Avoid asking yes or no questions in social work interviews to keep responses rich and detailed.

Title: Asking for richer answers: what to avoid in a research interview (and what to do instead)

Interviews in social work research are conversations, not pop quizzes. The goal is to invite participants to share experiences, feelings, and meaning in their own words. When a researcher slides into quick, yes-or-no ground, the conversation shrinks. The result? You miss nuance, context, and the stories that really illuminate practice in the field. So, what should you avoid to keep responses quality-rich—and what should you lean into instead?

Let me explain the simple truth: yes-no questions put a cap on the depth. If you trap someone in a box labeled “yes” or “no,” you’re likely to hear a short answer and end the river of insight there. This is especially true in social work, where people’s experiences are layered—before you know it, you’ve skipped over the social, emotional, and practical textures that matter.

Close the trap: the case for open-ended questions

What makes an open-ended prompt so powerful? It creates space for stories to breathe. It invites the interviewee to draw on memory, values, and nuance. Instead of “Did you like the program?” you could ask, “What parts of the program stood out for you, and why?” The difference is like stepping from a black-and-white sketch into a full, living painting.

Open-ended prompts come in many flavors:

• Descriptive prompts: “Tell me what happened from start to finish.”

• Reflective prompts: “How did that experience affect your view of the issue?”

• Contextual prompts: “What was going on in your environment that mattered most?”

If you’re curious about the day-to-day realities of practice, open-ended questions are your best friends. They reduce the risk of guiding answers and invite the respondent to set the tempo and tone of the conversation. And yes, you’ll probably hear from people who pause to think, who choose their words with care. That pause is a gift, not a sign of hesitation.

Encouraging detailed explanations: a good thing, not a trap

You’ll often see advice that says to “encourage detailed explanations.” That’s accurate, but it’s easy to take too far and turn the interview into a rapid-fire etiquette coach session. The key is balance: your prompts should invite depth without steering it.

Ways to encourage depth without bias:

• Use inviting phrases: “Could you walk me through what happened next?”

• Ask for examples: “Can you share a specific incident or moment when that mattered?”

• Request impact and meaning: “What did that experience mean to you personally, or for the people you work with?”

Even better, mix prompts that look at what happened, how it was perceived, and what it meant for outcomes. People speak differently when they’re asked to describe, reflect, and interpret.

A note on formality: when guides help, they don’t have to choke the conversation

We’ve all seen studies that rely on a rigid, step-by-step script. In practice, a stiff script can feel robotic and stifle the interviewee’s voice. But a loose, semi-structured guide can be incredibly helpful. Here’s why:

• It sets a safe framework so participants know what kind of conversation they’re entering.

• It keeps you focused on topics you care about without dictating every word they say.

• It reduces gaps in data by ensuring you hit core areas, while still letting natural storytelling drive the session.

Think of a guide as a compass, not a jail cell. You want to steer toward meaningful themes while allowing the wind of conversation to carry you where it will.

But there’s a caveat: avoid turning a guide into a script that must be followed verbatim. If you sound like you’re reciting questions, you’ll miss the spontaneity that makes interviews vivid. Relax the rhythm, use probes, and let the participant lead the timing.

Practical tips you can use in the field

Here are some concrete moves that help you keep the quality of responses high without sounding clinical or dispassionate:

• Start with a warm, neutral opening: “I’m really interested in your experiences with…” This eases into the topic without pressure.

• Use neutral, non-leading language: avoid words that suggest a preferred answer ("good," "bad," "correct") and instead ask for perspectives.

• Apply small probes to invite detail: “What else?” “Can you tell me more about that?” “What happened next?”

• Slow down and listen: allow silences to sit. People think during quiet moments and often reveal more after a pause.

• Paraphrase for understanding: “So, what you’re saying is X, Y, and Z. Is that right?” This checks accuracy and invites correction.

• Reflect and validate without agreeing or disagreeing: “That sounds challenging; thank you for sharing.”

• Watch for double-barreled questions: asking two things at once makes it hard to answer clearly. Break them apart.

• Be mindful of power dynamics: acknowledge your role as the interviewer, and invite equal space for voices that might feel dismissed or unheard.

• Record and transcribe accurately: tools like Otter.ai, Rev, or Zoom transcriptions can help you review what was said. Confirm key points with participants after the interview to ensure accuracy.

A few common traps to avoid (beyond the yes/no trap)

• Double-barreled questions: “How did the program help you and your family?” This splits attention. Try “What did the program help you with?” followed by “How did that affect your family, if at all?”

• Leading language: Phrases that cue a preferred answer steer responses. Neutral wording helps preserve authenticity.

• Over-rapid question turns: Bombarding someone with back-to-back prompts can feel like a test. Give space after each question.

• Jargon and acronyms: Keep language accessible. If you must use a term, define it briefly.

• Personal vulnerability without consent: If a topic is deeply sensitive, check in on comfort and boundaries. Respect limits.

A quick mental checklist for quality responses

• Are you asking more than “yes” or “no”?

• Do your prompts invite stories, examples, and meaning?

• Are you listening more than you’re guiding?

• Is your language neutral, clear, and respectful?

• Do you allow silence to bring out details?

• Can you paraphrase and confirm understanding without changing the nuance?

A few friendly digressions that still connect back

If you ever sat with an elder in a community kitchen or listened to a frontline social worker describe a day on the job, you know how a good interview feels. It’s less about checking boxes and more about letting someone be seen—legitimately heard. And it isn’t just about data; it’s about building trust, which in turn makes people more willing to share the stories that truly illuminate practice—stories about resilience, systems, barriers, and small wins.

If you’re using digital tools to aid interviews, you’re not cheating the process; you’re extending your reach. A secure recording, a transcription you can trust, and a few well-placed prompts can give you access to experiences you wouldn’t capture otherwise. Just remember: technology should serve the conversation, not replace it.

Putting it into practice in your next interview

Let’s imagine a simple scenario. You’re exploring how community programs affect youth engagement. Instead of asking, “Did the program help you?” you might start with, “Can you describe a moment when you felt engaged during the program? What was happening, and what did that feel like for you?” Then you could follow with, “What did you notice about your participation over time?” If the response drifts toward specifics, you can ask, “Could you give me a concrete example?” and, finally, “What did that experience mean for you personally?” The progression helps you collect descriptive, meaningful data rather than a binary nod or shake of the head.

The bottom line: keep the door open for story

The essence of a high-quality interview is not merely asking questions—it's creating space for the interviewee to narrate their experience with honesty and detail. The one thing to avoid most is squeezing answers into a yes-or-no frame. Everything else—open-ended prompts, careful guides, patient listening, and thoughtful probes—helps you gather richer, more reliable information. And isn’t that what good social work research is all about: understanding real lives in real contexts?

If you’re shaping your next interview, try mixing these elements: a welcoming opening, open-ended prompts, patient silences, clarifying paraphrases, and a semi-structured guide that keeps you on track without turning into a script. You’ll likely hear more than a yes or no. You might hear a story, a lesson, a moment that changes how you understand a problem—and that’s where the real value lives.

Want more ideas on crafting interviews that yield richer data and meaningful insights? I’m happy to share sample prompts, probe banks, or a quick checklist tailored to your specific topic. After all, the best interviews feel like conversations you’d have with a trusted colleague—clear, respectful, and genuinely curious.