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

Unit 3 Reading Introduction to unit Schamberger, M. (1997). Elements of quality in a qualitative research interview. S. A. Archives Journal, Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Interview Tips (posted in Doc Sharing) Research Resources (posted in Doc Sharing) 2

Other Assignments Invention lab: Analysis of Senate hearing videos from Fred Rogers and Al Gore Seminar: Interview techniques and listening skills Tech lab (ideas for unit 7 IL presentation revised for final): Creating websites (Kaplan optimal resume website builder, Google sites, Weebly, GoDaddy) No project due in unit 3 3

Purpose of Unit 3 Assignments Discuss what constitutes effective communication Review effective listening skills Prepare for the unit 4 project, which includes a pre-interview worksheet and discussion of 3 secondary sources 4

Evaluating Communication What is the setting? What is the appearance of speaker? Is the speaker reading the speech from notes? Does the speaker have appropriate pauses and make eye contact with audience? Use gestures? Does the speaker gear the speech to the intended audience? How does the speaker attempt to connect with the audience? How does the speaker emphasize specific points? Does the speaker have any annoying habits that detract from the speech? 5

Understanding Context Everything is written (or spoken) to someone for some purpose. The you send to your sister should be written differently than a proposal you send to a business client, and a speech delivered to a group of second graders would differ from the President speaking to Congress. Knowing the audience, purpose, and the context is vitally important to good writing and speaking. Ask yourself: – Why am I writing or saying this? – Who is my audience? – What am I trying to say? 6

Writing vs. Speaking Writing only uses words Message must be clearly and correctly written to convey ideas Demonstrate competence by using Standard American English Speaking uses words, tone, gestures, facial expressions, posture, eye contact May be accompanied by visual aids (Power Point, etc.) Appearance is important! 7

CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS Unit 3 seminar 8

Finding Sources Kaplan Library (see library presentation in Doc Sharing, as well as video on library home page) Google Scholar Newspapers and appropriate magazines 9

Interviews What are the benefits of conducting an interview? How do you determine what information is useful and reliable? How would you choose an interview subject? 10

How to Conduct an Interview 1.Select interview subject 2.Prepare for interview 3.Conduct interview 4.Follow up 11

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? 12

Preparing for an Interview Research your interviewee Establish a goal or purpose for the interview Prepare questions in advance Prioritize the questions 13

Determining Questions Ask yourself: “What do I need to know?” Write a list of things you want to find out Write a list of research questions that will help your interviewee discuss this information Avoid biased questions: “Don’t you think we could improve campus parking by building another parking garage?” Check the questions carefully to see if the wording could be offensive to your interviewee (“How to Conduct an Interview,” 2008). 14

Open and Closed-ended Questions Yes/no questions can be answered with a simple yes or no. They may not be very productive or elicit much information. These are “closed- ended” questions. Ask open-ended questions when possible, which allow the interviewee to explain, clarify and defend an idea. Yes/no: Will you support the new tax increase? Open Ended: How will increased taxes benefit or hurt local businesses? 15

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. 16

Listening Skills When you interview or are the subject of an interview, listening is a very important skill. Look at your interviewee. We learn a lot from a person’s facial expressions, tone, posture, eye contact. How can YOU show you are listening and paying attention? 17

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. 18

DEVELOPING QUESTIONS FOR AN INTERVIEW SUBJECT Unit 3 seminar 19

Unit 4 Project: Pre-Interview Worksheet Describe the interviewee and reflect on why this person would be helpful for your research Discuss any research you have done on the topic Come up with three open-ended and three closed-ended questions and discuss your reasons for asking them Anticipate answers to questions Come up with additional questions 20

Selecting a Subject Topic: Banning smoking in public places Possible interviewee: Michael Siegel, a professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health and an anti-smoking advocate How to find out information? Faculty profile on BU website, internet search, other interviews, search in KU Library for articles written by subject 21

22 “ His primary research interest is in the area of tobacco control, focusing on secondhand smoke health effects, exposure, and policies, cigarette advertising and marketing practices and their effects on youths, and evaluation of tobacco control policies and their impact on youth and adult smoking behavior. His primary teaching is in the areas of mass communication, marketing, and public health advocacy. He is co-author of a book, entitled Marketing Public Health: Strategies to Promote Social Change, that grew out of his teaching experience at the School. He has been active in promoting smoke-free bar and restaurant policies throughout the country and has served as an expert witness in several major tobacco litigation cases” (Boston University School of Public Health, 2010).

What questions might you have for Siegel? While Siegel is an anti- tobacco advocate, he worries that researchers exaggerate the impact of tobacco on non- smokers’ health. An article published on Kansas Watchdog.org quotes Siegel regarding the relationship between second-hand smoke and heart attacks and third- hand smoke. He feels that the claims are “hysterical” and pose a threat to reducing the number of smokers (Soutar, 2010, para. 32). Closed-ended (yes/no) example: Do you believe smoking bans reduce the number of smokers? Open-ended example: How have your public criticisms of claims about dangers of second and third-hand smoke affected your own efforts to reduce smoking? 23

Your Turn Whom would you like to interview and why? What questions would you like to ask? What kind of information would you like to get from the interview? How will you arrange the interview? 24