TYPESOFQUESTIONSANDTHEINTERVIEW

Whendevelopinginterviewquestions,considerwhattypesofquestionwouldbestgiveyoutheinformation
youareseeking.Listedbelowaredifferenttypesofinterviewquestionsandwheneachisbestusedorshould
beavoided:

Theoretical(Situational)questionsplacetheintervieweeinahypotheticalsituation.Thesequestions
usuallytaketheformofHeresthesituationWhatwouldyoudo?Example:Ifyouwereinthis
situation,whatwouldyoudo?

Alternatechoicequestionsconsistoftwoormoreequallydesirableorundesirableoptions.Thesetypes
ofquestionsshouldbeavoidedbecauseoftheuncertainoutcomeandthelimitationofanswers.Example:
"Doyoupreferestablishingyourownworkprioritiesorhavingthempredeterminedforyou?"Always
followupwithwhythepersonchoseoneanswerovertheother.

YesorNoquestionsshouldbeavoidedbecausetheyobtainverylimitedinformationfromthe
interviewee.Examples:Doyouthinkthatthisisright?orDidtheyfollowtheAAUPrules?

Inchquestioninchquestionsrequireaonewordanswerandgenerallylittleresearch.Usuallythe
answercanbefoundinonesourceandyoushouldnotwasteinterviewtimewiththem.Examples:"How
manystatesmakeuptheUnitedStates?"or"WhatisthecapitalofIndia?"

Comprehensionquestion:acomprehensionquestionisaskedforastraightforwardexplanationof
conceptsandfacts.Example:HowwastheFifthRepublicformed?

Synthesisquestion:theresponserequirestheintervieweestothinkabouttheanswerfromdifference
perspectives,tosynthesizethatinformation,andtodrawtheirownconclusions.Theseareinterestingbut
difficultquestionstoask.Theanswermighttakealongtime.Example:HowisthecurrentGerman
politicalsysteminfluencedbyGermanyshistory?

Loadedorleadingquestionsshouldbeavoidedbecausetheysuggestacorrectanswer.Suchquestions
oftenrevealtheinterviewersattitudesandmayforcetheintervieweetocreateanswerstofitthose
attitudes.Example:Ourdepartmentwantshardworkingemployees.Whatkindofemployeeareyou?

Directquestionsareusedtogetveryspecificinformation,suchas"Whichcountrieshaveyouvisited
duringthattrip?Theyarevaluableforquestioningpeopleindepthorontopicsbroughtupby
intervieweesresponsestoopenendedortheoreticalquestions.Theoutcomeoftheanswersisdifficultto
predict.

DefinitionalquestionsareusuallyposedinaWhatisaorWhatdoes_____________refertoor
mean?format.Theyareusefultoasktheintervieweetoexplaindifficultterms,concepts,andideas.

Openendedquestionsrequiremorethanayesornoresponse.TheyoftenbeginwithTellme
DescribeWhen.Openendedquestionsarebasictoanyeffectiveinterviewbecausetheycallfor
intervieweestorelateinformationandideasthattheyfeelareimportant.

Youcanaskquestionsfordifferentpurposes:
Determineacausalrelationship(does*thisthingcause*thatthing?):
Example:Doeseatingmorefoodcauseacattogrowlonger?
Findrelationshipsbetweenthings,oreffects(whateffectdoes*thisthinghaveon*thatthing?):
Example:Whateffectdoesanobjectsshapehaveonitsmotion?
Findcauses(whatcauses*thisthingtohappen?):
Example:Whatcausesloneliness?
Findallfactorsorimportantelements(whatareallthefactorsthataffect*thisthing?):
Example:Whatareallthefactorsthatleadtoclosefriendships?
Characterizeprocessesandmechanisms(whatprocessesenable*thisthingtohappen?):
Example:Howdoesaheatshieldonaspaceshipwork?
Determineeffectivestrategies(whataregoodstrategiesforaccomplishing*thisgoal?):
Example:Whatcollaborationstrategiesleadtogoodteamwork?
Explainfunctionsorpurposes(whatisthefunctionorpurposeof*thisthing?):
Example:Whatfunctiondoesateacherhaveinaclassroom?
Explainhowfunctionsorpurposesareachieved(whatenables*thispurposetobeachieved?):
Example:Howdoeseatingfoodprovideacatwithenergy?
Createtaxonomies(whatareallthedifferenttypesof*thisthing?):
Example:Whatareallthedifferentkindsofsoldiers?
Determineproperties(whatarethecharacteristicsof*thisthing?):
Example:Whatarethecharacteristicsofaneffectivelanguagelesson?
Determinestages(whatstagesdoes*thisthinggothroughasitevolves?):
Example:Whatarethestagesofatreeslife?
Creatediagrams,maps,charts,tables(whatarethecomponentsof*thisthingandhowarethey
interconnected?):
Example:Whatsthestructureofacatsdigestivesystem?

Interviewersshouldalsohaveseveralfollowupquestionsandprobefordetailsthatexploreallaspectsofa
givensituationorexperience.Examplesoffollowupquestions:
1. Pleaseclarifywhatyoumeanby
2. Howdidyoufeelwhenthathappened?
3. Didyouconsiderotheroptionsatthetime?
4. Whatdoyouthinkaboutthat?
5. Pleasegivememoredetailsabout
6. Doyoubelievethat?
7. Howdoyouthinkothersfeltaboutatthetime?
8. Lookingbackontheexperience,howdoyouseethingsnow?
9. Canyougivemeanexample?
10. Whydoyouthinkthathappened?
11. Whatdootherpeoplethinkaboutthat?
12. Canyougivememoreinformationabout?
13. Ididntreallyunderstandhow/why
14. Canyouexplainagain?
15. Whatdidyoudo?
16. Whatdoesmean?
17. Whatwasyourrole?
18. Whatwastheresult?
19. Whatpieceofadvicewouldyougive?
20. Whatwouldyouthinkif?
21. Ifyoucouldchange

Andfinally,herearesomeinterviewstrategies:
-

Gainsomegoodbackgroundknowledgeofyourtopic.
Prepareyourspecificlistofquestionsinadvance
Brainstormquestionswithclassmates.
Testthequestionsonyourpeopletoseewhatkindsofresponsesyouwillget.
Makeanappointmentwithyourinterviewee.
Bringpaperandapentotakenotes,andmaybeataperecorder(askforpermissiontorecord!)..
Dressprofessionally.
Allowenoughtimefortheinterview.Dontrushyourinterviewee.
Beontime!Orevenearly!
Introduceyourselfandyourresearch.
Askonlyonequestionatatime.Besuretoworditclearly.
Waitfortheanswers.Dontinterrupt!
Avoidleadingandyes/noquestions.
Beanactivelistener.Showyourinterest.
Becourteousandrespectful.
Askforexplanations,clarifications,anddetails.

Admitthatyoudontunderstandsomething.Dontpretend.
Preparesomeclosingquestionsandcomments.
Begratefulfortheinformationyougot.

Thishandouthasbeencreatedfromanadaptationofnumerousanonymoussourcesandmyownideas.