The first few questions These are particularly important in an interview not so much from the content point of view but rather because they set the tone and create initial rapport. I the interviewees feel that they can do themselves justice answering these initial questions, this will make them feel competent, help them to relax and consequently encourage them to open up. This is why researchers often start with easy personal or factual questions(for example, about the respondent's family or job). The quality of the subsequent responses will to a large extent depend on the climate of trust that we create in this initial ice-breaking period