{"id":12454,"date":"2019-08-07T09:39:34","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T14:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/?p=12454"},"modified":"2024-02-01T14:14:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T14:14:24","slug":"writing-open-ended-and-closed-ended-questions-for-user-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/writing-open-ended-and-closed-ended-questions-for-user-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Open-ended Questions Vs. Closed-ended Questions In User Research"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 14<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

So you have decided to conduct a <\/span>usability<\/span><\/a> test for your product \u2014so as to understand your product from the users\u2019 perspective. You then realize that you have to come up with relevant questions to ask participants.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>That sounds like a piece of cake<\/span><\/i>,\u201d some may presume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Writing effective usability questions seems deceptively easy, but the harsh reality is it\u2019s not as simple as you may think it is. There are quite a number of <\/span>mistakes to avoid<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How you phrase your questions will directly impact the quality and value of your user testing<\/a> results. Ask your participants the wrong questions, or use the wrong words to structure the questions, and you will gather incorrect feedback. <\/span>Wrong questions can contaminate the whole research \u2014leading to misleading quantitative data and qualitative data.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you come up with any usability questions, there is a great need for creative thinking, which involves answering the question – what you intend to learn from the test. Begin by asking yourself this: <\/span>what information do I need from this research<\/b>?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking time to answer that question will help you narrow down all the possible wrong directions you might head before getting to the qualitative data or quantitative data you need. The ultimate goal could be as simple as finding out if users will click on your search result listing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you have a clearly defined goal, writing usability questions isn\u2019t a task that is hard to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

By default, your usability questions could either be open-ended questions or close-ended questions.<\/p>\n

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Whenever we conduct any user research at Invesp, our conversations with our participants have a natural rhythm.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

We ensure this by using open-ended questions and closed-ended questions in unison.<\/p>\n

This article will explore open-ended questions and close-ended questions in great detail, focusing on how to write them and when to use them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are open-ended questions?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

An <\/span>open-ended question<\/span><\/a> is what it is: a question that is open to any answer. In the context of user research, open-ended questions are questions that do not limit users to one- or two-word answers. Instead, they have multiple potential responses, and they often give room for further probing by the moderator.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Open-ended questions are versatile in nature, and they prompt users to describe their feelings and thoughts in their own voice. In this regard, the Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google,<\/span> Avinash Kaushik<\/span><\/a>, says:<\/span><\/p>\n

The greatest nuggets of insights are in open ended questions because it is the Voice of the Customer speaking directly to you (not cookies and shopper_ids but customers).<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is something about asking open-ended questions that makes participants feel more comfortable during a usability test<\/a>. People, in general, tend to open up and express themselves better when they are given room to answer in their own words.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Open<\/div>\n

For example, rather than asking, \u201cWas the new feature easy to use?\u201d You can try something like, \u201cHow would you describe your experience of using the new feature?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common response to the first question would have been, \u201c<\/span>Yes,<\/span><\/i> it was <\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span> or \u201c<\/span>No, it wasn\u2019t<\/span><\/i>\u201d and there was no way you could have understood the context behind the user\u2019s response. But the second question allows users to respond freely, and there is a high chance of getting unique answers that you might not have anticipated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Open-ended questions are ideal for starting and holding a conversation in any circle. They empower users, giving them 100% control of what they intend to say \u2014and this is something that cannot be done using closed-ended questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips for writing effective open-ended questions.
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Coming up with the right kind of questions requires practice. There\u2019s an art to asking questions that prompts people to think before giving a response. Unless it\u2019s an open-ended question, not every question you ask your users will motivate them to give a detailed answer. Here are a few tips that will help you write effective open-ended questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Begin your question with how, why, and what<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What makes a question open-ended is the wording of the sentence. For an effective open-ended question, start the question with words such as how, what, why, and can. This way, you give your users freedom to say more, and in the process, there is a possibility of uncovering rich insights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"close<\/div>\n

Avoid using more specific words such as did, would, which, when and was \u2014these usually prompt one-worded answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a question like \u201c<\/span>Which part of your experience<\/span><\/i> was unsatisfactory<\/span><\/i>?\u201d does not evoke users to give in-depth details about what they found unsatisfactory with the application. Instead, you can elicit users to reflect on their experience and give a more insightful response if you ask it this way \u201c<\/span>What challenges did you face during your experience with XYZ<\/span><\/i>?\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a couple more examples of how to attain a more precise answer by changing the wording of your question:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Closed-ended Questions<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nOpen-ended Questions<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Was our product easy to use?\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nWhat do you think about our product?\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Did you enjoy using our product<\/span><\/i>?\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nHow would you describe the experience you had using our product<\/span><\/i>?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Did anything persuade you to use our product?<\/span><\/td>\nWhat persuaded you to use our product among other products?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

2. Clarity and Analysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ensure that your question requires users to be analytical and to clarify their points. One defining trait of an open-ended question is its ability to propel users to put more thought to their responses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Analytical questions do not require users to generalize their answers. For instance, in a Conversion Optimization<\/a> research, you might ask your participants these questions:<\/span><\/p>\n