3.1 Asking questions
There are three broad kinds of questions in qualitative interviews – closed, open-ended and probing. Closed questions can be answered from a pre-determined list. They can often be answered with a single word –yes/no is a common example, but any question that gives the interviewee a set of pre-determined answers is a closed question, such as asking someone’s age.
Open-ended questions don’t provide the interviewee with a set of answer choices, instead encouraging them to provide responses in their own words. Probing questions are follow-up questions for when you don’t fully understand a response. Answers may have been vague or ambiguous, or you might want more specific, in-depth information.
Activity 4
Are these questions open or closed?
Answer
- Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Open
This question is open. It invites the interviewee to speak about themselves.
- How old are you? Closed
- What is your ethnicity? Closed
- What is your gender? Closed
These are closed questions. Answers could be selected from a list. They add demographic detail about the interviewee. Some interviewees may speak in more detail for example about their ethnicity or gender identity, but the question is likely to invite a short response from most interviewees.
- Where do you get your information about contraception? Open
This question is open. It invites the interviewee to speak about their approach to seeking information.
- Do you talk to your family about contraception? Closed
This is a closed question. It could be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
- What are your personal experiences with contraception? Open
This is an open question. It invites interviewees to speak about their experiences.
- What sort of things do you consider when choosing a contraceptive method? Open
This is an open question. It invites interviewees to speak about what is important to them when making a decision about contraception.
- Have you ever tried the contraceptive implant? Closed
This is a closed question that could be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
- What were your experiences with the contraceptive implant? Open
This is an open question. It invites the interviewee to reflect on and speak about their experiences with the contraceptive implant.
In qualitative interviews you will sometimes find closed questions useful, such as when checking you have an interviewee’s consent to the interview. However, the richest data comes from asking open-ended questions about areas covered in the topic guide in the main body of the interview, supplemented by probing questions where appropriate. Probing questions can be open-ended or closed.
It is quite common that some questions can start a long response from interviewees. Try not to feel pressured to stick rigidly to the questions in your topic guide, what is most important is the richness of the data. If there are any unclear or vague stories, try to draw more information out of interviewees, be inquisitive, seek clarification, and ask additional relevant questions. Asking for clarification, even for things that might appear obvious, is often a very good way of generating more detailed and richer data in qualitative interviews.
Sometimes the artificiality of an interview context can induce anxiety which can mean participants give one-word/short responses to questions. Occasionally, this can create a dynamic where the researcher falls to closed questioning leaving little space for the participant to give lengthy and detailed answers. If this happens, ask open-ended questions and avoid closed questions which produce ‘yes’/‘no’ answers. Remember, open questions start with ‘why’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘how’ and closed questions start with ‘do’, ‘did’, and ‘don’t’.
Lastly, think of the interview as a conversation between you and the interviewee. Convey this to them so that it feels more like you’re having a discussion or chat together, and less like you’re putting them in the hot seat.