open ended question

Definition

Unstructured question in which (unlike in a multiple choice question) possible answers are not suggested, and the respondent answers it in his or her own words. Such questions usually begin with a how, what, when, where, and why (such as "What factors you take into account when buying a vehicle?" or "In your opinion, what is the reasonable price for this item?") and provide qualitative instead of quantitative information. Open ended questions are asked generally during exploratory research and where statistical validity is not a prime objective. See also closed question.