6.2 Types of interview questions
4 min read•july 30, 2024
Interviews are the backbone of great magazine articles. Knowing the right questions to ask can make or break your story. From open-ended to closed-ended, probing to follow-up, each type serves a unique purpose in uncovering compelling information.
Mastering these question types is crucial for any aspiring journalist. By understanding when and how to use each, you'll conduct more effective interviews, leading to richer, more engaging articles that captivate your readers and bring your subjects' stories to life.
Open-ended vs Closed-ended Questions
Characteristics and Uses
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- allow for expansive, detailed responses
- typically elicit short, specific answers
- Open-ended questions often begin with words like "how," "why," or "describe"
- Closed-ended questions usually answered with "yes," "no," or specific information (dates, names)
- Open-ended questions gather qualitative data, explore complex topics, and uncover unexpected information
- Closed-ended questions collect factual information, confirm details, and quantify responses for statistical analysis
- Choice between question types depends on interview purpose, depth of information required, and time available
- Balanced mix of both types creates comprehensive and engaging interview structure
Examples and Applications
- Open-ended question example "How did you feel about the recent changes in company policy?"
- Closed-ended question example "Did you attend the company meeting last week?"
- Open-ended questions useful for exploring personal experiences (Tell me about your childhood)
- Closed-ended questions effective for demographic information (What is your age?)
- Open-ended questions reveal thought processes (Why did you choose this career path?)
- Closed-ended questions clarify specific points (Is this your first time visiting our store?)
- Combining both types "Did you enjoy the event? (closed) What aspects did you find most engaging? (open)"
Probing Questions for Detail
Techniques for Effective Probing
- follow up initial responses to elicit more in-depth information or clarification
- Use phrases like "Tell me more about..." or "Could you elaborate on..." to encourage expanded answers
- Employ "5 Ws and H" technique (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) to cover different aspects of a topic
- Utilize silence as non-verbal probe allowing subject time to reflect and offer additional information
- Keep probing questions neutral and non-leading avoiding assumptions or biases
- Apply echoing technique repeating subject's last few words as a question to prompt further elaboration
- Craft probing questions through and quickly identifying areas requiring deeper exploration
Examples and Best Practices
- Initial question "What do you think about the new product?"
- Probing follow-up "Could you elaborate on the specific features you find most appealing?"
- Use "Why" questions to uncover motivations (Why did you choose to pursue this project?)
- Ask for examples to clarify abstract concepts (Can you give me an example of a time when you applied this principle?)
- Explore emotional responses (How did that experience make you feel?)
- Investigate cause-and-effect relationships (What factors led to that decision?)
- Encourage storytelling (Walk me through the process you followed to solve that problem)
Value of Follow-up Questions
Enhancing Interview Quality
- build upon initial responses allowing thorough exploration of topics and themes
- Demonstrate active listening and engagement encouraging subjects to provide detailed and nuanced information
- Clarify ambiguities, fill information gaps, and verify interviewer's understanding of subject's statements
- Connect different parts of interview creating cohesive narrative and revealing relationships between topics
- Uncover unexpected angles or stories not revealed through initial set of prepared questions
- Allow interviewer to adapt to subject's responses in real-time creating more dynamic and productive interview
- Distinguish experienced interviewers leading to more compelling and comprehensive articles
Practical Applications
- Initial question "What inspired you to start your business?"
- Follow-up "How did your previous work experience influence your business model?"
- Use follow-ups to explore contradictions (You mentioned X earlier, but now you're saying Y. Can you explain the difference?)
- Investigate underlying assumptions (What led you to believe that approach would be successful?)
- Explore hypothetical scenarios (If you could go back and change one decision, what would it be and why?)
- Seek specific examples (Can you describe a particular instance where that strategy proved effective?)
- Connect past experiences to current situations (How has your background in X influenced your current role in Y?)
Asking Sensitive Questions Tactfully
Strategies for Delicate Topics
- Preface sensitive questions with brief explanation of why information is important providing context and purpose
- Use indirect language or hypothetical scenarios to make challenging questions feel less personal and more approachable
- Employ "sandwich technique" placing sensitive question between two less challenging ones for comfortable flow
- Build rapport and trust with subject before broaching sensitive topics to increase likelihood of honest and open responses
- Offer subject control over level of detail they wish to provide making them feel more comfortable discussing challenging topics
- Use empathetic language and acknowledge difficulty of certain questions to create supportive atmosphere for honest disclosure
- Time sensitive questions appropriately within interview typically after establishing rapport but before fatigue sets in
Examples and Considerations
- Instead of "Why did you leave your last job?" try "What factors influenced your decision to seek new opportunities?"
- Use hypothetical scenarios "If someone were facing a similar situation, what advice would you give them?"
- Acknowledge sensitivity "I understand this may be a difficult topic, but could you share your thoughts on..."
- Offer opt-out option "If you're comfortable discussing it, could you tell me about..."
- Frame questions in terms of general experiences "How do you think most people in your position handle work-life balance?"
- Use gradual approach starting with less sensitive topics and progressing to more challenging ones
- Follow up sensitive questions with supportive statements "Thank you for sharing that. Your insights are valuable for understanding this issue."
Key Terms to Review (16)
Active listening: Active listening is a communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the speaker is saying. This technique is essential for fostering effective conversations, especially in interviews and collaborative environments, as it encourages a deeper connection between participants and leads to more meaningful exchanges of ideas.
Clarifying questions: Clarifying questions are inquiries made to ensure understanding and gain further detail about a topic or statement during a conversation or interview. They help to eliminate ambiguity, encourage elaboration, and enhance the overall clarity of the dialogue, which is crucial for effective communication and gathering information.
Closed-ended questions: Closed-ended questions are specific inquiries that limit the respondent's answer to a predetermined set of options, typically requiring a 'yes' or 'no' response, or a choice from given alternatives. These types of questions are crucial in interviews as they help guide the conversation and focus on specific topics, making data collection easier and more straightforward.
Confidentiality: Confidentiality refers to the ethical principle of keeping information private and secure, particularly when it involves sensitive data shared by sources or subjects. This principle is crucial for building trust with sources, ensuring that they feel safe to share information without fear of exposure or reprisal. Maintaining confidentiality is essential for responsible reporting, especially when dealing with vulnerable subjects or during in-depth investigative work.
Follow-up questions: Follow-up questions are inquiries posed during an interview to clarify, deepen, or explore responses provided by the interviewee. These questions are vital in extracting more detailed information and ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the topic being discussed. They enhance the flow of conversation and can reveal insights that may not have emerged through initial questioning alone.
Funnel approach: The funnel approach is a method used in interviews where questions start broad and gradually become more specific. This technique helps interviewers gather a wide range of information before narrowing down to key details, making it easier to understand the subject's perspective and uncover deeper insights.
Hypothetical questions: Hypothetical questions are inquiries that pose a situation or scenario to the interviewee, asking them to consider how they would respond or what actions they might take in that situation. These questions are useful for eliciting opinions, encouraging critical thinking, and gauging how someone might react under specific circumstances.
Informational Interviews: Informational interviews are informal conversations conducted to gather information about a specific career, industry, or organization from someone with relevant experience. They serve as a valuable tool for gaining insights and building professional connections, often leading to mentorship opportunities or job referrals. The primary purpose is to learn rather than to seek employment directly.
Informed Consent: Informed consent is the process of ensuring that a participant understands and agrees to the terms and conditions of their involvement in research or media coverage, allowing them to make an educated decision. This concept is essential for respecting individuals' autonomy and privacy, and it establishes trust between researchers or journalists and their subjects.
Interviewer bias: Interviewer bias refers to the influence an interviewer's own beliefs, opinions, or behaviors can have on the responses of the interviewee during a questioning process. This bias can manifest in various forms, such as the tone of voice, body language, or even the types of questions asked, which may lead to skewed or unrepresentative data. Understanding how this bias operates is crucial for developing effective interview questions that elicit genuine and accurate responses from participants.
Journalistic interviews: Journalistic interviews are structured conversations conducted by reporters to gather information, insights, and quotes for news stories or articles. These interviews can vary in style and purpose, allowing journalists to extract valuable content while building a rapport with sources. Understanding the types of interview questions is crucial, as it shapes the direction of the conversation and the depth of the information gathered.
Open-ended questions: Open-ended questions are inquiries that require more than a simple 'yes' or 'no' response, encouraging the interviewee to elaborate and share detailed information. These types of questions are crucial in gathering insights and fostering engaging conversations, making them essential for effective communication and understanding during interviews. They help create a space for deeper exploration of thoughts and feelings, which can lead to richer content in writing.
Probing questions: Probing questions are inquiries designed to elicit more detailed responses and encourage deeper thinking from the interviewee. They are crucial for gaining insight beyond surface-level answers and are often used to clarify, expand, or explore specific topics in greater depth. By employing these questions, interviewers can foster a more engaging dialogue and uncover important nuances in the information being shared.
Rapport building: Rapport building is the process of establishing a positive and trusting relationship between an interviewer and their subject. This connection is essential for creating a comfortable atmosphere that encourages open communication and honesty during interviews. By fostering rapport, interviewers can enhance the quality of responses, leading to richer and more insightful content for their writing.
Response Bias: Response bias refers to a systematic tendency for participants to respond inaccurately or falsely to survey questions, interviews, or questionnaires. This bias can stem from various factors, such as the wording of the questions, the social desirability of responses, or the participant's mood at the time of answering. Understanding response bias is crucial for designing effective interview questions that yield reliable and valid data.
Star Method: The Star Method is a structured approach used to answer behavioral interview questions by outlining a specific Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This technique helps candidates to effectively communicate their experiences and skills by providing clear, concise, and relevant examples that showcase their problem-solving abilities and achievements.