Introduction
Investigative interviewing in criminology profoundly impacts the efficiency, reliability, and outcome of subsequent proceedings. The primary aim of interviews by law enforcement and other officials from investigative bodies is to gather accurate information while protecting the inherent integrity and dignity of everyone, including suspects, witnesses, and victims during questioning. Bachman and Schutt (2020) describe questioning as among the most versatile methods for identifying social variables. In their seminal work, the authors present different questioning styles and appropriate circumstances for their application. While there are numerous types of questions, Bachman and Schutt (2020) elaborate on open-ended and close-ended questions. Questioning in criminal investigation helps establish the objective truth and critical information needed to solve a case.
Questioning in Criminal Investigation
Open-ended and close-ended questions can potentially uncover social aspects that investigators might miss during interviewing. According to Bachman and Schutt (2020), open-ended questions are preferred during intensive interviewing and when explicit responses are not guaranteed. In essence, open-ended questions encourage further elaboration and discussion, to which there are no explicit responses. Consider survey questions, for example, to which a person replies by writing or talking. Conversely, close-ended or fixed-choice questions can be designed without an explicit response but the choices are mutually exhaustive and exclusive. For example, the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey provide preformulated choices for respondents to check (Bachman & Schutt, 2020). Close-ended survey questions can further be supplemented with some open-ended questions.
Moreover, open-ended questions provide in-depth information on respondents’ perceptions, feelings, and experiences. Apart from minimizing confusion about the meanings of complex responses, open-ended questions can be used as the basis for fixed-choice questions because they provide a wealth of information. Bachman and Schutt (2020) mention that such questions are crucial for obtaining the interviewee’s interpretations in detail and highlight flaws in some questions. Despite numerous advantages, open-ended questions are time-consuming in terms of organizing and summarizing. Additionally, some respondents can find it challenging to provide lengthy feedback when asked many open-ended questions and can provide irrelevant information (Bachman & Schutt, 2020). Open-ended questions contain unstructured and subjective data, and thus, analysis and interpretation can be difficult. In such a case, phone or in-person or phone interview is preferred to questionnaires.
Given the drawbacks of open-ended questions, respondents are more likely to answer close-ended questions as intended by the researcher. Bachman and Schutt (2020) concede that most surveys encompass fixed-choice questions that can be processed and analyzed using statistical software that helps obtain quantitative and measurable data. The inclusion of response choices further reduces ambiguity and questions can be modified based on the survey for consistency. However, close-ended questions can conceal real emotions or thoughts, and thus, the choices must have a range of possible responses to a given question (Bachman & Schutt, 2020). Plus, the range of options regarding a specific question does not provide detailed information, which can create further confusion. Unlike open-ended questions, it can be challenging to ascertain whether the fixed-choice questions were answered accordingly.
Conclusion
In summary, a criminal investigation is a complex and multi-faceted process that demands strategic and tactical approaches. The aim of questioning during a criminal investigation is to confirm the methods and motives of offenders plus identify victims and witnesses through data collection and analysis. Open-ended and close-ended questions are often used during investigative interviewing to gather the needed information. Although open-ended questions provide detailed and extensive data, they are time-consuming, subjective, and unstructured. On the other hand, close-ended questions reduce ambiguity and provide measurable data through statistical analysis but provide less-detailed information. Therefore, investigators should optimize the questioning style that matches a specific situation.
Reference
Bachman, R., & Schutt, R. K. (2020). The practice of research in criminology and criminal justice. Sage.