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Overview
Asking questions give you information, but the information given may not be sufficient to meet your needs. Therefore, asking follow-up or probing questions is essential to further explore the information held by the respondent. They form part of a dynamic interactional process. At the very simplistic level they show you are at least listening - at the other extreme they allow you to control the interaction and information flow. Combining different questions forms part of a holistic strategy that will generate an incisive information flow. Moving from open to closed and then back to open or continuing with closed questions as a follow-up can provide the basis for an effective strategy.
Three cases involving Finnish spies are referred to - Wuolijoki (former Head of Yle the state broadcaster), Jokisalo (involved with the East German Secret Police) and Kivimäki (a Finnish professor found guilty of espionage). They give an insight into different questioning strategies that can be used in interviews and human intelligence gathering.
E.6. Reading Wuolijoki (Look at this before doing the tasks)
E.6. Reading Jokisalo (Look at this before doing the tasks)
E.6. Reading Kivimäki (Look at this before doing the tasks)
Look at this before doing the tasks to be found in No.7 in the dropdown menu. After which the Answer Key Pointers and Sources can be used to evaluate your answers to the tasks.
Russian Cultural Centre, Töölö, Helsinki.
Think About:
"To be or not to be, that is the question" – Shakespeare
"I'm not a spy, which is the real question" – Edward Snowden
"It's the oldest question of all - Who can spy on the spies?" – John le Carré
Materials Updates/News:
Periodically, materials will be updated, or there may be news items worthy of attention related to this Unit. They will be notified here. If you come across any news/resources, e.g. journal/newspaper articles relevant to the content of this website, please let me know. I can be contacted via the email address below.
Bodström, E. (2025). A Matter of Individual Discretion: Facilitating Performative Credibility in Asylum Interviews. International Journal of Refugee Law. XX: 1-20.
Shaffer, S.A., Matuku, K., & Evans, J.R. (2025). Repeated interrogations of sources of human intelligence using the Scharff technique, Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. 20(1): 128-145.
There have always been significant issues with espionage in Finland, after joining NATO what does the country expect:
Yle. 21.9.26. Secretary-General of Parliament Antti Pelttari charged over Supo Intelligence activities.
Yle. 11.1.2023. Exceptional number of espionage cases reported to Finnish police.
The Tiitinen list still gets attention:
Yle. 4.9.2023. A Cold War Stasi List.
The legacy of the Stasi:
Neuendorf, U. Surveillance and Control: An Ethnographic Study of the Legacy of the Stasi and its impact on wellbeing. University College, London Department of Anthropology. PhD. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10040339/3/Neuendorf_10040339_thesis.pdf
Psychological dimension:
Charney, D., and Irvin, J. (2016). The Psychology of Espionage. The Intelligencer Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies. 22(1): 71-77.
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