💬 Open question
"Why do you visit the park?"
The answer could be anything: "To walk my dog", "To meet friends because it is near my house", and so on.
Questionnaires and Interviews » Open and Closed Questions
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Cambridge spec: 7.3.4, 7.3.5, 7.3.6
- What an open question is
- What a closed question is
- The strengths and weaknesses of each type
- How to write and choose open and closed questions for a new scenario
You have now met questionnaires and interviews. Both methods work by asking questions, so the way each question is worded matters a great deal. There are two main types of question: open and closed. This is part of Paper 2 Section D, the non-experimental methods questions.
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Unlock This CourseOpen questions
Imagine a researcher wants to know what people think about a new library in their town. One way to ask is: "What do you think about the new library?" The participant can say anything they like, in as much detail as they like. There are no answers to choose from.
Key terms:
- Open question: a question that requires a detailed answer in the participant's own words. No answer choices are given.
Open questions often start with words like "What", "How" or "Why", and they leave space for a long answer. In a questionnaire that means a large empty box. In an interview it means the participant just talks.
Closed questions
Now imagine the researcher asks: "Do you like the new library? Yes or No." The participant can only pick one of the choices on offer.
- Closed question: a question with a fixed set of possible responses.
Closed questions come in several forms:
✅ Yes/no
"Have you borrowed a book this month?" The only answers are yes or no.
📝 Tick boxes
"Which of these do you use? Books / Computers / Study desks / Children's area." The participant ticks from the list.
📈 Rating scales
"How helpful is the staff, from 1 (not helpful) to 5 (very helpful)?" The participant picks a number.
You met rating scales in the questionnaires lesson. They are one kind of closed question because the participant can only choose from the numbers given.
Learn this
Open question = no choices, answered in the participant's own words. Closed question = a fixed set of possible answers to choose from.
Open and closed side by side
✅ Closed question
"Do you visit the park to: walk a dog / meet friends / play sport / other?"
The answers must fit one of the four choices.
Strengths and weaknesses
Neither type is better in every situation. Each gives the researcher something different.
💬 Open questions
Strength: they give detailed answers. Participants can explain their thoughts in their own words, so the researcher may learn things they did not expect.
Weakness: the answers are harder to compare. Every participant writes something different, so the researcher has to read them all and sort them, which takes time.
✅ Closed questions
Strength: the answers are easy to compare. The researcher can count how many people chose each answer, and the question is quick to answer.
Weakness: they give less detail. Participants may have to pick an answer that does not quite match what they think, and the researcher never finds out why.
The big idea: open questions give detail, closed questions give ease of comparing answers. Counting answers from closed questions is also how data tables and bar charts are made, which you will meet in later lessons.
Applying it to a new scenario
In the exam you may be asked to write a question, or to say which type suits a situation. Ask yourself two things. Does the researcher need detail, or does the researcher need to compare many people easily?
Worked example
A researcher wants to find out how pupils get to school.
A closed question: "How do you usually get to school? Walk / Bus / Car / Bike." This is quick and the researcher can easily count how many pupils chose each way.
An open question: "What do you like and dislike about how you get to school?" This gives rich detail, such as "The bus is always late so I miss registration", but each answer is different and takes longer to sort.
Which is better? To compare lots of pupils, use the closed question. To understand pupils' experiences, use the open question. Many researchers use both in the same questionnaire or interview.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a question is closed only if it is yes/no. Tick boxes and rating scales are closed too, because the choices are fixed.
- Writing a question that already lists the answers and calling it open. If choices are given, it is closed.
- Saying open questions are "better" or closed questions are "worse". Say what each is good for: detail or easy comparison.
- Writing "closed questions are easy". Say who it is easy for: the researcher can compare answers, and the participant can answer quickly.
Exam-style question
A researcher wants to find out how people feel about a new bus timetable in their town. The researcher writes a questionnaire.
(a) Write one closed question the researcher could use. [1 mark]
(b) Write one open question the researcher could use. [1 mark]
(c) Explain one strength of using open questions in this research. [2 marks]
Model answer
(a) "Do you think the new timetable is better than the old one? Yes / No." (1)
(b) "What do you think about the new bus timetable?" (1)
(c) Open questions give detailed answers (1), so passengers can explain in their own words what they like or dislike about the new timetable, which the researcher could not find out from yes/no answers (1).
Exam tip
For a closed question, always show the fixed choices in your answer, such as Yes / No. For an open question, make sure no choices are given.