Structured Questions in AI Interviews

Structured questions let you mix quantitative data collection — scales, ratings, multiple choice, ranking — with Koji's AI-powered conversational follow-up. Every structured question is automatically probed by the AI, so you get both chartable numbers and the qualitative reasoning behind them.

How It Works

Traditional research forces a choice: run a survey to collect structured data, or run an interview to understand the "why." Structured questions in Koji eliminate that tradeoff. You can ask a participant to rate their satisfaction on a 1–10 scale and then have the AI immediately follow up: "You gave that a 6 — what would need to change to make it a 9 or 10?"

In text mode, structured questions appear as interactive widgets embedded in the conversation. Participants select their answer from a visual interface (slider, radio buttons, checkboxes, drag-to-rank) and then the AI continues the conversation from there. In voice mode, the AI handles everything conversationally — it asks the question, hears the numeric or choice answer, and probes from there.

Every response is captured twice: as a structured value (the number, choice, or ranking) for aggregate reporting, and as qualitative context from the follow-up conversation. When you generate a report, structured questions produce charts — distribution charts for scales, bar charts for choices, ranked lists for rankings — alongside the AI-synthesized qualitative insights.

The Six Question Types

Koji supports six structured question types, each optimized for a different kind of data:

Open Ended — The default question type. Pure qualitative, no structured value. The AI asks the question and probes for depth. Best for exploratory discovery.

Scale — A numeric rating (e.g., 1–5, 1–10, NPS 0–10). You define the range and can add labels for the endpoints. Reports show a distribution chart. Best for NPS, CSAT, and satisfaction scores.

Single Choice — Pick one option from a list. Reports show a frequency bar chart. Best for "which of these describes your role?" or "which feature do you use most?"

Multiple Choice — Pick any number of options from a list. You can also enable an "Other" free-text option. Reports show a stacked frequency chart. Best for "what challenges do you face?" (select all that apply).

Ranking — Order a list of items by preference. In text mode, participants drag items into their preferred order. Reports show average position for each item. Best for feature prioritization questions.

Yes/No — A binary question. Reports show a pie or donut chart. Best for confirmation questions ("Have you tried X?") that open up more nuanced follow-up.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open your study's research brief From your study dashboard, click the research brief to open the editor. Navigate to the Questions section.

2. Add a new question Click the + Add Question button. Enter your question text and select the question type from the dropdown.

3. Configure type-specific options For Scale questions, set the min/max values and optional endpoint labels (e.g., "Very Unlikely" to "Very Likely"). For Choice or Ranking questions, add your option list. You can enable "Allow Other" on choice questions to capture write-in responses.

4. Set AI probing depth Each question has a probing configuration. Set the maximum number of follow-up questions the AI will ask (0 = no probing, 1–3 = probing depth). You can add specific probing instructions, like "If the participant gives a low score, ask what would need to change."

5. Order your questions Drag questions into the sequence that makes sense for the conversation flow. Open-ended discovery questions work well at the start; structured ratings fit naturally toward the end once rapport is established.

6. Publish your study Once you're satisfied with your question mix, publish the study as normal. The structured questions will flow into the AI's interview plan automatically.

Key Things to Know

• Text vs. voice behavior: In text mode, quantitative questions render as interactive widgets — sliders, radio buttons, checkboxes, or drag-to-rank lists. In voice mode, all questions are handled conversationally and the AI extracts structured values from spoken answers.

• Question IDs are stable: Each question has a stable identifier that flows through from the brief to the interview to the report. This means your reports accurately aggregate data across all interviews, even if question text is lightly edited.

• AI probing follows structured answers: After a participant selects their answer via widget, the AI adapts its follow-up based on what they selected. A participant who gives a low satisfaction score gets different follow-up questions than one who gives a high score.

• Reports automatically visualize structured data: When you generate a research report, each structured question gets the right visualization: distribution charts for scales, bar charts for choices, ranked lists for rankings — no manual chart-building required.

• Sections help with longer studies: If your study has many questions, use section grouping to organize them (e.g., "Background," "Product Experience," "NPS"). This helps the AI present questions in a coherent, conversational arc.

Tips & Best Practices

• Put qualitative questions first: Build rapport and let participants share naturally before asking them to rate anything. Open-ended questions early in the interview produce richer context for the structured answers that follow.
• Use scale questions for benchmarks: If you're tracking a metric over time (NPS, CSAT, feature satisfaction), use a Scale question with consistent parameters so you can compare across studies.
• Don't over-structure: Resist the urge to turn every question into multiple choice. Structured questions are most powerful when used sparingly — they anchor key metrics while open-ended questions carry the qualitative depth.
• Always enable probing on quantitative questions: A scale or choice question without AI follow-up is just a survey. The real value is in the "why" — configure at least one follow-up for every quantitative question.
• Mix and match for richer reports: A study that ends with an NPS score and immediately probes the reason behind it gives you both the benchmarkable number and the insight — something no traditional survey tool can deliver.

Related Articles

• Understanding the Research Brief
• Editing the Brief Manually
• Choosing a Methodology
• Generating Research Reports
• AI-Generated Insights

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do structured questions work in both voice and text mode? A: Yes, but they work differently. In text mode, quantitative questions appear as interactive widgets — sliders, radio buttons, checkboxes, or drag-to-rank lists. In voice mode, the AI handles all questions conversationally and extracts structured values from spoken responses.

Q: Can I mix structured and open-ended questions in the same study? A: Absolutely — this is the recommended approach. Open-ended questions explore freely and build rapport; structured questions anchor key metrics. A typical study might start with 2–3 open-ended discovery questions, then include 1–2 scale or choice questions toward the end.

Q: How does the AI use structured question data in reports? A: When you generate a research report, each structured question produces a chart (distribution for scales, bar chart for choices) alongside AI-synthesized qualitative context from follow-up conversations. You get both the numbers and the reasoning in a single report.

Q: Can participants skip a structured question? A: Yes. A "Prefer not to answer" option is always available. Skipped questions are tracked separately from answered questions in the report, so your aggregate data stays accurate.

Q: How many structured questions should I include in a study? A: Most studies benefit from 1–3 structured questions mixed with several open-ended ones. More than 5 structured questions can make the conversation feel survey-like, which reduces the qualitative depth participants share.

Q: What is the difference between structured questions and a regular survey? A: In a regular survey, structured questions stand alone — participants select an answer and move on. In Koji, every structured question is followed by an AI-driven probing conversation. You capture the quantitative data and the qualitative reasoning behind it in a single interaction.