Heuristic
Ask for the last real example before asking for the usual process
A recent episode has edges that a generic process description can hide.
When it fits
- Someone describes what normally, usually or ideally happens and the answer sounds clean but unauditable.
When to avoid it
- One episode is not a frequency estimate. Use more cases or other data before generalising.
Why it matters
Ask for the most recent concrete instance: when it happened, what triggered it, what the person did, what happened next and what artifact remains. Compare that episode with their general description only after the sequence is clear.
An example
A user says approvals are 'normally quick'; the last approval took two days because the owner was unclear.
Check your result
The answer contains a specific episode with sequence and observable details, not only a policy or preference.
Keep this limit in mind
- One episode is not a frequency estimate. Use more cases or other data before generalising.
Connected ideas
Useful withBuild the sequence before asking for the cause
Evidence and sources
Supports
GOV.UK interview guidance recommends open, neutral questions, asking for real stories and examples, listening carefully, and using follow-ups when meaning is unclear.
Neutral wording reduces one source of bias but does not make interview evidence objective or representative by itself.
Using in-depth interviews · Do the interview