Research is open-ended

There is always something more to read which can potentially give you more insights on your topic. 

You will never reach a point that will tell you you're done.

Since, research is open-ended, it can be hard to keep up.

Thus, it is better to decide before...

Open-ended tasks are any tasks that don't have a definite endpoint. Activities like "studying", "working" or "tweaking" waste your time and cause procrastination. "I should really study" is open-ended because it does not have a specific to-do list to learn the material.

Being a good listener is not about getting the facts about what made them upset. It is to be supportive, offer encouragement, and empathize.
Ask open-ended questions to communicate that you're interested in them. Avoid questions beginning with 'Why' and use 'What' or 'How' instead....