Conducting an Interview

1
Conducting an Interview
2
Essential Questions

• How do writers construct appropriate interview
  questions?
• How do writers conduct an interview
  professionally?

3
Acceleration
4
Primary vs. Secondary Sources

• Primary Source
• An original text, document, interview, speech, or
  letter
• Not someones comments on or an analysis of a
  text, it is the text itself
• Secondary Source
• NOT an original document, but someones comments
  on or analysis of a primary source

5
Before the Interview

• Contact your interviewee to explain who you are,
  what youre writing about, and how he can be
  helpful
• Make an appointment to meet with him at a time
  convenient to him
• Prepare questions

6
Writing Questions

• Write questions that are clearly worded in order
  to gather specific information
• Avoid questions that can be answered with yes
  or no

7
Sample Question Stems

• Please describe how you became involved in
• What do you think is most important about
• What suggestions would you offer

8
Interview Dress and Behavior

• Dress appropriately.
• Appear (or call) promptly for the interview.
• Be polite and take notes.
• If youre going to tape record the interview, ask
  for permission in advance.

9
During the Interview

• Listen carefully to what the person says and ask
  follow-up questions to clarify any points.
• Repeat or summarize important points to make sure
  youve understood them.
• Listen or watch for nonverbal cues (tone of
  voice, gestures). Encourage the person to say
  more.
• Take excellent notes.

10
After the Interview

• Always thank the person for the interview and ask
  if you can call with any follow-up questions.
• Ask for permission to use direct quotes from the
  interview in your paper.
• Dont overstay your welcome. Send a follow-up
  letter of thanks.

11
Citing the Interview

• Just as with other sources, it is vital to cite
  your interview when you use it in your paper.
• Behr, Pam. Personal interview. 11 Aug. 2008.

12
Using the Interview

• Direct Quote
• Pam Behr, a teacher, has a lot of experience with
  students who are easily distracted. She
  explained, Students can be distracted by
  talking, by cell phones, even by classrooms that
  are too cold (Behr).

13
Using the Interview

• Paraphrase
• Teacher Pam Behr explained that students can be
  distracted by various classroom disruptions, like
  cell phones and classroom temperature (Behr).

14
References

• Goldenberg, Phyllis. A Student Guide to Writing
  a Research Paper. New York Salier-Oxford, 1997.
• Language Network. Evanston, IL McDougal
  Littell, 2001.