Interviews
Goal:
to gather information about a topic through asking pointed, open-ended questions
Time: 40 minutes
Instructions:
Interviewing experts can be a helpful way to gather information about any topic.
This activity will help you design the interview so that your questions are
thorough, useful, and to the point. There are several keys to conducting
a helpful interview:
- Gather background
information before you go. This should include any facts that you do
not need expert opinion on, such as dates, rules, laws, and policies.
Don't waste time in the interview on questions you could have answered.
- Make sure your
questions cannot be answered with a yes or no. Your questions should
elicit long, thoughtful comments.
- Categorize
your questions so that you touch on all the important issues during the interview.
STEP ONE
Write down all of the types of issues you wish to address.
STEP TWO
Write several open-ended questions for each of the issues you need to cover.
A good way to make sure the questions are open-ended is to start with words
like "describe" or "explain" or "discuss." Examples:
- Closed-end:
Do you like to work with children?
- Open-end: Describe
the benefits of working with children.
STEP THREE
Do a dry run of the interview with a friend. They will make up answers,
but their reactions will help you know if your questions work.
