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what is the purpose of closed and open ended questions

by Richmond Langosh Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The objective of close-ended questions is to help the researcher collect statistical information that can serve as quantitative data while the purpose of open-ended questions is qualitative data collection. Open-ended questions allow you to gain better insights into the minds of the respondents.

Open-ended questions are those that provide respondents with a question prompt and provide them a space in which to construct their own response. Closed-ended questions, alternatively, provide a question prompt and ask respondents to choose from a list of possible responses.

Full Answer

What special problems do open ended questions have?

For example, in evaluating customer satisfaction with service, the open-ended questions often tell you what aspects of service are really of most concern to customers. You might find that respondents tend to rate four or five aspects of service low on the rating scales, but that the responses to the open-ended questions are dominated by vehement opinions about only one of these aspects.

Why ask open ended question?

Some open-ended questions require predictions. Questions like, "Who will win the election" or "What effect would this... These questions also sometimes make people consider consequences. By asking someone, "What would happen if..." or "what...

What is meaning of open ended question?

Open-ended questions are usually seen as opposed to closed questions. The clo se d presented to the respondent. It might also refer to an attitude question for which there is no correct answer. The open-ended question is supposed to catch information that is not seized by a closed question. The answers to open-ended questions are statements.

Can you add open ended questions to the surveys?

The words people use to answer a question tell you a lot about what they think and feel. That is why open-ended questions are often included in surveys: they provide more varied and textured information than closed-ended questions and often can provide insight that was not anticipated by the survey designer.

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What is the purpose of a closed-ended question?

The purpose of close-ended questions is to gather focused, quantitative data — numbers, dates, or a one-word answer — from respondents as it's easy to group, compare and analyze.

What are open and closed questions used for?

Summary: Open-ended questions prompt people to answer with sentences, lists, and stories, giving deeper and new insights. Closed-ended questions limit answers: thus tighter stats.

When to use open ended and closed-ended questions?

Open-ended questions are used when you want to collect qualitative data while close-ended questions can be to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.

What is the importance of open-ended questions?

By asking open-ended instead of closed-ended questions, you help boost critical and creative thinking, spark communication skills and much more. And, the best part is, it's easy to do.

What is the purpose of an opening question?

An open-ended question arouses the respondent's interest, surprises them and dispels their automatic reflexes. In other words, an open-ended question helps make your customer survey more dynamic.

What are the benefits of using open and closed questions psychology?

Often a questionnaire uses both open and closed questions to collect data. This is beneficial as it means both quantitative and qualitative data can be obtained....LimitationsTime-consuming to collect the data. ... Time-consuming to analyze the data.More items...

What are the benefits of asking closed-ended questions?

Advantages of Closed-Ended QuestionsEasier and quicker to answer. ... Help in obtaining measurable and quantitative data. ... Better understanding through answer options. ... Customers are more likely to respond. ... Help to get rid of irrelevant answers. ... Comparable answers. ... Can be customized easily.

What is the difference between open ended and closed-ended?

Open-ended questions are those that provide respondents with a question prompt and provide them a space in which to construct their own response. Closed-ended questions, alternatively, provide a question prompt and ask respondents to choose from a list of possible responses.

Which is better open ended or closed-ended?

The big difference between open ended and closed ended mutual funds is that open-ended funds always offer high liquidity compared to close ended funds where liquidity is available only after the specified lock-in period or at the fund maturity.

How can open and closed question be used to help identify customer needs?

For example, to find out why the customer is calling you could ask, "How can I help you?" This opens the door for the customer to share the reason for the call and give clues to how you can assist them. Closed questions are useful when you are needing a specific response or a simple yes or no.

What is the most important reason to use open-ended questions when communicating with a patient?

Asking patients open-ended questions can reveal their fears and worries. This might help you better address their concerns.

When should an open-ended question be used?

An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using your child's own knowledge or feelings. Open-ended questions typically begin with words such as “why” or “how” and phrases such as “tell me about…” Open-ended questions do not allow for one-word answers.

When should a closed-ended question be used?

Type of data: Closed-ended questions are used when you need to collect data that will be used for statistical analysis. They collect quantitative data and offer a clear direction of the trends. The statements inferred from the quantitative data are unambiguous and hardly leave any scope for debate.

When should open-ended questions?

Ask "why" and "how" to follow up and gain a more thorough answer after asking a closed-ended question. When the participant has finished talking, ask an open-ended question that refers to what they just said, or is related to what they just said. This keeps the conversation flowing in an open and engaging way.

In what situations are open-ended questions most useful?

In a situation that requires contextualisation, complex description and explanation, a simple Yes/No or multiple-choice answer just won't cut it. When you're asking someone to explain a decision or report a problem, for example, open-ended questions tend to work best.

Why do people use open ended questions?

Open-ended questions encourage people to come up with a more thoughtful and filled-out answer incorporating more of their own information and point of view. People who want to keep an exchange of information and flow of thoughts going with whomever they’re interviewing will generally stick with open-ended questions.

What is a marketer's life?

Marketers are constantly interacting with customers, stakeholders, current clients and leads — their lives are an interesting mix of collecting data and fostering connection.

What to start off with in an interview?

Do start off with “Why…” or “What…” But if you fear that even with that opening, your question will lead to a succinct answer, build in a request for the interviewee to share their thoughts, not get straight to the point.

What is an open ended question?

Written by Lena Katz. What is an open-ended question? An open-ended question is one that can only be answered by a unique thought or statement in someone’s own words. Unlike a closed-ended question, it cannot be answered in one word, or by yes/no, or by multiple choice.

When to use a symlink?

They can be used at any time when it’s more important to the interviewer to elicit thoughts and opinions and insights than to get definitive answers.

What are open-ended questions?

Open-ended questions are questions that allow for detailed, explanatory answers. Instead of answering with a prewritten answer like "yes" or "no," open-ended questions allow the participant to write a fully customized response. These kinds of questions can be as short as a few sentences or as long as multiple paragraphs.

What are close-ended questions?

Close-ended questions are questions that allow the participant to choose between multiple prewritten answers. Researchers can use close-ended questions to learn specific information from participants by providing only a narrow range of answers from which to choose. Close-ended questions come in many forms, such as:

Open-ended vs. close-ended questions

Open and close-ended questions have several differences, and the type you use depends on the information you wish to obtain. Differences between the two question types include:

What is open ended question in therapy?

In therapy there is a discussion over open ended versus closed ended questions. Open ended questions are posed so that the client can freely discuss issues without bias from the helper. The client will discuss their feelings and thoughts so that the helper can give them education, tools and help to guide them in the right direction. By making a comfortable situation for the client and having a good relationship while asking open ended questions they may open up. Types of open ended questions are: can you discuss that topic further? Or how did that make you feel?

Why use an open ended question?

The open ended question is used to give the client a reason to talk and discuss beyond what they are saying. It is far different than the closed ended question. When the client is closed off and unable to tell they can be prodded into action. Using an open ended question might do the trick. The best application for the open ended versus closed ended question is when the therapist needs to get the client talking so that they can maximize the benefits of the session.

When is a closed ended question best?

The closed ended questions are best when information is needed by the therapist or person who is doing intake. Sometimes information comes about easily as a result of the closed ended question, but it has its place.

What are Open-Ended Questions?

An open-ended question is an open response-style of question, where participants can answer in as much or as little text as they choose. Open-ended questions allow participants to respond to your question based on their own experience, opinions, or level of understanding, which often allows for answers to be longer andmore detailed. Open-ended questions are more common in qualitative research designs. Common formats for structuring open-ended questions include asking ‘how’, ‘why’ or ‘what’.

What are Closed Questions?

A closed question is one where the possible answers are restricted to a select number of choices that were pre-determined by the researchers. Closed questions allow for more focused responses, because the range of options to select from are limited to specific factors that the researcher is interested in. Closed questions are more common in quantitative research designs, and can occur in dichotomous or multiple-choiceformats, such as ‘Yes/No’ or ‘Please select…’ questions.

Why is it important to analyze open ended and closed questions?

It is important when analysing responses from both open-ended and closed questions to be mindful of both social desirability and acquiescence. The social desirability effect occurs when participants provide answers that they think are more socially acceptable than what their actual response is, or when they provide answers they think the researchers want to receive. Similarly, acquiescence is when a participant will have an overt tendency to agree or say yes to questions because it is simpler than justifying or explaining a different position. Social desirability and acquiescence often result in bias, which will affect the accuracy of results. To address these, when asking open-ended and closed questions it is helpful to:

Why are open ended questions beneficial?

By having no ‘limit’, open-ended questions are advantageous because they allow for your participants to share their thoughts and experiences in as much detail as they wish , which in turn often gives researchers greater insight into the motivations and reasons underlying participant responses and a much richer dataset than if you only provide limited opportunity for participants to respond. Since every participant can respond at length, open-ended questions are also a good way to highlight any variability and diversity in your sample since each participant will have their own perspective.

Why are closed questions important?

Closed questions are often advantageous because participants only need to consider and select one of the options provided to them, rather than articulating longer and more justified answers. By providing the same options to choose from, closed questions are helpful in creating a degree of consistency in your sample. As a result, closed questions are easier to administer and analyse for large-scale research, particularly studies that are primarily based on number-based questionnaires.

Why should responses be anonymous?

Keep responses anonymous – this will encourage participants to be more open with their answers because they cannot be identified.

Should you ask open or closed questions?

Whether you use open-ended or closed questions is at your discretion. If you have a clear objective, you may choose or prefer one question format over the other. However, it is becoming increasingly common in research to ask a closed question to gauge what the participant’s categorical answer is, before following up with an open-ended question so that the participant can elaborate on their choice. Using this approach is advantageous because this provides researchers with two levels of detail about a factor they are interested in that they are then able to analyse as part of their research.

What happens when you ask closed ended questions?

(Choose your favorite ice cream: vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate.) When you ask closed-ended questions, you may accidentally limit someone’s answers to only the things you believe to be true. Worse, closed-ended questions can bias people into giving a certain response. Answers that you suggest can reveal what you are looking for, so people may be directly or indirectly influenced by the questions. Don’t ask, “Does this make sense?” Ask, “How does this work?” and listen closely to discover how well the design communicates its function. Note users’ word choices, because it might help to use their terms in the interface.

Why are closed ended questions good?

Closed-ended questions are often good for surveys, because you get higher response rates when users don’t have to type so much. Also, answers to closed-ended questions can easily be analyzed statistically, which is what you usually want to do with survey data.

Why is it important to ask open ended questions?

The most important benefit of open-ended questions is that they allow you to find more than you anticipate: people may share motivations that you didn’t expect and mention behaviors and concerns that you knew nothing about.

Why don't you start a question with "was"?

In general, avoid “why” questions, because human nature leads people to make up a rational reason even when they don’t have one. We normally ask “why” only about ratings, to tease out more open-ended feedback.

What is an open ended question?

Open-ended questions are questions that allow someone to give a free-form answer.

When do researchers ask questions?

Typically, researchers ask questions before, during, and after research sessions. It’s easy to focus on what you want to know rather than on how you ask, but the way you ask questions matters a lot in terms of what and how much you can discover. You can learn unexpected and important things with this easy technique.

Can you test usability with 5 users?

However, in one-on-one usability testing, you want to get richer data than what’s provided from simple yes/no answers. If you test with 5 users, it’s not interesting to report that, say, 60% of users answered “yes” to a certain question. No statistical significance, whatsoever. If you can get users to talk in depth about a question, however, you can absolutely derive valid information from 5 users. Not statistical insights, but qualitative insights.

What is open ended question?

Open ended questions give your respondents the opportunity and space to reply in as much detail as they like, as well. Additional detail truly qualifies and clears up their responses, yielding more exact data and noteworthy understanding for you. 2.

Why do you leave open ended questions at the end of a survey?

For example, if your questionnaire is about product features you can always add the last open ended questions as the extra features that customers want to see in the product .

Can you give more than one open ended question?

Like offering an “Other” choice for a multiple choice question, giving no less than one open-ended question in your survey will enable you to consider every contingency. Your respondents may consider something that you were missing.

Is it better to use close ended or open ended questions?

Correlation, statistical and comparative analysis and factual investigation are considerably more troublesome when each reaction is open-ended reply to open-ended questions. In a situation where you are running short of time to read every answer, translate it and manage them regularly for analysis, it’s wiser to stick to close ended questions.

Why are open ended questions important?

Open-ended questions give your respondents the freedom and space to answer in as much detail as they like, too. Extra detail really helps to qualify and clarify their responses, yielding more accurate information and actionable insight for you.

What is the difference between open ended and closed questions?

Closed questions, on the other hand, drastically limit the possible responses .

What do free form written answers reveal?

Free-form written answers reveal a great deal about the workings of the respondent’s mind . From the essential logic of their reasoning and the steps in their thinking process to their language choices and frame of reference, there’s a huge amount you can learn from reading their thoughts in their own words.

What is an open ended question?

Open-ended questions are the kind that don’t set specific options for response. For example, “What’s your reason for reading this blog post? Type your answer in the box below.”

Is an open ended question a good answer?

In a situation that requires contextualisation, complex description and explanation, a simple Yes/No or multiple-choice answer just won’t cut it. When you’re asking someone to explain a decision or report a problem, for example, open-ended questions tend to work best.

Is it harder to compare correlations or open ended questions?

Comparison, correlation and statistical analysis are much more difficult when every response is a freeform answer to an open-ended question. If you don’t have the time or the manpower to read every word of every answer, interpret them, and code them consistently for analysis, stick to closed questions unless there’s a good reason to go open-ended.

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What Is An Open-Ended Question?

What Is A Closed-Ended Question?

  • We’ve briefly touched upon closed-ended questions just to compare with open-ended ones. Now, let’s define exactly what they are and in what scenarios it’s better to use them. Closed-ended questions require one specific answer — either a yes/no or a choice between a few options. Sometimes they’re in pursuit of a fact, and sometimes a decision. These types of questions are …
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Open-Ended vs. Closed-Ended Questions

  • Let’s have a look at the different purposes they serve, how they complement each other, what kind of data they garner, and how each can be used in our three scenarios (a sales call, a marketing exercise, a writers’ interview). 1. An open-ended question opens up a topic for exploration and discussion while a closed-ended question leads to a closed-off conversational path. After “Yes” …
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Sample Open-Ended Questions vs. Closed-Ended Questions

  • for sales professionals
    When you’re in sales, open-ended questions are good for understanding more about your customer and opening up a real dialogue. Closed-ended questions are good for getting prospects to let you know whether they have any intentions of signing a contract any time soon. Sales exa…
  • 10 open-ended vs. closed question set examples for marketers
    Marketers are constantly interacting with customers, stakeholders, current clients and leads — their lives are an interesting mix of collecting data and fostering connection. Just look at a social media manager’s day-to-day: Half may be spent analyzing paid campaign results and crunching …
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Open- and Closed-Ended Questions Are Equally valuable.

  • While open-ended questions are a buzzword among salespeople and business coaches right now, we think the proper mixof open- and closed-ended is essential to any discovery process. If you understand the difference between them, know how and for what purpose to use each, and can rework a closed-ended question into an open-ended question on the fly when needed, then you’r…
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What Are Open-Ended Questions?

  • Open-ended questions are questions that allow for detailed, explanatory answers. Instead of answering with a prewritten answer like "yes" or "no," open-ended questions allow the participant to write a fully customized response. These kinds of questions can be as short as a few sentences or as long as multiple paragraphs. Related: 20 Customer Satisf...
See more on indeed.com

What Are Closed-Ended Questions?

  • Closed-ended questions are questions that allow the participant to choose between multiple pre-written answers. Researchers can use closed-ended questions to learn specific information from participants by providing only a narrow range of answers from which to choose. Closed-ended questions come in many forms, such as: 1. Multiple-choice 2. Drop-down menu 3. Check box sel…
See more on indeed.com

Open-Ended vs. Closed-Ended Questions

  • Open and closed-ended questions have several differences, and the type you use depends on the information you wish to obtain. Differences between the two question types include:
See more on indeed.com

Examples of Open-Ended Questions

  • Below are some examples of open-ended questions: 1. Why did you choose to shop with us today? 2. How do you feel about your customer service experience? 3. What would encourage you to recommend this product to a friend? 4. If given the choice, would you drive or walk to work? Why? 5. Where did you attend college? 6. What's your favorite holiday? Why? 7. How would you d…
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Examples of Closed-Ended Questions

  • The following are various examples of closed-ended questions: 1. How often do you use our products during your week? 2. How many cups of coffee do you drink in a day? 3. Do you walk or drive to campus? 4. Have you ever used our customer service website? 5. Will you recommend this product to a friend? 6. Did you find our service acceptable? 7. Do you consider yourself phys…
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