CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW TO GATHER RESEARCH

Primary Research  Primary research is research that you conduct yourself  Rather than collecting information about a subject, you examine the subject/person/data yourself  Interviewing is one way to gather primary research

Interviewing for Research  Interviewing is a valuable method of research because it:  Saves time  Provides expertise  Fills in gaps in your research  Gain firsthand information

Types of Interviews  Face-to-face interviews  Provide the opportunity for extended conversations and real interactions  Can observe the interviewees body language  Phone interviews  Require excellent note-taking skills  interviews  Provide flexibility in scheduling  Provide a written transcript that can be quoted easily

Before the Interview  Gather basic information on your topic  Identify areas where you need expertise or have found unanswered questions  Do not use your interview as a way of gathering information you could easily get from another source  Do your homework before your interview!

Preparing the Interview  Identify a person who is appropriate to interview  or call the person politely requesting an interview – remember that everyone is busy or you may have misidentified a potential interviewee  Identify yourself and briefly explain the project you are working on and the idea for your paper  If your request is declined, ask the person if they can recommend a different source  Be sure to leave enough time for scheduling; work around the person’s scheduling and preference for type of interview

Preparing the Interview  If you want to record an interview, be sure to get permission from the interviewee  Write out questions ahead of time  Focus on questions that you have not been able to answer with your research sources  Ask questions that invite extended response (don’t ask “yes” or “no” questions)  Ask questions that draw on your interviewees experiences ifpossible

During the Interview  Record the full name of the person you interview along with the date, time, and place (for citation)  Take notes, even if you are recording the interview  Keep track of time; don’t go over the amount of time agreed on for the interview unless both people agree  Be flexible; go where the conversation naturally leads even if it isn’t part of your planned questions  Thank the interviewee

After the Interview  Immediately after the interview, review your notes an add as much detail as you can; you will forget details if they are not written down  Write a summary of your interview  Send a thank-you note or to the interviewee  Consider sending a copy of your final product

Integrating Interview Material  Treat interview material like all other research  Paraphrase or direct quote and include an in-text citation  MLA Style – interview is included on Works Cited page  APA Style – interview is NOT included on References page  Check Noodlebib for all citation information

Questions?