CM 220 Unit 3 Seminar General Education, Composition Kaplan University 1

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH What is primary research? Give some examples. 2

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH What is secondary research? Some examples? 3

INTERVIEWS What are the benefits of conducting an interview? What are some means through which you can conduct an interview? Face-to-face, Skype, , AIM, telephone… 4

Advantages/Disadvantages What are some advantages of doing face- to-face interviews? Disadvantages? What are some advantages of conducting interviews through versus face-to- face? 5

SELECT INTERVIEW SUBJECT Who would be a good source of information for your subject? How well known is this person? Is this person an expert on the subject? How do you locate this person? How do you request and schedule an interview? 6

PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW Research your interviewee Establish a goal or purpose for the interview Prepare questions in advance Prioritize the questions 7

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS If you want to record the interview, ask permission. Explain the purpose of this interview and that it’s for use in this course. Ask if you can use their name or if they prefer to remain anonymous. 8

COMING UP WITH QUESTIONS Ask yourself: “What do I need to know?” Write a list of things you want to find out Write a list of questions that will help your interviewee discuss this information Avoid biased questions or questions that “lead the witness.” (Examples: Don’t you think that grammar worksheets are a hassle? Isn’t a parking garage the most sensible solution to the awful parking situation on campus?) Check the questions carefully to see if the wording could be offensive to your interviewee 9

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS What is an open-ended question? What is a closed-ended question? Which are best to use in an interview and why? 10

YES/NO vs OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS Can you change each of the following yes/no questions to an open- ended question: Yes/no: Do you think grammar worksheets are effective in improving students’ writing? Yes/No: Is a parking garage a good solution for the campus parking problem? 11

DURING THE INTERVIEW Be gracious and thank the person for his or her time. Respect this person’s time by being on time and prepared. Pay attention to what the person is saying and use the opportunity to ask follow up questions Take notes or record the interview (with permission) Stick to the subject but be flexible. 12

FOLLOW UP A follow up thank you note would be appropriate. Transcribe your notes as quickly as possible after the interview. Give the interviewee an opportunity to review the notes to be sure they are accurate. 13

Let’s Put it Into Practice My topic: Problem: I am concerned about energy drinks and youth. I feel that these drinks have negative health consequences. Possible solutions I’m considering: Require warning labels on the packages and/or some kind of campaign to create more awareness of their dangers (ads, presentations in schools, brochures, etc.) 1.Whom might I interview? 2.What are some background questions I might need to ask? 3.What questions could I ask to help me learn more about the problem? 4.What questions could I ask about possible solutions? 14

Slippery Slope: If A happens, then B will occur If we legalize marijuana, then before long, drugs like cocaine will be legalized; therefore, marijuana should not be legalized. What is weak in this argument? 15

Post hoc ergo propter hoc: assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.' After President Clinton raised taxes, our economy went into decline; therefore the increase in taxes caused our economic downturn. What is weak in this argument? 16