Guidelines for Conducting an Interview

Before you begin:

q Research the person and the issue you're investigating. You'll be able to ask much smarter questions if you know about this person and the work she or he does.

q Write your questions on the computer and print them out, leaving plenty of space between the questions (no more than three or four questions on a page, depending on how big you write). You should have at least ten questions. Don’t be afraid to ask what seems like a dumb question.

q Obtain a tape recorder and blank tape, if possible. If this is not possible (if you're interviewing over the phone, for example), then think of some symbols and abbreviations to use for certain words.

q If you conduct a telephone interview, you may want to take notes on a laptop.

Setting up the Interview:

q Call a week in advance to arrange a convenient time for the interview, (However, be prepared to have the interview when you make the initial call in the event that your interviewee wants to do it right away.)

q Introduce yourself, describe your assignment, and explain what you want to talk about and approximately how long you think the interview will take.

During the interview:

q Introduce yourself and thank your subject for taking the time to talk with you.

q Don't be afraid to take your time in writing down an answer; at the same time, don't try to write down every word. Just get the important points.

q Give your subject time to answer. Don’t rush to the next question.

q Ask follow-up questions.

q Once or twice, write down a short, exact quote from the person you're interviewing. This will make your case stronger when you present the information in your final project.

q Thank your interviewee again after you finish the interview.

After the interview:

q Immediately after the interview while it is still fresh in your memory, look over your notes and fill in any gaps (things you weren't able to write down because of time).

q Put the interview in a question/answer format and write a short introduction that summarizes the main points.

q Write a thank you note to your interviewee.