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                          Conducting Interviews and Using Survey Data 

                                                Helpful tips and tricks to get the most helpful information

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Step 1: Research, Research, Research

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Then research some more! The only way to come up with good questions is to know everything there is to know about your subject.

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Ask yourself these questions:

 

  • Who are you interviewing?

  • What is their expertise?

  • Why is this valuable to you in your research?

  • What do you hope to find out? 

 

​Step 2: Contact the Person You Wish to Interview

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Ask when a good time would be to do the interview. Be polite. Say "please" and "thank you." Try to set up the interview in person. If this isn't possible, then set up a phone interview.

 

Step 3: Read Over Your Research and Brainstorm and create a list of at least 15 Questions

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  • The more specific your questions are, the better.

  • Never ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.

  • Make your interviewee talk.

  • Be sure to write all your questions down in a notebook, then practice asking them with a partner.

  • Become very familiar with your questions before you go into the interview.

 

Types of Interview Questions 

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  • Organize and group your questions in the order that makes the most sense.

  • Open-ended

  • Specific

  • Sensory

  • Meaning-seeking

  • Elaboration and clarification

 

Step 4: Come Prepared

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You will want to bring:

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  • A pen or pencil

  • A notebook

  • A list of good questions

  • A recording device (always ask permission before recording an interview)

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  • Arrive at your interview with plenty of time to spare.

  • If you’ve never been to the place where your interview is taking place, go early and scout it out. There is nothing more unprofessional than a reporter who is late.

  • You can also use the time you are waiting to make notes about the surroundings. You won’t remember details later, so write them down.

 

Step 6: Conduct Your Interview in an Organized, Timely Manner

 

During the interview:

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  • Be courteous to your subject.

  • Always take time to ask for an explanation about things you don't understand.

  • Don’t be afraid of uncomfortable silences and pauses.

  • Let the interview take its natural course.

  • Look the person in the eye when asking questions.

  • Always listen carefully to the answers.

  • Don't ask a question that has already been answered.

  • Don't read through your questions one right after another like you can't wait to be finished. 

 

Step 7: Even If You Are Recording an Interview, Take Notes

 

  • Taking notes is important – but make sure you are still paying attention. 

 

Step 8: Review Your Research and Your Interview Notes

 

  • Circle or highlight quotations that you think will be good for your article. 

  • Use the information you’ve gotten from your interview thoughtfully.

 

Using Survey Data: 4 Steps to Creating Successful Surveys

 

  • Step one: create the questions

  • Step two: ask the questions

  • Step three: tally the results

  • Step four: present the results

 

Step One: Create the Questions

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The first thing is to decide is

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What questions do you want answered?   

 

Step Two: Asking The Questions

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Now you have your questions, go out and ask them! But who to ask? 

If you survey a small group you can ask everybody (called a Census) 

If you want to survey a large group, you may not be able to ask everybody so you should ask a sample of the population (called a  Sample)

 

When you are sampling you should be careful who you ask. 

 

To be a good sample, each person should be chosen randomly

 

If you only ask people who look friendly, you will only know what friendly people think!

 

 

 

Step 3: Tally the Results 

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Step Four: Presenting the Results

 

Now you have your results, you will want to show them to other people in the best possible way.

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