Spørrespørre

Spørrespørre is a coined term used primarily in Norwegian-language discussions of communication and research methods to describe a questioning technique. It denotes the practice of breaking a broad inquiry into a sequence of smaller, targeted questions, often accompanied by clarifying prompts, to elicit specific information and verify assumptions. The approach borrows from established methods such as the Socratic method and cognitive interviewing but emphasizes iterative, non-leading follow-ups within a single interaction.

Etymology: The form combines spørre, the Norwegian verb for "to ask," with a suffix used in some discourse traditions to indicate iteration; the exact origin is informal and not standardized.

Applications: In education, spørrespørre is used to guide students toward concepts through progressive questioning. In journalism, reporters may use this technique to build a factual narrative while avoiding premature conclusions. In user research and usability studies, interviewers use it to uncover user needs by refining questions based on responses. In conversational AI, it can help train agents to request clarification and reduce ambiguity.

Example: Interviewer: "What challenge do you face with the current workflow?" Then: "Can you describe a typical situation?" Follow-up: "What would happen if you removed step A?" The sequence helps reveal root issues.

Criticism: Without careful handling, repetitive questioning can feel interrogative or lead responses. Alternatives include open-ended inquiry or the Socratic method.

See also: Socratic method, cognitive interviewing, inquiry-based learning, targeted questioning.