As far as research interviews my experience is at its minimum, I would say. When I was younger my research interviews consisted of me asking my parents about their culture from homework assignments, I would need to write about my family history in elementary school. At that point, I never saw pro’s or con’s about the situation, since they were my parents. Recently, I had to conduct a research interview with Asian American’s about their past for my Asian American studies class. This was, what I would say, my only real experience with research interviews. When interviewing these people I would stutter a lot with my words, I had a fear of wording questions in wrong ways that could possibly offend them. (the interviews were about their past heritage concerning their acceptance here in the USA) Eventually, I had found a comfort level with interviewing these individuals, and left with a rewarding experience. Interviewing each person turned into somewhat of a fun game for me. I found out information from every person, and I was attracted to the fact that each one was unique.
Some Advice I would consider giving someone while conducting research interviews is…
- Make sure your clear with your questions so the person could respond with the best answer possible.
- Make the person your interviewing feel comfortable, allow them to finish every sentence, and don’t interrupt them.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on an answer. Every person can interpret an answer differently.
- Have fun!
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Hi Jane, this is Pat. Cool, some of my best friends have a passion for volleyball. Anyways, regarding research and interviewing, i think that you made a great point about allowing the speaker to be natural and to not interrupt them too much. Yes, the point is to grab information on what they think, not to stir the conversation into how you want them to respond. I think that the interviews should have a base topic and a couple of guiding questions, but other than that, the information should be as pure and straightforward as possible. It's an interview, not an interrogation. Your interviewee should be comfortable.
I also, like that fact that you mentioned that eventually when you were interviewing those people, it became a game that was fun to play. Yes, I felt that way too when i could interview someone who meant a lot to me. I get excited when i interview someone that i have a strong liking for.
The last comment I'd like to make is one the clarification of information. I think that being prepared, asking the right questions, listening, and clearing up vague material is important to having a great interview. If anything should arise that might be an obstacle to your goal, you should clarify the ideas and ask for help if needed. Do not let your ego or laziness get in the way. Get it right!!
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