Science-Based Interviewing: Proven Questioning Strategies for Success

In science-based interviewing, mastering the art of questioning is not just a skill—it's a necessity. How do you ensure that the information you gather is both accurate and comprehensive? By employing proven questioning strategies, you can transform any interview into a powerful tool for uncovering truth, reducing risk, and sound decision-making. Embrace the power of open-ended questions and avoid the pitfalls of leading inquiries to elicit uncontaminated, corroborated statements. Elevate your interview and interrogation techniques and stand out as a leader in your field.

Science-based interview & interrogation, planning and questioning strategies.

Defining the Science-Based Interviewing Process

Science-based interviews are adaptable conversations aimed at gathering information from individuals involved in or witnessing an event. These interviews are adaptable (not a rigid this-many-step-process), focusing on the elicitation of accurate and complete information. The process involves strategic questioning techniques designed to avoid contamination of responses. They serve as tools for validating evidence, understanding sequences of events, gathering evidentiary context, and identifying inconsistencies in testimonies for further inquiry. The effectiveness of this process lies in its adherence to an adaptable approach, ensuring that responses are both reliable and relevant. Planning, establishing rapport, and employing questioning techniques that prioritize open-ended over closed-ended queries are key components of the process. This approach is essential for maintaining the integrity of the information gathered.

Value for Private Sector Investigators

In the private sector, effective interviewing is critical for managing risk, improving operations, and protecting organizational integrity. In areas of investigative expertise like corporate investigations, human resources, and loss prevention, well-executed interviews are essential for addressing theft, compliance breaches, safety issues, and internal misconduct. These information-gathering conversations provide insights that go beyond what audits or surveillance can capture—surfacing hidden vulnerabilities, revealing process failures, and identifying behavioral patterns. A strong investigative interview supports timely, informed decision-making that helps prevent losses, protect reputations, and maintain a safe, accountable workplace. Private sector investigators benefit from science-based interviewing techniques that prioritize information quality & quantity, reduce bias, and build cooperation—tools designed not only to detect wrongdoing but to build a culture of trust, transparency, and resilience.

Importance for Law Enforcement

The role of interviews and interrogations in crime-solving and ensuring justice is crucial for law enforcement. They provide a basis for building cases, discovering evidence, and obtaining reliable statement evidence from suspects, witnesses, and victims. They assist law enforcement officers in assembling information, validating evidence, and gaining a thorough comprehension of incidents. Case knowledge is essential in ensuring that the justice system operates fairly and accurately. The accuracy of information obtained during these interviews can significantly impact the outcome of legal proceedings and delivering justice. Effective interviews contribute to the prevention of wrongful convictions, guard against statement contamination, false information, and the identification of true perpetrators. Successful interviews rely heavily on questioning strategies. This section explores the core strategies that enhance the quality of information gathered, focusing on open-ended questions, avoiding leading questions, not interrupting, and ensuring that statements are corroborated.

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions are fundamental in the amount of information and the quality of information gathered during an interview, as they encourage detailed narrative responses. Unlike closed questions, which are not inherently "bad," open-ended questions do not restrict the interviewee's answers, allowing for comprehensive and elaborate replies. Open-ended questions typically start with "tell me," "explain to me," or "what," thereby inviting the interviewee to share more information. This approach to questioning provides deeper insights by learning information up front, discovering information that is not known to the investigator, and helping uncover new perspectives about the incident. Open-ended questions reduce the interviewer's impact on the interviewee's responses, thereby yielding more genuine and unadulterated data. This technique is crucial for validating facts and supporting evidence without having to formulate many questions; often great open-ended questioning will allow you to discover what you need.

Leading Questions

Leading questions are those that suggest a particular answer or contain the information the interviewer is looking to confirm. Avoiding these questions is essential to maintaining the integrity of the interview process. Introducing leading questions can unintentionally introduce bias or alter the interviewee's recollection of events. This can result in unreliable data and affect the overall outcome of an investigation. Instead of asking leading questions, interviewers should prioritize neutrality and objectivity. This involves framing questions in a way that does not prompt or suggest specific answers, thereby preserving the authenticity of the responses.

Avoiding Interruptions

Avoiding interruptions during an interview or interrogation is essential to preserving the accuracy and completeness of the information being shared. Interruptions are entirely within the interviewer’s control and, when consistently done, can severely impact the interview’s outcome. Disrupting an interviewee during memory recall can result in the permanent loss of valuable details, as the cognitive process involved in retrieving information can be fragile. Furthermore, consistent interruptions set an unintended pace for the interview—one that signals to the interviewee that brief, surface-level responses are expected. This pacing can undercut even the most well-constructed questions, reducing their effectiveness and the depth of responses. A well-known RAND Corporation study revealed that law enforcement officers interrupted interviewees approximately every seven seconds. Seven seconds is barely enough time for a meaningful thought, let alone a detailed response with good data. Controlling the flow of the conversation through patience and restraint not only encourages richer narratives but also demonstrates respect for the interviewee’s effort to recall and allows the interviewer to learn details they didn't know existed.

Ensuring Statements are Corroborated

Ensuring that statements are corroborated is critical for the reliability of information obtained during interviews. Corroboration involves verifying facts through multiple sources, enhancing the credibility of the gathered data. This process involves cross-referencing statements with other evidence, such as physical proof or additional statement evidence. It serves as a safeguard against inaccuracies and helps in validating the truthfulness of the information. To achieve corroborated statements, interviewers must employ techniques that encourage interviewees to provide detailed accounts (more data), which can then be cross-verified. Such testimony strengthens the overall investigation and supports the pursuit of justice. Effective interviewing necessitates the use of additional skills and techniques. This section delves into the importance of building rapport and the role of active listening in enhancing the interview process.

Fake fact means you did not or could no corroborate information.

Far too often, miscarriages of justice have been traced back to uncorroborated statements—particularly false confessions that were accepted at face value. In many of these cases, investigators failed to verify key details or seek independent sources of confirmation, allowing inaccurate or fabricated accounts to drive case outcomes. With the benefit of hindsight, these errors are now seen as investigative missteps rooted in confirmation and guilt-presumptive biases. The failure to corroborate critical information not only undermines the integrity of the investigation but can lead to devastating consequences, including wrongful convictions and the true perpetrator remaining at large. These hard lessons reinforce that every statement—no matter how compelling—must be tested against the available evidence before it is relied upon. These misteps will get you and your agency a special on a streaming service and not in a good way.

Building Rapport

Rapport building is a crucial aspect of effective interviewing because rapport builds trust and openness between the interviewer and the interviewee. Rapport allows for more cooperation and increased disclosures (more data). It involves creating a comfortable atmosphere that encourages candid communication. Rapport-building starts with establishing a connection, using verbal and non-verbal cues to show empathy and understanding. A rapport approach helps reduce anxiety and makes interviewees more willing to share information. Building rapport can result in more honest and detailed responses, thereby contributing to the overall success of the interview. It also assists in uncovering inconsistencies or truths that might not otherwise surface.

Active Listening Techniques

Active listening is a skill that increases the quality of information gathered during interviews while building loads of rapport. It involves concentrating fully on the interviewee, understanding their message, and responding to demonstrate engagement. Techniques include maintaining eye contact, nodding, and using verbal affirmations to demonstrate attentiveness. This encourages the interviewee to elaborate, cooperate, and engage leading to richer and more detailed responses. Active listening helps interviewers to identify subtle cues and underlying emotions, providing more profound insights into the interviewee's perspective, experiences, and decisions. It also builds a stronger connection, creating a more open and informative dialogue with lots of additional details.

Our science-based interviewing courses take active listening a step further by teaching eleven specific techniques that help interviewers engage more effectively, build deeper rapport, and elicit higher-quality information. These include skills like effective pausing, paraphrasing, labeling, reflecting, and immediacy behaviors—subtle but powerful tools that when paired with questioning strategies shape the interview dynamic and forge elite investigators. Participants leave with practical, research-backed strategies they can use immediately to improve their interviews and investigations. These workshops are designed to build confident interviewers who understand how communication drives case outcomes. Learn more about the course here.

Challenges and Solutions

Interviewer Bias

Investigative interviews often present challenges that can impact their effectiveness. This section examines common obstacles, such as interview bias and evasive respondents, and offers solutions to overcome them. Interview bias can significantly affect the outcome of an investigative interview by skewing the questioning strategy and ultimately the information gathered. Bias can stem from preconceived notions, leading questions, groupthink, or a variety of other sources. To overcome bias, interviewers must maintain neutrality and objectivity throughout the process. Interviewers must ask balanced questions and avoid making assumptions about the interviewee or the information they are sharing. Regular training and self-awareness are crucial in mitigating bias. By recognizing and addressing personal biases, interviewers can ensure a fair and accurate gathering of information. Adding red teaming to the interview planning process further strengthens critical thinking, improves questioning strategies, challenges assumptions, and keeps objectivity on the table throughout the investigation.

Dealing with Evasive Respondents

Evasive respondents pose a challenge in investigative interviews, often providing vague or misleading answers. Addressing such situations requires strategic techniques to encourage honest and complete responses. Interviewers should use a combination of open-ended questions and follow-ups to delve deeper into topics that respondents may be avoiding. Establishing rapport and trust can also help in reducing evasiveness. Maintaining patience and composure is crucial when interacting with evasive respondents. This approach fosters an environment where the interviewee feels safe to share more information, ultimately leading to more fruitful interviews.

Investigation Quality

Continuous improvement in interviewing skills is essential for professionals involved in investigative interviews through training and development. This section highlights the importance of ongoing training and the resources available to enhance these skills.

A team poster from one of our highly interactive science-based interviewing workshops. We couldn't agree more!

Continuous Skill Improvement

Continuous interview skill improvement is paramount for those engaged in investigations of all types. Regular training ensures that interviewers remain updated on the latest techniques and strategies. Ongoing education helps professionals refine their skills, adapt to new challenges, and implement best evidence-based practices in their investigations. It also increases their ability to gather accurate and comprehensive information. Investing in skill development leads to more effective interviews, contributing to the overall success of investigations and the pursuit of justice. It is a worthwhile endeavor for any law enforcement professional.

Below are quotes from 2024–2025 post-course surveys, reflecting the perspectives of both veteran and new investigators who attended our science-based interviewing course. This feedback comes from professionals in both the public and private sectors, including law enforcement agencies in New York, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, Texas, and Kansas, as well as corporate investigations and human resource teams from two Fortune 500 companies operating under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). These surveys were administered independently by participating agencies to ensure honest and anonymous feedback:

• "Liked seeing the studies backing the training."

• "Great class and instructor. Nice to have these new training opportunities."

• "Terrific class! I’m definitely stealing some of your tools you used for instructing. COPS are hard to teach and keep happy during training…you do it well."

• "Good program and very good instructor. Glad to see the positive changes in the academy and the expanded training opportunities."

• "This was a great experience and was extremely helpful."

• "Liked most… The relevance of communication(s) and tools to be more effective at it; ALS usage (so absofreakinlutely important)."

• "Loved everything but SUE was the favorite part!"

• "Thank you so much for creating this course and allowing me to succeed in my position in HR."

• "Cory is very knowledgeable and passionate about his material."

• I have an understanding of interviews/interrogations, this added "tools to the toolbox" for sure."

• "I highly recommend this course and strongly feel others would benefit from it, whether they're a newbie or a vet!"

• "Thanks for the resources and for the class. The information will come in useful in my career."

• "I thought the class activities were dumb day 1. But actually they helped drill the information in, as I’m a slow learner. Great job on that!"

• "I appreciated the hands-on and group projects to keep everyone engaged."

• "I thoroughly enjoyed the class and look forward utilizing the techniques I learned."

• "The only improvement needed is that it should be offered to more staff, including higher-ups. Everyone can benefit from this training!"

• "The instruction was great and the repetitions were helpful."

• "The concept of not going for a confession but information was eye-opening."

Courses and Resources for Professional Investigators

There are numerous courses and resources available for professionals seeking to build their science-based interviewing skills. These programs offer valuable insights into advanced evidence-based techniques and questioning strategies.

Insight & Integrity Workshops: Interactive, science-based interviewing sessions designed for agencies that want to focus on practical skills and real-world applications. Host a class at your agency or view our upcoming scheduled events to get started.

Books and Publications: If you like to read like I do, I have compiled some further reading resources.

Conclusion

Science-based interviewing is more than a method—it’s a mindset rooted in evidence, ethics, and effectiveness. By applying adaptable questioning strategies, active listening, and rapport-building techniques, investigators can gather more accurate, reliable, and actionable information—whether working in law enforcement, corporate investigations, human resources, or loss prevention. These skills help reduce bias, minimize risk, and promote integrity in every interview setting. At Insight & Integrity, we offer interactive, science-based interviewing workshops that prioritize real-world application and investigator confidence.