Protocol
End an evidence conversation with unknowns, not false closure
A clean ending should name what is still not known.
When it fits
- A discussion produced a plausible story and the group is tempted to treat remaining gaps as minor.
When to avoid it
- Not every unknown deserves more investigation; prioritize by consequence and decision value.
Why it matters
Close by summarising the strongest observations, unresolved contradictions, missing artifacts and the next evidence request. Ask the participant or team what you misunderstood. This creates a handoff from conversation to verification.
Steps
- The record distinguishes what was learned from what remains open and names a concrete next evidence source.
An example
After a support interview, the team records that the failure is reproducible but the triggering configuration is still unknown and assigns a log comparison.
Check your result
The record distinguishes what was learned from what remains open and names a concrete next evidence source.
Keep this limit in mind
- Not every unknown deserves more investigation; prioritize by consequence and decision value.
Evidence and sources
GOV.UK interview guidance recommends starting from research questions, organising topics, and preparing starter plus follow-up questions rather than improvising the whole session.
A discussion guide should support rather than rigidly control the conversation.
Using in-depth interviews · Design the interview
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
GOV.UK planning guidance recommends clear, actionable research objectives linked to assumptions and information needed for upcoming decisions.
Some exploratory work legitimately starts without a single immediate decision.
Plan a round of user research · Research objectives and assumptions