XP handling

Experience points (XP) - one of the tools given to the DM to "control" the flow and growth of the player characters.

XP is generally handed out after combat scenes, the more a player accumulates, the more levels he can gain.
But combat is not the only thing that takes place during a game of D&D. Roleplay is also a part of the game, as well as clever use of skills.

I have a somewhat mixed feeling about the way the Dungeog Master Guide handles XP rewards, But only a small paragraph indicates how much should other features of the game grant XP bonuses.
The way I deal with it, is to award small xp bonuses on top of the combat rewards. If I notice that someone is roleplaying even during combat, I grant up to 15% additional XP for that player for that encounter.
For other Roleplaying encounters or just when the players talk amongst themselves In Character, these too may grant them XP rewards.

I found out that by using small XP bonuses (small compared to the combat rewards) I can help the players elevate their roleplay and encourage them to RP more (Since the rewards are small, I can grant them much more openly and freely without throwing the whole balance of the party).

Each player would like to have their characters gain levels, with the RPing ones, getting the upper hand, it's like a nice race of staying in-character.