Author: familylawproject

Interviewing Techniques

familylawproject

 

Closed/Narrow questions

 

A closed or narrow question usually receives a single word or concise answer.

 

Best used when:

  • Testing your understanding, or the other person’s
  • Concluding a discussion

 

For example:

  • “Do you live in California?” The answer is “yes” or “no”
  • “How old are you?” The answer will be a specific number

 

Open Questions

 

An open question elicits longer answers. Most begin with: what, why, and how. An open question usually asks an individual about the following: her knowledge, opinion or feelings.

 

Best used when:

  • Prompting the individual to speak more freely
  • Finding out more information
  • Finding out an individual’s opinion or concerns

 

For example:

  • What happened to your car?
  • Why did he leave early?
  • How was the wedding?

 

Leading Questions

 

Leading questions influence an individual to answer in a particular way.

 

Best uses:

  • To help make assumptions
  • Encourage agreement
  • Create associations or personal preference

 

For Example:

  • “How enormous do you think the cake will be?”
  • “This book is really boring, isn’t it?”
  • “The restaurant is rated very high and everyone loves the food. Do you want to eat there?”