Useful Words and Phrases

The Art of Qualitative Questioning (What to Use)

To get rich, usable data, you must master the types of questions that get professionals talking.

• The "Grand Tour" Question: Use a broad opening question to get the subject comfortable. (e.g., "Can you walk me through a typical day in your current role?")

• The "Magic Wand" Question: A perfect tool for your proposal. Ask, "If you had a magic wand and a blank check, what is the first inefficiency in your industry you would fix?"

• Follow-Up Branching: Anticipate how they might answer and have a secondary probe ready in your notes. (e.g., "If they say 'budget cuts', ask: 'Could you give me a specific example of how that impacted your department?'")

• The "Beginner's Mind": Experts often assume you know more than you do. Prompt them with, "Explain this to me as if I were a complete novice," to force them to articulate hidden industry details.

Question Pitfalls (What to Avoid)

To get rich, usable data, you must avoid the types of questions that create conversational dead-ends.

• The Disguised Yes/No: Avoid questions that accidentally create conversational dead-ends. Instead of asking, "Do you think the new software is frustrating?" ask, "How has the new software impacted your workflow?"

• The Spoken "Multiple Choice": When interviewers get nervous, they answer their own questions. (e.g., "How do you handle stress? Do you exercise, or sleep, or talk to a manager?") Ask the question, and then stop talking.

• Clarity and Distinction: It is important that questions do not have answers that are too similar to one another. Avoid asking repetitive questions that might confuse your subject.

Conversational Mechanics (During the Interview)

• The Power of the "Pause": Embrace awkward silence. If you wait three seconds after a subject finishes speaking, they will often fill the silence with their most honest, valuable insights.

• The "Mirroring" Technique: To get more detail without leading the subject, simply repeat their last few words back as a question. (e.g., Subject: "It was a total disaster." Interviewer: "A total disaster?")

• Controlling the "Rambler": If a professional talks too much and goes off-topic, politely interrupt by validating them and pivoting: "That is fascinating, and it actually leads perfectly into my next question..."

Conducting the Interview/Outreach

• Give clear instructions: At the beginning of the interview or email exchange, write or speak a short introduction explaining the purpose of your research and how the data will be used.

• Who will you contact?

  • Interviews: You must conduct your session with a working professional in your specific industry.

  • Outreaches: You must execute your micro-interview or formal email exchange with a university contact (e.g., student life coordinator).

• The Final Requirement: Remember that your raw research instrument (the list of unanswered interview questions or your formal email questions) must be saved and attached as an appendix to your final written midterm proposal.