avokysymyksiä

Avokysymyksiä is a Finnish term describing open-ended questions—questions that invite detailed, non-restrictive responses rather than a simple yes or no. The plural form avokysymyksiä is used when discussing such questions in general terms.

In education, journalism, social science, market research and psychotherapy, avokysymyksiä are used to elicit experiences, opinions and reasoning. They support qualitative data collection, exploratory dialogue and participant insight by encouraging elaboration and nuance. They contrast with suljettuja kysymyksiä (closed-ended questions), which limit responses to predefined options.

Common characteristics include the absence of predefined answer choices, allowance for justification, and the potential to reveal unexpected topics. They tend to require more time for both asking and answering and often necessitate careful listening and follow-up questions. The effectiveness of avokysymyksiä depends on the question design and interviewer or facilitator skill.

Examples in Finnish: "Miten kuvailisit kokemustasi tästä tapahtumasta?" or "Mikä on tärkeintä, mitä olet oppinut tästä projektista?" English equivalents: "How would you describe your experience of this event?" and "What is the most important thing you have learned from this project?" In analysis, avokysymyksiä yield qualitative data that are coded into themes, with results shaped by context, purpose and interviewing technique.