Even when your only technique is asking questions, there are many ways to get to the information you are seeking. I’ll go further into the types of questions in Chapter 6, “How to Ask Questions.” The phrasing of the question itself leads to a variety of techniques. If one of your research objectives is to understand how people are managing their digital music, you might ask your participants specifically, “What is your process for updating your playlists?” With that question, the participant is being asked to verbally summarize a (potentially detailed) behavior, from memory. This isn’t necessarily a bad approach; it may be interesting to hear which steps in the process are memorable and which ones aren’t. It’s also a chance to get some emotional color. (“Oh, it’s easy, all I do is….”) But it’s not going to be the most accurate information. By asking, “What is your process for updating your playlists?” we are actually learning the answers to the (unasked) “How do you feel about the process for updating playlists?” and “What are the key steps you can recall in the process for updat- ing playlists?” That information is very important, but it may not be sufficient to really understand the user’s situation.