Interview Project Instructions

The purpose of this Interview Project Assignment is to give you some practice asking questions to someone who is part of the area you have an interest in and on which you did your Internet Research Assignment.

1. Arrange an interview...

2. Decide what it is you’d like to find out by means of this interview

3. Prepare a "schedule" (that’s what it’s called in methodology) of questions to be asked

4. Prepare a "backup" set of questions in case the ones you ask aren’t sufficient

1. Be confident...make eye contact

2. Respect the "time" given you by your interviewee

3. Take notes...don’t rely on memory

4. If you’d like and IF you have permission of the interviewee...tape record the interview
-----but still take notes
-----make sure your voice gets on tape too

5. Be serious...if you aren’t, neither will the interviewee be serious

6. Explain why you’re doing the interview...i.e. class assignment

7. Don’t overstay your welcome

Your report to be turned in should include (but is not limited to) the following:

1..Who is the individual you interviewed? Why did they qualify for the interview? What aspect of your area do they fit? What was the setting, the time, the atmosphere? And...any other pertinent details you think helps "set the table" for understanding this interaction.

2. The schedule of QUESTIONS you prepared to ask (whether you got them all asked or not)

3. Describe OVERALL how it went...what are your impressions of the event itself?

4. ANSWERS to the questions you asked...also what "follow-up" questions you asked and the answers to them

5. Your SUMMARY ANALYSIS of the interview
-----How do you interpret what was said...analyze, don’t just describe
-----What did you learn?
-----What did you not learn?
-----What questions do you wish you would have asked but didn’t for whatever reason?
-----IN OTHER WORDS: Tell me about it...were there paradigms floating all over...how critical or radical were the perspectives of the interviewee? ETC.

Some "Do’s"
1. Make sure they understand this is a class assignment and that only the teacher will see your report
2. Ask permission to use their name in your report...if they say no, that’s fine...no big deal
3. Ask if they’d like to see a copy of your report
4. Use both "open-ended" and "closed-ended" questions (See "Tips" below)

Some "Don’ts"
1. Don’t assume they understand the question you ask...be prepared to clarify what you’re asking
2. Don’’t get into an argument or debate with them...ask them to clarify or expand their comments...NOT to defend them
3. Don’t intrude your point of view or opinion into it

It is hard to write questions without allowing the very question (its wording) to influence or frame the answer. One of the dangers is allowing your question to contain assumptions which others may not utilize or agree with (i.e. "Do you think God is more gracious than judgmental?") There are a couple assumptions in that one...the existence of a God and any god can be defined by graciousness and judgmental approaches. Another danger is to limit the answers so that either answer implies something not necessarily the case. (i.e. "Do you still beat your wife?") Yes means I have and still do...No means yes I did but I don’t anymore. Still another danger is using words that mean one thing in one context and means another in another context. (i.e. "problem", "social", "individual", etc.) Yet another danger involves the paradigm one is utilizing (both the asker and the askee). (i.e. "poverty" to one paradigm is the natural order of things...and to another its the doings of humans which could be altered).

So, yes it tough to ask good questions which solicit information without skewing that very information...but not impossible. Thus, as said above, I suggest you use both "open-ended" and "closed-ended" questions. Open-ended questions are ones which allow the respondent to say whatever they want in response to the question. Closed-ended questions are those which give a range of possible selections (i.e. Agree---Disagree...and gradations in between...or some other polar answers). There are dangers or limitations of each kind, so care must be taken in constructing them. The main danger of open-ended questions is that the answer may not pertain to what’s been asked...and that it may go on and on. When asking an open-ended question, if the answer is veering off the subject or is simply repeating itself, be prepared to veer it back or to politely inform them you understand already. With closed-ended questions, if the respondent is unable to honestly choose one of your choices...don’t force the issue...turn it into an open-ended one by asking how they’d frame their answer...always give them an "out." (Remember...sometimes NO answer IS still an answer).

So, again, this isn’t always an easy task. But then again, this assignment is designed to get you to TRY...not for future publishing. Yet, besides the information garnered about the subject you’re covering, I hope this exercise will sensitize you to the prevalent sloppiness we often exhibit in merely asking questions of anyone in our lives. Part of our alienation from each other is that our questioning isn’t honest, self-consciousness, nor empathetic.

Length is, of course, up to you...but keep in mind its an assignment worth 100 points...shortcuts shouldn’t be your main focus, right? Also, the various sociological concepts and other ideas covered in this course should be utilized as much as possible to give depth to your analysis.