This document discusses when to use open-ended versus closed-ended questions in user research. Open-ended questions are best for exploratory research to understand user needs, problems, opinions, and experiences in their own words. Closed-ended questions are better for getting quick, quantifiable answers on a large scale when the research topics are well understood and control over responses is desired. The document provides examples of open-ended uses like interviews and examples of closed-ended question types like multiple choice.

1. 19 Things to
consider when
deciding on
Question type for
User Research

2. When to use Open -
Ended Questions?

3. 1.
For Exploratory
Studies
● In-depth interviews
● Persona research
● Qualitative Usability
Testing
● Diary Studies
Open - ended

4. 2.
You want to
explore
respondents’
needs & behavior
● You want to
understand the needs
of the users
● How your customers
use your product
● Which of the users’
problems you want to
solve
Open - ended

5. 3.
You want to
understand
customers’
problems
● Probe deeply into
issues
● Can reveal surprising
mental models
● Can uncover
customers’ strong
emotions such as fear,
hope.
Open - ended

6. 4.
You expect Long
Responses
● Multiple sentences,
stories, lists or even
paragraphs
● Spontaneous
responses
Open - ended

7. 5.
You want to
know User’s
opinions and
feedback
● Opportunity for users
to complain about a
bad experience
Open - ended

8. 6.
You want to
uncover user’s
experience with
your product
● Insights to improve
your product
● Advantage of getting
insights you can’t (or
difficult to) collect
through other ways
Open - ended

9. 7.
When you don’t
want to miss
opportunity to gain
insights on topic
you are not familiar
with
● Respondents may
share attitudes,
behaviors and concerns
you might not expect
or is aware of
Open - ended

10. 8.
To use before a
conclusive
research
● These responses will be
useful to design the
survey structure and
questions
Open - ended

11. 9.
You want
qualitative data
● Difficult to compile into
charts or tables
● Sometimes you can
code responses,
however it is difficult to
interpret respondents’
words correctly
Open - ended

12. 10.
You want to
know what, how,
why
● Questions begin with
these words
● ‘Why’ can sometimes
mislead to come up
with a reason even
when there isn’t any
Open - ended

13. 11.
You expect
unique,
unanticipated
answers
● Users can freely
express what they feel
or think about certain
things
● Might reveal
interesting responses
or insights
Open - ended

14. When to use
Closed-Ended
Questions

15. 12.
You want higher
response rates
● Where you can easily
distribute and expect
quick responses
● For larger populations
● For repeated research
Closed - ended

16. 13.
You want to
keep the
conversation in
control
● Yes or No, Agree or
Disagree type answers
or responses with
limited choices
● You want exact,
quantifiable and
predictable responses
Closed - ended

17. 14.
You expect
short, factual
answers
● Limited responses such
as in multiple choice or
where respondents can
fill short answers
Closed - ended

18. 15.
For quantifiable
data
● Easy to code for
analysis
● Compile Data into
tables and charts
Closed - ended

19. 16.
Easy to Analyze
● Responses can be
given a no. or value to
code for analysis
Closed - ended

20. 17.
When you have
in-depth
knowledge of topic
● Researcher must have
clear understanding of
the topic to provide
options for responses
● He/ she should be
aware of how it ties to
the overall research
problem
Closed - ended

21. 18.
For Statistically
significant results
● Results can be
concluded for the
entire population
Closed - ended

22. 19.
Examples
● Multiple choice
● Semantic Differential
● Drop-down
● Checkboxes
Closed - ended

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