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?"

• Offering "Multiple Choice" Options: Interviewers can 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: Questions should not generate answers that are too similar to one another. Avoid asking repetitive questions.

Navigating Sensitive Topics (How to Soften Your Tone)

When performing primary research, you will often ask questions about difficult subjects. To get authentic answers without putting the person you're speaking with on the defensive, use "linguistic mitigation" (softening your language).

• Direct Versus Indirect Phrasing: Avoid abrupt, interrogative statements like, "How much money did your business lose?" Instead, use indirect, open phrasing like, "Can you share a bit about how construction has impacted your overall profit?"

• Saving Face: When asking a potentially difficult or intrusive question, create a polite and professional environment. Start the question with phrases like, "I imagine this might be a sensitive topic, but..." or "If you are comfortable sharing..."

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..."

• The "Clarification" Request: It is completely normal to miss a word or not understand industry jargon during a live conversation, especially when it's not your first language! Do not panic or pretend you understood, since this can corrupt your data. Instead, use these professional scripts to confirm understanding: "Just to make sure I’m capturing your expertise correctly, do you mean..." or "Could you elaborate a bit more on what you mean by [Term]?"

• The "Signposting" Transition: A successful interview has a natural, conversational flow. When you finish asking questions on one topic (such daily operations) and need to move to the next (such as industry pain points), use a "signpost" to guide the interviewee. Try saying: "Thank you for sharing that context. I'd like to pivot slightly now to ask about..." This smooths out the conversation and prevents the interview from feeling like a rigid interrogation.

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: These are typically a session with a working professional in your specific industry.

  • Outreaches: These are typically micro-interviews or formal email exchanges with a qualified representatives; for example, a university contact (e.g., student life coordinator).

• Ethics Requirements: Before you ask your first official research question, you must secure verbal or written consent from your subject. Briefly state the purpose of your research, tell them that they can skip any questions they are uncomfortable with, and explicitly ask for their permission if you intend to record the conversation. Securing consent builds immediate trust and ensures your research is conducted ethically. (Note: You can see a practical example of this by clicking on the  "Example Interview - REM Construction" card below).

• 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 document.