Close-Ended vs. Open-Ended Questions

A good discussion guide prompts people to tell stories, not just answer questions. Practice transforming the following close-ended questions into open-ended questions so that your respondents will be more likely to open up and tell stories. In some cases, you can also use the close-ended questions as a starting point to a more compelling follow up question.

• Have you ever sent a text message while driving?
• Did you find everything you were looking for during your last shopping trip?
• Would you say you travel abroad frequently?
• Do you post a lot of pictures on Facebook?
• Do you prefer to shop at big boxes or locally owned stores?
• Are you an early adopter when it comes to technology?
• How often do you eat sweets?
• Do you tend to buy things that are on sale?