The craft of questions / 197 words
The Permission Question
Before turning toward a sensitive topic, a short question asking whether the subject is willing to discuss it does real work beyond simple courtesy. It signals respect for a boundary that may exist, and it often makes a subject more...
The record
every article, with its citation countReading Vague Quantifiers
Words like several, many, or a lot sound informative but carry almost no precise content on their own, and a subject who...
The Pre-recorded and Edited Interview
Recording an interview for later editing changes the dynamic in the room: both parties know that stumbles, tangents, or a...
How the Interview Became Its Own Genre
What began as a tool serving other purposes, gathering facts for a news story, evaluating a candidate, recording testimony,...
The Influence of the Therapeutic Conversation
Techniques developed originally within therapeutic settings, reflective listening, careful attention to what goes unsaid,...
Marking Hesitation
Filled pauses, the small sounds people make while thinking, carry information about how easily an answer came, and a transcript...
Setting the Physical Space
The room shapes the conversation before a single question is asked. Harsh lighting, an uncomfortable chair, or a setting that...
Transcribing Non Verbal Sounds
A laugh, a sigh, a long intake of breath before a difficult answer: these sounds carry meaning that pure words cannot capture,...
Television's Transformation of the Sit Down
Television added a visual dimension that radio alone could never offer, letting an audience read a subject's expression...
Open Questions Versus Closed Questions
A closed question asks for a fact and receives one: a date, a yes, a number confirmed. An open question asks for a world and...
Rapport Without Manipulation
Building genuine warmth and trust with a subject makes for a better interview, but that same warmth can be deliberately...
The Formal Inquiry Interview
Conducted as part of a structured investigation, the formal inquiry interview follows established procedure closely, with...
Asking One Question at a Time
Stack three questions into one breath and a subject will answer the easiest of them, or the last one they remember, or none at...
Cultural Protocols Around Eye Contact
Sustained eye contact reads as attentive and respectful in some cultural contexts and as confrontational or disrespectful in...
Listening for Claims Worth Checking Later
Not every claim made in an interview can be verified in the moment, and a good interviewer develops the habit of quietly...