ENG-214

 Preparing  Conducting  Reporting

 To prepare for your interview:  Chose a topic focus that interests you, one that you want to explore more.  Before the interview ask yourself:  Why do you want this interview?  What do you hope to learn?  What is your focus?  What do you know about the topic already?

 Incorporate the 5Ws (Who, What, Where, When, Why) plus How. Use the type of question that will best elicit the information you seek. For example:  Factual questions: Ask for specific information or facts.  Definitional questions: Elicit clarification or specific information.  Comparative questions: Look at two issues or objects to see if there is a correlation between the two.  Causal questions: Search for reasons.  Speculative questions: Look for a reflection or opinion.

Biased questions  Biased question: Don't you agree that campus parking is a problem?  Revised question: Is parking on campus a problem?

Questions that assume what they ask  Biased question: There are many people who believe that campus parking is a problem. Are you one of them?  Revised question: Do you agree or disagree that campus parking is a problem?

Double-barreled questions  Double-barreled question: Do you agree that campus parking is a problem and that the administration should be working diligently on a solution?  Revised question: Is campus parking a problem? (If the participant responds yes): Should the administration be responsible for solving this problem?

Confusing or wordy questions  Confusing questions: What do you think about parking? (This is confusing because the question isn't clear about what it is asking--parking in general? The person's ability to park the car? Parking on campus?) Do you believe that the parking situation on campus is problematic or difficult because of the lack of spaces and the walking distances or do you believe that the parking situation on campus is ok? (This question is both very wordy and leads the participant.)  Revised question: What is your opinion of the parking situation on campus?

Questions that do not relate to what you want to learn  Unrelated questions: Have you ever encountered problems in the parking garage on campus? Do you like or dislike the bus system?

 Set up your interview  Be on time!!! Do not start out on the wrong foot by being late.  Remind the individual of who you are and outline what you want to accomplish during the interview.  Choose your first question carefully. It will set the tone for the rest of the interview.  Know your questions. Practice them.  If you are not recording the interview, take detailed notes.  Be a good listener.  Keep your objectives in mind. Are your questions working? Do they need to be altered? Do you need to ask for clarification?  End the interview on a positive note. Ask your interviewee if there is anything she would like to add. Thank your interviewee for her time

 Interviews are fairly easy to analyze, as you simply have to go back through the answers you received and decide how to use them within your writing. You can group the answers into categories and create a chart of how those answers may best fit within your paper or article.  Summarize the data, highlight certain points, list points of importance, and draw conclusions.

 If you recorded the interview with a tape or digital recorder, you may want to listen to it and type a transcript of the interview. Since transcription is a tedious process, only use this option if you need to.

 Introduction:  Introduce your topic.  Get the audience's attention and forecast important points.  Present your thesis or focus.

 Body:  Provide the essential information about your topic.  Go from general to specific.  Check all quotes that will be included to make sure that they are accurate and complete.

 Conclusion:  Reinforce the essential points.  Make a connection to the introduction.  Leave the audience with a point to think about.  Complete the writing process by composing a draft and then, after editing and revising, your final copy. Make sure your interviewee is cited as a source. If this is an oral presentation, practice just as you did before your interview. Detailed preparation leads to a confident presentation!

 Use an interview as a source to enhance the credibility and authority of your article.  Use data from your interview to strengthen your argument or to refute someone else’s argument.  Use it to show that an expert on the subject shares your opinion.

 As most interviewees are not "known public figures" (even if they may be authorities on the topic in question), it is essential to "identify" in the text of the paper.  You have to identify:  Who they are  In what capacity they are qualified to comment on the research topic

 It is not enough that you know who they are (which is why you had interviewed them). This information also needs to be explicit to readers of your paper.  The identification need not be extensive, but it must be present. This "identification" provides background on the interviewee similar to what would have been available if you had cited a book source, where knowledge of the author of a book would normally be "known" from the book itself, from other books the author has published, and so on. It helps the reader of your paper evaluate the credibility of your source.

 Example:  According to R. Kubacki, a meteorologist with the British National Weather Bureau who has conducted an extensive study on historical precipitation patterns in the Nordic region, there has been far less snowfall in the first decade of the 21st century than in any other decade of the previous two centuries (Personal Interview, October 6, 2012).

 In your text you should include the initial(s) and surname of your interviewee, with the date of the interview.

 Example:  C.G. Sherwood (Personal Interview, September 29, 1986) has specific suggestions about the market in England.  It is important to keep in mind the cultural differences between countries, especially in this case the difference between the United States and Belgium (C.G. Sherwood, Personal Interview, September 29, 1986).

 All personal communications, including interviews, , discussion groups, telephone conversations, letters, memos, etc. are not listed in the reference list at the end of your paper.