Final answer:
Mackenzie must formulate a research question that will enable her to select and justify the necessary data for her scientific inquiry. Predicting potential answers with reasoning is integral to guiding the data collection process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the provided information, Mackenzie is expected to develop a research question that will guide her inquiry in a scientific study. To frame her research question logically, she needs to justify the selection of data that are pertinent to the scientific question she intends to explore. This involves not only forming a hypothesis but also predicting potential answers and providing reasoning for these predictions, which helps in guiding the type of data required to validate or invalidate her hypothesis.
For instance, if her scientific inquiry is about the growth rate of plants under different light conditions, Mackenzie's research question might be 'How does the amount of light exposure affect the growth rate of a particular plant species?' She would then predict that plants exposed to more light will grow faster, basing this prediction on photosynthesis knowledge. Her research would entail collecting quantitative data on growth rates under varying light conditions to answer her question.