People answer closed questions with one-word answers ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or short answers. Open-ended questions encourage the storyteller to tell more, to remember and talk about details and feelings.
| Closed | Open-ended |
|---|---|
| Where were you born? | What do you remember about the place you were born? |
| Where were your parents born? | What did your parents tell you about their lives in... ? |
| Who did you marry? | How was life for you when you first got married? |
| Was religion important to your family? | Tell me about how your family followed religious customs. |
| Did you and your friends play games as children? | Describe some games you played as a child. |
Leading questions make the interviewee think you expect a certain answer. Leading questions show the interviewer’s opinions, biases, attitudes or expectations. Neutral questions allow the interviewee to speak his or her own words and thoughts.
| Leading | Neutral |
|---|---|
| You must certainly have been happy when your first child was born. | How did you feel when your first child was born? |
| Did you move to Iglulik then? | What did you do then? |
| You didn’t like Uqi, did you? | Tell me about Uqi. |
| What did you think of Napajuq’s terrible behaviour? | What did Napajuq do then? |
Some questions encourage the storyteller to use the senses to describe a scene: