1.1 Define the precise nature of the enquiry in conjunction with the client

Table of Contents

1. The Reference Interview
2. Finding out what the client wants to know
3. Spoken and written communication
4. Open and Closed Questions
   1. Open questions
   2. Closed questions
5. Nature of information required
6. Constraints
7. Special needs
8. Further Information

Closed questions

Closed questions prompting yes/no or short factual answers are mainly used in the reference interview context to:

• elicit specific pieces of information from the client
• gain confirmation that the your understanding of what the client has said is correct - an important feedback tool

You will use both open and closed questions at appropriate times. When framing a question, always think of the type of response you hope to generate and word the question so as to encourage either a brief or an extended answer.

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