone may help with that. Asking about use of a particular (number-theoretic) n-dimensional sieve in a recent paper is OK, while asking for a summary of its use in the literature is not. (Asking for a reference to a summary is OK though.) Gerhard "We Prefer Quick Answers Here" Paseman, 2018.07.01. $\endgroup$
    – Gerhard Paseman
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 15:53
  • $\begingroup$ My personal criterion in deciding whether a question is appropriate for MO is this: would this question and a possible answer be useful in general, regardless of my own interests? Even better: is there a chance that people performing search for information they need would stumble on this question or an answer to it, and would find it useful? $\endgroup$
    – მამუკა ჯიბლაძე
    Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 14:55

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