One embodiment provides a system that facilitates content negotiation in a content centric network. During operation, the system receives, by a content producing device, a packet that corresponds to a first interest, wherein an encoded name for the interest indicates a plurality of qualifiers for acceptable types of requested content, and wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components. The system generates a first content object that satisfies one of the indicated plurality of qualifiers, wherein a name for the content object is the encoded name, and wherein a content object indicates data and a content type corresponding to the satisfied qualifier.