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Asking critical questions?
Roy Meijer, Science Information Officer TU DelftSociety's Needs: Case Studies and Materials Challenges
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Who am I?
• Which university did I attend? • Any other form of higher education?• What do I do for a living?• What’s the subject of my latest blog post?• Where did I work before coming to Delft?• How many children do I have?• What seems to be my favorite mode
of transport?
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My actual job
• Communications advisor for• Individual scientists• Delft Environment Initiative (one of 4 TU Delft research
themes)• Press officer
• In general: getting media attention for TU Delft research• Through, for example, writing press releases
• Helpdesk• For journalists• And ‘others’
• ‘Other’ • Organizing events• Media training• Guest lectures
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‘Critical’ questions?
• Criticizing? • Essential?• Finding the right questions for your purpose?
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Prepare!
• Who is it sitting/standing in front of you?• What do you need to know about him/her?• What can you find out beforehand?• What do you want/need to know from him/her?• What do you want/need to ask?
• Anything you can find on the subject?
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What is the goal of the conversation?
• What are you writing: press release, (news) article, interview, report, portrait, review?
• Who, what, where, when, why, how or something else?
• Make a list of questions you need answered: critical questions?
• The end product determinesthe questions you have to ask!
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Conversation itself – listen!
• Concentrate and really listen, keeping in mind the list of questions you have
• Be alert: is this a question I (also) want answered? • Is this enough of an answer for my purpose, or do I
need more information?• Where is the conversation going?
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Steering the conversation
• Try to stay in control, keeping in mind the questions you have
• But don’t be too rigid adhering to your list• Try to keep a natural flow going• Sometimes unexpected sidetracks can be most
interesting
• The conversation should be a mix between getting the answers you want and being flexible enough to diverge when an interesting (new) topic arises.
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Conversation – making notes
• Record the conversation or just take written notes?• Recording: exact but time consuming• Writing: quicker but less precise
• Summary or full quotes?• Need evidence? • Personal preference and end product
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Types of questions
• Closed ‘are you happy?’ • Open ‘how are you feeling right now?’ ‘why are you happy?’• Check ‘you’re saying you are happy, is that correct?’ • Suggestive ‘shouldn’t you be very happy?’• Hypothetical ‘if that were to happen, would you be happy?’• Pick up ‘you just said you’re happy, why is that?’• Echo ‘you are happy?’• Silence ‘…’
• Stupid: the ones you didn’t ask• Most important: ‘so what?’
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Critical questions
• Is that so? Don’t take anything at face value• Why is that? Why should that be true?• Says who? Can they be trusted? Shell vs. Greenpeace• Why would they say that? Self interest• What do others say on this subject?• What’s that number based on?
Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics• Can you back that up with results/reports? Which
questions did they ask in the questionnaire?
• ‘In 5 years time 25% of all…’ • ‘It is obvious that…’
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Some random links
• Asking the Right Questions:
http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_browne_askingquest_8/48/12534/3208928.c
w/index.html
• http://www.aboutus.org/Great_Article_Interview_Questions
• http://www.ehow.com/how_4577240_conduct-newspaper-interview.html
• http://www.ere.net/2001/06/28/the-best-interview-question-of-all-time/
• Link naar Slideshare
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Any critical questions…?
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