"Tell me about a time you were given a vague or underspecified research request—perhaps for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Reels—and had to ask clarifying questions to turn it into a useful study. How did you approach the conversation, what questions did you ask, and what was the outcome?"
This question tests how you operate when direction is incomplete, which is common for User Experience Researchers at Meta. Interviewers want to see whether you can reduce ambiguity without becoming blocked by it: identify missing decisions, align stakeholders on the real problem, and shape a research plan that is actionable for product, design, and engineering. It also reveals how you influence without authority, especially when a PM or designer comes in with a loosely framed ask like “Can you validate this?” or “Users seem confused.”
A strong answer uses one specific example, shows the exact clarifying questions you asked, explains how those questions changed the scope or method, and ends with a concrete business or product outcome. The best responses also show judgment: what you prioritized clarifying first, how you handled stakeholder assumptions, and what you learned about improving intake for future research requests.