Conducting Research Interviews

While the research interview is a one-on-one interaction, it's not a normal conversation. As the interviewer, it's expected that you:

• Are knowledgeable on the topic of the interview (this may require some background research)
• Are able to structure and guide the interview to keep it relevant but flexible
• Are able to remember and interpret the information gained in the interview
• Are sensitive to the interviewee's position and their rights

• Do preliminary research on the topic and the interviewee so that you enter the interview with an understanding of what will be discussed.
• Reflect on your goals. What should the interview accomplish? What is important to have recorded in the interview, and why is it important? How can you make the process easy for the interviewee?
• Create a list of topics and questions to explore during the interview. This should not be a strict checklist or a script; rather, it should function as a guide to ensure that you cover all of the content and that the interview stays focused.
• Create an open line of dialog with your interviewee before the interview so that you are comfortable with each other. This can involve going over the process, offering to answer any of their questions, verifying your time and place for the interview, etc.
• Choose and thoroughly familiarize yourself with your recording equipment to minimize any potential issues that may arise during the actual interview.
• Choose an interview space that is relaxed, comfortable, and quiet. You are having a conversation with your interviewee, not an interrogation.
• If you have never interviewed before, feel free to practice for the interview with friends, family, or peers. This will make sure you are prepared for the real thing.

Characteristics of good interview questions

• Open-ended and elicit a long response from the interviewee (can't be answered yes/no or with one word)
• Focus on the experience of the interviewee
• Don't lead the interviewee toward a particular response
• Address a single issue/point (i.e. don't ask multi-part questions)

Writing interview questions

Harvard's Department of Sociology provides some steps to help guide you in the process of writing interview questions (see the link to the guide below).

1. Write down the larger research questions of the study. Outline the broad areas of knowledge that are relevant to answering these questions.
2. Develop questions within each of these major areas, shaping them to fit particular kinds of respondents. The goal here is to tap into their experiences and expertise.
3. Adjust the language of the interview according to the respondent (child, professional, etc.).
4. Take care to word questions so that respondents are motivated to answer as completely and honestly as possible.
5. Ask “how” questions rather than “why” questions to get stories of process rather than acceptable “accounts” of behavior. “How did you come to join this group . . .?”
6. Develop probes that will elicit more detailed and elaborate responses to key questions. The more detail, the better!
7. Begin the interview with a “warm-up” question—something that the respondent can answer easily and at some length (though not too long). It doesn’t have to pertain directly to what you are trying to find out (although it might), but this initial rapport-building will put you more at ease with one another and thus will make the rest of the interview flow more smoothly.
8. Think about the logical flow of the interview. What topics should come first? What follows more or less “naturally”? This may take some adjustment after several interviews.
9. Difficult or potentially embarrassing questions should be asked toward the end of the interview, when rapport has been established.
10. The last question should provide some closure for the interview, and leave the respondent feeling empowered, listened to, or otherwise glad that they talked to you.

Depending on the nature of your assignment or research, you may or may not need to record and transcribe the interview. Review the pros and cons to determine whether recording and transcribing will be worthwhile for you.

Pros

• Helps you to recall more details of the interview
• Helps you to thoroughly examine the interview
• It allows other researchers to interpret and reuse the data in new ways

Cons

• May be off-putting to interviewees or make them feel pressured
• Transcribing is a time-consuming process; even using a transcription software requires a detailed review of the text

"Strategies for Qualitative Interviews" (n.d.) Harvard. See link above..