- 18 Mar, 2021
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interview
Begin your work by developing a set of interview questions and then interview someone you see as a hero or as someone who can teach you something new. Suggestions: interview someone from an older generation, perhaps an elderly neighbor; interview someone from a different culture, perhaps a recent immigrant to this area; or interview someone in an occupation you might like to have someday. You may NOT interview a parent, sibling, spouse, or anyone else who lives in your house.
Then, develop a paper centering on a narrative of the personal experience of the person you interview. Attempt to draw an interesting story from this person. Be prepared to ask specific questions that would spark the interest and memory of the subject. Include photos of the subject. The paper should be a minimum of one thousand (1000) words—about four typed pages, double-spaced. You will need to make an extra copy of the paper for the subject and write a thank-you letter.
Checklist and Paper Structure:
Title page: Include your paper’s name (without quotation marks), your name, and the date on a cover sheet. Staple all pages together.
Introduction: Include the name of the subject (the person you interview) and provide some background about this person. I am expecting a detailed description of this person and a reason why you chose this person to interview. Your paper will need a thesis to identify your focus and topic to your reader.
Body: The body of the paper is the interview. I expect the body to accurately reflect the questions and answers of the interview. Your goal is to get an interesting story from the interviewee. The subject’s story should be about a specific event and not just random comments on different topics. Control the content of the interview with the questions you ask. In other words, direct the interview so that you get answers to specific questions that will lead to getting good responses. Include the following: sufficient background for your reader (check to see if you answered the journalistic questions: who, what, when, where, how, and why), the events of the story in chronological order, and a conclusion to the story.
I suggest you set up the interview in the paper like a play by using your name with the questions and the interviewee’s name with the answers. Then italicize the words of the interviewee.
Conclusion: The paper’s conclusion, not to be confused with your subject’s story’s ending, repeats or echoes your main idea found in the thesis. Then pull together all the loose ends to make clear connections for your reader. The conclusion should clearly state what things you have learned from conducting this interview. I expect a detailed analysis of what you have learned.
INTERVIEWS
CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW:
Identify an appropriate person for your interview.
Think about a person who is easily accessible and has a good story to tell. You might want to ask someone in a profession you want to know more about, some- one from a different generation who can tell you about life fifty years ago, or someone from a different culture.
Set up the interview.
Schedule a time convenient for both of you, so no one is rushed.
3. Prepare at least ten questions in advance.
A. Avoid asking dead-end questions which can be answered with yes or no.
Ask open-ended questions that allow the interviewee to answer at length. These questions might start with something like “Tell me about ….” or “How did….”
C. Also ask some questions designed to gather some factual material about the
interviewee.
4. Take careful notes.
Record the interview ONLY if the interviewee gives consent.
5. Follow up the interview.
A. Follow up with a phone call if you find you need to get more information or
to clarify a response. Ask if a follow-up call will be acceptable
B. Send a thank-you letter with a copy of the final paper.
WRITING AN INTERVIEW: Your paper should look exactly like this
INTRODUCTION: In the Introduction, bring the subject alive.
A. Include a description of the subject’s physical features and personality.
Include background information about the person so the reader can understand
the interview better. Include occupation, approximate age, location, etc.
Include an explanation of WHY you chose to interview this particular person.
Provide a THESIS which alerts the reader to the focus of the interview and
what you learned from conducting this interview.
BODY: In the Body of the paper, write the interview as accurately as possible.
A. Write the questions that were asked.
Write the answers that were given in Italics.
CONCLUSION: In the Conclusion, write an analysis of all you learned from
conducting this interview. The conclusion should be a thoughtful response to conducting and writing this interview. It may, in fact, be several paragraphs to fully explain what was learned.