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3. drop a question that seems unsuitable or one that might put the respondent on the
defensive;
4. if he or she suddenly discovers an interesting subject that had not been anticipated, the
interviewer has the freedom to pursue this line of questioning as far as is desired.
The standardized and unstandardized interviews are extremes. In fact, some
standardized interviews allow some departure from the prepared questions; some
unstandardized interviews do not permit the interviewer unlimited freedom. No matter how
the interview is structured, however, some feedback must flow between interviewer and
respondent.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Open versus Closed Questions
The open question places no restrictions on the length of the respondent's answer. It
allows the respondent more latitude in interpreting the subject to be discussed. Examples
of open questions would be, "Would you please summarize your work experience?" and
"What is your understanding of globalization of education?" Open questions are generally
used early in the interview to get the respondent to relax and reveal more personal
information.
The advantages of the open question are as follows:
1. it may reveal what the interviewee thinks is important;
2. it may reveal an interviewee's lack of information or understanding in an area;
3. it may bring out an interviewee's feelings on an issue, possible prejudices, and
stereotypes;
4. it provides the interviewer with a good example of the interviewee's communication
skills.
The disadvantages of an open question are the following:
1. it takes a great deal of time and may limit the progress of the interview,
2. it reduces the number of topics that can be covered (Weaver, 1985).
The closed question is more specific and usually requires a shorter, more direct
answer. Contrast the following with the two open questions just given: "How many years of
work experience have you had in this field?" and "What aspect of globalization seems to be
most challenging to your university?" Closed questions may restrict the respondent still
further by requiring a simple yes-or-no answer. "Would you like to work for a small
corporation?" or "Will the diplomas issued by your university be recognized in Europe within
the next two years?"
The open questions are often more appropriate at the early part of the interview; the
closed questions can be used to focus the conversation more as you go. This approach to
interviewing is known as the funnel sequence.
The closed question has the following advantages:
1. more questions can be in more areas and in less time than with open questions,
2. the interviewer can guide and regulate the interview with a great deal of control
3. dosed questions are often easier and less threatening for the interviewee and so tend to
put the interviewee at ease.
The disadvantages of a closed question include the following points:
1. it provides little or no information "surrounding" the issue raised in the question,
2. it may close off areas that would be potentially valuable for the interviewer in his or her
effort to arrive at a decision concerning the interviewee.
Primary versus Probing Questions