INTERVIEWING SKILLS

The following information is adapted from http://www.roguecom.com/interview/ a site created, maintained and coded by Stephanie J. Coopman, San José State U.

Stage 1: Determining the purpose.

In determining the purpose of the interview, you want to ask yourself two questions: 1.Why am I conducting interviews rather than gathering information from other sources? 2.What is the end product of this project?

Stage 2: Researching the topic.

In this stage, it is important that the interviewer conduct background research before the interview. This will allow you to develop relevant and thoughtful questions. Having a solid base of knowledge about the topic will also enhance your credibility with interviewees.

Where you search for information depends on the purpose of the interview and the end product or final report. For example, if you were interviewing hospital nurses about working conditions, you would want to have prior information about the organizations in which the nurses work as well as information about nursing in general. Much organizational information is public, as with annual reports and public relations materials. Many organizations have websites. To learn more about nursing, you might check your university library for books and journal articles on the nursing profession.

Written sources of information include reference books (EncyclopediaBritannica), magazines and pamphlets, atlases and gazetteers (National Geographic Atlas of the World), academic journals (American Communication Journal), newspapers (the San Jose Mercury News), government publications (for which there are indexes, such as the American Statistical Index), dictionaries (English Oxford Dictionary) subject abstracts (Communication Abstracts) and indexes (Social Science Index).

Stage 3: Selecting Interviewees.

You need to select interviews with care, keeping in mind the purpose of your research. What do you need to know? Who has that information? In choosing interviewees, you need to ask four questions: 1.Does the person have the information I need? 2.Is the person available for an interview? 3.Will the person provide me with the information I need? 4.Can the person freely and accurately transmit the information to me?

Stage 4: Structuring the Interview.

QUESTIONS are the heart of any interview. After determining the purpose of your interview, conducting research, and selecting interviewees, it is time to put together your Interview Guide. This Guide will include all the questions and possible probes you will ask in the interview. This is your roadmap that will assist you in gathering the information you seek, as well as developing a productive relationship with your interviewee.

· PHRASING QUESTIONS

In the information interview, you want to ask questions that will elicit the information you need. Carefully-worded questions can motivate interviews to answer freely, accurately, and thoughtfully. There are five factors in phrasing questions that can help or hinder the information interview process.

1.Language

Use words that interviewees will understand, but don't be overly simplistic. Be specific, precise, concrete. Watch for words that sound similar and might confuse interviewees. Avoid language that will offend or insult interviewees.

2.Relevance

Interviewees must understand the relevance of questions asked. Every question must be asked with the interview's purpose in mind. Question order must be logical (e.g., group questions about the same topic together).

3.Information Level

Do not ask questions for which interviewees do not have the information. Do not ask questions that insult interviewees' intelligence.

4.Complexity

Phrase questions so they are simple, clear requests for limited amounts of information. Use simple, not simplistic, language. Do not ask multiple questions, such as, "How and why did you begin your photography career?" or "What movies have you seen lately? How would you rate them and why?"

5.Information Accessibility

Situational constraints, such as a noisy room or lack of privacy, may inhibit interviewees from providing the information you need. Social constraints, such as an unwillingness to praise ourselves, may inhibit interviewees from providing the information you need. Psychology constraints, such as strong emotions associated with a topic, may inhibit interviewees from providing the information you need.

· TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Another aspect of crafting questions for your interview guide is asking the appropriate types of questions. Questions may be primary or secondary; open-ended or closed-ended; neutral, leading, or loaded. There are also special types of questions I will discuss below.

1.OPEN-ENDED: broad questions, often specifying only the topic

How is life in Brazil?

What are the main ways that life in Brazil is different from life in the United States?

2.CLOSED-ENDED: limit answer options; specific response required

Do you like or dislike your new computer? When did you move to Chile?

3.PRIMARY: introduce topics or new areas within a topic; can stand alone out of context and make sense

Describe your ideal job. How do others describe the gardens you design? How did you first get interested in surfing?

4.SECONDARY: attempt to elicit more fully information asked for in primary question or previous secondary question; may be open or closed

5.NEUTRAL: seek straight-forward answer; typically, the questions you ask in the information interview are neutral

What is your favorite? How would you describe the music you play? Where were you born?

6.LEADING: imply or state expected answer in question; generally, you will want to avoid these questions in the information interview

Wouldn't you agree that older homes have more charm than modern ones? Don't you think essay exams are easier than multiple choice? Aren't you a big fan of the Indigo Girls?

7.LOADED: imply both answer and some negative belief, behavior, etc. on the part of respondent; provides a strong, direct, virtual demand for a particular answer; often include emotionally-charged language, name calling, entrapment; these are not appropriate questions in an information interview

Are you still as boring as you were 10 years ago? How can you rot your brain by watching that idiotic television show? So you're going to take that worthless idea of yours to the boss?

8.MULTIPLE: two or more questions asked at the same time; also called double- barreled questions; you'll want to avoid these in an information interview as they confuse interviewees

Stage 5: Conducting the Interview.

Central to conducting the information interview is establishing a productive interview climate. A productive interview climate does not happen magically; it develops in the interactions between interviewer and interviewee. Like speeches, interviews have an opening, body, and closing. As the interviewer, you want to begin the interview in such a way that facilitates the interview process, ask questions that assist all parties in achieving their goals, and end the interview on a positive note.

I.OPENING--"breaking the ice" The interview opening usually sets the tone for the remainder of the interview. Your goal is to establish a productive climate so both you and your interviewee will participate freely and communicate accurately.

II.BODY--asking questions This is the main part of the interview. Above, you learned what kinds of questions you can ask in the information interview.

III.CLOSING--concluding the interview The closing brings the interview full circle. Your goal is to leave the interviewee feeling positive and satisfied with the interview.

Stage 6: Preparing the Report.

In the post-interview assessment your objective is to evaluate the information you obtained in the interview. You need to ask yourself: Does the information I gathered fit with my interview's purpose? Do I have all the information I need to write my report? Is this information appropriate for my audience? How accurate is the information I obtained from the interview? What information is factual or verifiable? What information involves the interviewee's inferences? (For more information on the differences between facts and inferences, see "Fact, Observation & Inference.")

After completing your post-interview assessment, you need to sift through all the information you've gathered in your interview and other research to determine what information to include in your report and what information to leave out. Here, it's useful to return to the purpose of your project and identify what information you must include, what information you'd like to include, and what information is tangential to your purpose.

The ethical researcher: · uses information gathered in interviews accurately and fairly. · applies critical thinking skills in evaluating, weighing, and sorting through information. · does not distort or misrepresent interview or any other information. · does not use quotes out of context or only select words to support a particular position or personal agenda.

Stage 7: Writing the Report.

In determining how to present your report, you need to answer the following questions: · What are my audience's interests, needs, experiences? What presentation format will best convey the information I want to present? · How complex/simple is my topic? What format will best allow me to present my topic in an engaging, informative, and effective way? · What are the requirements of the assignment? What presentation format will best help me meet those requirements?