Interview

ENG 1302

Dr. Battles

Fall 2020

Interview as Research Technique

Writing Project #2: Profile

You will need to interview your profile subject to delve deeper into his or her experience to show how he or she is representative of the community you are investigating. Use Chapter 7 of Primary Research and Writing as a guide.

Organizing and Conducting the Interview

1. Ask for and arrange the interview:

a. Tell your profile subject why you wish to conduct the interview.

b. Tell your profile subject EXACTLY how you plan to use the information they give you.

c. Obtain permission to audio or video tape the interview.

d. Explain how you plan to store the audio or video recording of the interview and when or if it will be destroyed.

2. Come prepared to the interview. Do some preliminary research on the topic, situation, issue or whatever your profile subject is representative of. This will be the secondary source for this writing project.

3. Determine how you will record the interview, if your profile subject agrees. You will need to be prepared to take notes (a requirement even if you DO record it.)

4. Prepare a list of ten (10) questions to ask your profile subject. Look on pages 182-183 of Primary Research and Writing for some examples of open-ended questions. Have a good idea of the type of information you want from your profile subject, but be prepared to ask other questions depending on where the conversation leads you. Your questions are due September 21.

5. It will be helpful to get anecdotes from your profile subject, so make sure you have questions that will generate stories.

Using the Information—Writing a Transcript and Analysis (Due September 28)

1. Write a transcript of the interview using your interview notes and the recorded interview (if you have it).

2. Write an analysis of the transcript. Ask yourself questions like this:

a. What did you learn?

b. Do you feel you were sufficiently prepared for the interview (why or why not)?

c. What surprised you?

d. What do you wish you had asked, now that you have had time to think about it?

e. What questions turned out to be disappointing, as they did not reveal much about your profile subject?

f. Do you need to do any further research based on some answers?

3. Determine which quotes from the interview you will use in your profile.