Phrasing Questions and Other Interview Techniques
The main objective of open-ended, in-depth interviewing is to elicit rich narratives from respondents who have personal knowledge of specific topics. Questions posed to the respondent should, therefore, give adequate opportunity for him or her to reflect and narrate. This section provides some general guidelines on how to phrase questions to achieve this objective.
- Avoid Yes/No Questions
- Avoid ”Multiple-choice“ and Double-barreled Questions
- Don’t Switch Topics Too Frequently
- Avoid the ‘Why‘ Question
- Avoid Asking for Little Known Facts
- Avoid Imposing Concepts
- Avoid Leading Questions
The Don'ts
- Listen Attentively
- Ask About Sensitive Issues Skillfully
- Adjust Questions to the Respondent’s Situation
- Ask for Clarification
- Ask Open-ended Questions
- Ask the Respondent to Tell a Story
- Ask Questions to Elicit the Personal Voice
The Do's