Protocol
Follow labels with observable detail
A label is the start of a question, not the end of one.
When it fits
- An answer depends on words such as slow, confusing, risky, difficult, unreliable or often.
When to avoid it
- Not every experience needs a metric. Feelings and perceptions can themselves be relevant data; label them as such.
Why it matters
Treat evaluative words as pointers. Ask what the person observed, how long or how many when measurable, what action became difficult, and what comparison makes the label meaningful. Preserve their wording in notes but add the evidence behind it.
Steps
- What did you observe that made it feel [label]?
- What happened next?
- Compared with what?
- Is there a time, count, artifact or example that shows it?
An example
'The interface is slow' becomes 'Saving took about 18 seconds in yesterday's batch, versus 3–4 seconds last week.'
Check your result
The note can be challenged or verified without debating the meaning of the adjective alone.
Keep this limit in mind
- Not every experience needs a metric. Feelings and perceptions can themselves be relevant data; label them as such.
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