how to write about an interview in a research paper

Using an interview in a research paper

Consultant contributor: Viviane Ugalde

Using an interview can be an effective primary source for some papers and research projects. Finding an expert in the field or some other person who has knowledge of your topic can allow for you to gather unique information not available elsewhere.

There are four steps to using an interview as a source for your research.

• Know where and how to start.
• Know how to write a good question.
• Know how to conduct an interview.
• Know how to incorporate the interview into your document or project.

Step one: Where to start

First, you should determine your goals and ask yourself these questions:

• Who are the local experts on topic?
• How can I contact these people?
• Does anyone know them to help me setup the interviews?
• Are their phone numbers in the phone book or can I find them on the Internet?

Once you answer these questions and pick your interviewee, get their basic information such as their name, title, and other general details. If you reach out and your interview does not participate, don’t be discouraged. Keep looking for other interview contacts.

Step two: How to write a good question

When you have confirmed an interview, it is not time to come up with questions.

• Learning as much as you can about the person before the interview can help you create questions specific to your interview subject.
• Doing research about your interviewee’s past experience in your topic, or any texts that they have written would be great background research.

When you start to think of questions, write down more questions than you think you’ll need, and prioritize them as you go. Any good questions will answer the 5W and H questions. Asking Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How questions that you need answered for your paper, will help you form a question to ask your interviewee.

When writing a good question, try thinking of something that will help your argument.

• Is your interviewee an advocate for you position?
• Are they in any programs that are related to your research?
• How much experience do they have?

From broad questions like these, you can begin to narrow down to more specific and open-ended questions.

Step three: The interview

If at all possible, arrange to conduct the interview at the subject’s workplace. It will make them more comfortable, and you can write about their surroundings.

• Begin the interview with some small talk in order to give both of you the chance to get comfortable with one another
• Develop rapport that will make the interview easier for both of you.
• Ask open-ended questions
• Keep the conversation moving
• Stay on topic
• The more silence in the room, the more honest the answer.
• If an interesting subject comes up that is related to your research, ask a follow-up or an additional question about it.
• Ask if you can stay in contact with your interview subject in case there are any additional questions you have.

Step four: Incorporating the interview

When picking the material out of your interview, remember that people rarely speak perfectly. There will be many slang words and pauses that you can take out, as long as it does not change the meaning of the material you are using.

As you introduce your interview in the paper, start with a transition such as “according to” or other attributions. You should also be specific to the type of interview you are working with. This way, you will build a stronger ethos in your paper .

The body of your essay should clearly set up the quote or paraphrase you use from the interview responses,. Be careful not to stick a quote from the interview into the body of your essay because it sounds good. When deciding what to quote in your paper, think about what dialogue from the interview would add the most color to your interview. Quotes that illustrate what your interviewer sounded like, or what their personality is are always the best quotes to choose from.

Once you have done that, proofread your essay. Make sure the quotes you used don’t make up the majority of your paper. The interview quotes are supposed to support your argument; you are not supposed to support the interview.

For example, let’s say that you are arguing that free education is better than not. For your argument, you interview a local politician who is on your side of the argument. Rather than using a large quote that explains the stance of both sides, and why the politician chose this side, your quote is there to support the information you’ve already given. Whatever the politician says should prove what you argue, and not give new information.

Step five: Examples of citing your interviews 

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2018.

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2018).

Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication, November 3, 2018).

Reference list

Daly, C. & Leighton W. (2017). Interviewing a Source: Tips. Journalists Resource.

Driscoll, D. (2018 ). Interviewing. Purdue University

Hayden, K. (2012). How to Conduct an Interview to Write a Paper . Bright Hub Education, Bright Hub Inc.

Hose, C. (2017). How to Incorporate Interviews into Essays. Leaf Group Education.

Magnesi, J. (2017). How to Interview Someone for an Article or Research Paper. Career Trend, Leaf group Media.

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Methodology

• Types of Interviews in Research | Guide & Examples

Types of Interviews in Research | Guide & Examples

Published on March 10, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on June 22, 2023.

An interview is a qualitative research method that relies on asking questions in order to collect data . Interviews involve two or more people, one of whom is the interviewer asking the questions.

There are several types of interviews, often differentiated by their level of structure.

• Structured interviews have predetermined questions asked in a predetermined order.
• Unstructured interviews are more free-flowing.
• Semi-structured interviews fall in between.

Interviews are commonly used in market research, social science, and ethnographic research .

Table of contents

What is a structured interview, what is a semi-structured interview, what is an unstructured interview, what is a focus group, examples of interview questions, advantages and disadvantages of interviews, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of interviews.

Structured interviews have predetermined questions in a set order. They are often closed-ended, featuring dichotomous (yes/no) or multiple-choice questions. While open-ended structured interviews exist, they are much less common. The types of questions asked make structured interviews a predominantly quantitative tool.

Asking set questions in a set order can help you see patterns among responses, and it allows you to easily compare responses between participants while keeping other factors constant. This can mitigate   research biases and lead to higher reliability and validity. However, structured interviews can be overly formal, as well as limited in scope and flexibility.

• You feel very comfortable with your topic. This will help you formulate your questions most effectively.
• You have limited time or resources. Structured interviews are a bit more straightforward to analyze because of their closed-ended nature, and can be a doable undertaking for an individual.
• Your research question depends on holding environmental conditions between participants constant.

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Semi-structured interviews are a blend of structured and unstructured interviews. While the interviewer has a general plan for what they want to ask, the questions do not have to follow a particular phrasing or order.

Semi-structured interviews are often open-ended, allowing for flexibility, but follow a predetermined thematic framework, giving a sense of order. For this reason, they are often considered “the best of both worlds.”

However, if the questions differ substantially between participants, it can be challenging to look for patterns, lessening the generalizability and validity of your results.

• You have prior interview experience. It’s easier than you think to accidentally ask a leading question when coming up with questions on the fly. Overall, spontaneous questions are much more difficult than they may seem.
• Your research question is exploratory in nature. The answers you receive can help guide your future research.

An unstructured interview is the most flexible type of interview. The questions and the order in which they are asked are not set. Instead, the interview can proceed more spontaneously, based on the participant’s previous answers.

Unstructured interviews are by definition open-ended. This flexibility can help you gather detailed information on your topic, while still allowing you to observe patterns between participants.

However, so much flexibility means that they can be very challenging to conduct properly. You must be very careful not to ask leading questions, as biased responses can lead to lower reliability or even invalidate your research.

• You have a solid background in your research topic and have conducted interviews before.
• Your research question is exploratory in nature, and you are seeking descriptive data that will deepen and contextualize your initial hypotheses.
• Your research necessitates forming a deeper connection with your participants, encouraging them to feel comfortable revealing their true opinions and emotions.

A focus group brings together a group of participants to answer questions on a topic of interest in a moderated setting. Focus groups are qualitative in nature and often study the group’s dynamic and body language in addition to their answers. Responses can guide future research on consumer products and services, human behavior, or controversial topics.

Focus groups can provide more nuanced and unfiltered feedback than individual interviews and are easier to organize than experiments or large surveys . However, their small size leads to low external validity and the temptation as a researcher to “cherry-pick” responses that fit your hypotheses.

• Your research focuses on the dynamics of group discussion or real-time responses to your topic.
• Your questions are complex and rooted in feelings, opinions, and perceptions that cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.”
• Your topic is exploratory in nature, and you are seeking information that will help you uncover new questions or future research ideas.

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Depending on the type of interview you are conducting, your questions will differ in style, phrasing, and intention. Structured interview questions are set and precise, while the other types of interviews allow for more open-endedness and flexibility.

Here are some examples.

• Semi-structured
• Unstructured
• Focus group
• Do you like dogs? Yes/No
• Do you associate dogs with feeling: happy; somewhat happy; neutral; somewhat unhappy; unhappy
• If yes, name one attribute of dogs that you like.
• If no, name one attribute of dogs that you don’t like.
• What feelings do dogs bring out in you?
• When you think more deeply about this, what experiences would you say your feelings are rooted in?

Interviews are a great research tool. They allow you to gather rich information and draw more detailed conclusions than other research methods, taking into consideration nonverbal cues, off-the-cuff reactions, and emotional responses.

However, they can also be time-consuming and deceptively challenging to conduct properly. Smaller sample sizes can cause their validity and reliability to suffer, and there is an inherent risk of interviewer effect arising from accidentally leading questions.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of each type of interview that can help you decide if you’d like to utilize this research method.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Student’s  t -distribution
• Normal distribution
• Null and Alternative Hypotheses
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Data cleansing
• Reproducibility vs Replicability
• Peer review
• Prospective cohort study

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Placebo effect
• Hawthorne effect
• Hindsight bias
• Affect heuristic
• Social desirability bias

The four most common types of interviews are:

• Structured interviews : The questions are predetermined in both topic and order. 
• Semi-structured interviews : A few questions are predetermined, but other questions aren’t planned.
• Unstructured interviews : None of the questions are predetermined.
• Focus group interviews : The questions are presented to a group instead of one individual.

The interviewer effect is a type of bias that emerges when a characteristic of an interviewer (race, age, gender identity, etc.) influences the responses given by the interviewee.

There is a risk of an interviewer effect in all types of interviews , but it can be mitigated by writing really high-quality interview questions.

Social desirability bias is the tendency for interview participants to give responses that will be viewed favorably by the interviewer or other participants. It occurs in all types of interviews and surveys , but is most common in semi-structured interviews , unstructured interviews , and focus groups .

Social desirability bias can be mitigated by ensuring participants feel at ease and comfortable sharing their views. Make sure to pay attention to your own body language and any physical or verbal cues, such as nodding or widening your eyes.

This type of bias can also occur in observations if the participants know they’re being observed. They might alter their behavior accordingly.

A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest. It is one of 4 types of interviews .

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

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George, T. (2023, June 22). Types of Interviews in Research | Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved July 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/interviews-research/

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How To Write An Interiew Paper: Ultimate Guide

While you’re in school and studying different subjects, it can be tricky to understand each assignment’s needs and depths, especially long-form research papers that might count for a large percentage of your total grade. Writing an interview paper can involve a lot of research, require a lot of time and effort to find and schedule interviews with the right people, and write an engaging and easy-to-read piece. So here’s your ultimate blueprint on how to write an interview paper!

What Is An Interview Paper?

How to write an interview paper, the step-by-step guide on writing an interview paper, how to start an interview paper, how to write a conclusion for an interview paper, how to format an interview paper, checklist of essentials for an impressive interview paper, topics for an interview paper.

An interview paper is an intriguing but complex assignment to write about a topic that incorporates interviews and perspectives of different people on the issue. These interviews are usually with people who are stakeholders in a problem or the general public that has been inevitably affected by a country’s policy or about a particular case that caused havoc. In addition, it can also be a descriptive piece elaborating on the personal experience or anecdote of one person.

It’s definitely a learned skill and requires a lot of effort into cultivating precise questions networking to find the best people to interview (they can range from being your family members who were involved in a particular issue or have stark opinions on your topic to policymakers and governors who contributed to either passing or striking a specific act), and finally putting it all together to communicate the varying perspectives effectively without bias.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview paper example :

With the recent upsurge in mental health and psychology, many experts in the field are celebrating the increased awareness but also worry about the dissipation of false information. Especially with social media, information is communicated from one part of the world to another within seconds. It can lead to the misuse of terms and psychological context, leading to severe harm and damage. Dr. Rosen Luis, a professor of abnormal psychology at the University of Georgia, elaborated upon the issue of false information being spread on social media in a personal interview conducted last year. “As social media penetrates the global world at a more rapid rate than anything else in the world, sensitive information like that regarding mental health can easily be misused or leveraged in incorrect circumstances due to the lack of supervision on growing platforms. Social media also creates unrealistic expectations about how a mental illness should look. There’s no one distinct way a disorder manifests in everybody and can lead to different lifestyle changes for different people.” (R. Luis, Phone Interview, Jun 22, 2021)

So you might be thinking about how to write a paper based on an interview and what are the different components of such a paper? Well, a lot goes into an article of this kind, so it’s essential to break it down into separate elements so you can tackle each with great effort and accuracy to cultivate a solid assignment and fetch a top grade!

If you have the freedom to choose your topic for the assignment, it is essential that you pick up a contentious concept that is the center of debate and leads to some civil discourse. An interview paper needs to be backed with air-tight research and credible interviews taken ethically and incorporate direct, in-depth questioning and sources.

Now you may be wondering how to include an interview in a research paper, mainly because interviews often look like scripts instead of concrete research material, so it’s important to note that while your discussions will be long-form and extensive, you’ll have to pick and choose responses from your different interviews to use as quotes or credible backing for your statements within the content of the paper.

If you have no desire to get all those knowledge or experience a long tiring writing process, you can use an opportunity to buy cheap dissertation online .

To make the writing process easier, you should be absolutely sure in what to do in each step. Here is a list of steps you need to take to get a perfect interview paper.

• Step 1 – Selecting the ideal topic for your paper : The topic you end up choosing for your interview paper can genuinely make or break your grade. It’s best not to look at generalized ideas or concepts that have been established as facts, as it’s unlikely that such topics will have a large-scale difference of opinion. Searching for a good case could begin with looking for issues that cause healthy discussion, differ within groups of different cultural, political, social, or economic backgrounds, and are essential conversations to have. It’s vital to ensure that the topic doesn’t cause a threat to someone’s rights, identity, or existence.
• Step 2 – Ideation and Research : Now that you’ve established your topic and a basic crux of your thesis statement, you can begin ideating the direction you want to take your paper. For instance, you choose capital punishment and its use to decrease long-term crime patterns in Singapore (known to have one of the highest percentages of the executed population via capital punishment), you’ll think about whether you want to talk about its history, grassroots change, crime statistics and also decide who all you’ll want to interview. A big part of writing an interview paper is finding people from diverse backgrounds with conflicting opinions to give your readers a 360-degree view on the issue.
• Step 3 – Crafting your interview questions : After having decided your topic and doing in-depth research about the same, it’s time to curate a set of interview questions that are brief, to-the-point, and extract the information you require for your assignment. Crafting good open-ended questions is a learned skill and will improve with the number of interviews you prep for. Ensure that all your questions are about the topic, fact-checked, and easy to understand for the interviewee.
• Step 4 – Taking the interviews : Once the interview blueprint is ready, you’ve to schedule and conduct interviews with the people you’re choosing to talk to (it is preferred that you conduct interviews in-person, so it is as personal and direct as possible). Be sure to ask your questions clearly and record the interviewee’s responses using a recording device so you can precisely transcribe the answers afterward. It’s crucial that your interviewee feels comfortable talking to you about the topic, especially if it is something very sensitive and personal. Good interview ethics also involve letting your respondent know they can communicate if they want something they spoke about to be scratched out of the interview.If you’re planning on using published interviews, you can skip the third and fourth steps and pick up essential quotes from the already published interviews. Remember to cite the quotes in the correct format so that you don’t get into any unnecessary plagiarism issues.
• Step 5 – Creating an outline : With regards to the obtained interview responses, you’ll create a very detailed skeleton for the interview paper, so you know precisely which idea goes where. This will help you when you finally get down to writing the actual essay, as you’ll be able to keep track of your different ideas, quotes, and sources and establish an engaging flow. You can also spend some time writing transitionary sentences that you’ll use when you move from one paragraph to the next.
• Step 6 – Writing the paper : Now that you’re done with all the back-end research, interviewing, and outlining, you’ve to sit down and fill in the gaps to produce a stellar essay. You have all the elements you need to decrease your distractions, be charged up, and just write it out. Contrary to popular belief, writing is actually a learned skill. Even if you don’t believe you’re as good with words as others, learning a few tips and tricks can easily elevate your writing to a notch above. Using precise and appropriate vocabulary, leveraging analogies, metaphors, and other language elements to convey your ideas, and having perfect grammar and syntax are some of the ways you can better your writing.

The basics of any paper are a thesis statement, introduction, body, and conclusion. You would’ve formulated your thesis statement while ideating the direction you wanted to take your paper in, and through the outline, you’ve hopefully followed the one-idea, one paragraph to give rise to a well-constructed body. Here’s some guidance on the two components that determine the first impression and last impression your reader has of the paper:

The introduction of your interview paper is the first thing that the reader looks at, so it’s crucial to hook the reader to keep them engaged to follow through with reading the paper. You can include:

Your thesis statement Intriguing data about your topic A quote from one of your interviewees Citing any information that’s been in the news with regards to your topic

The purpose of a catchy introduction is to connect the idea at hand to the reader’s life and intrigue them enough to learn more about the issue.

For example , if you’re writing on the capital punishment topic, beginning with an alarming statistic to depict the dire need to start a serious conversation about its effectiveness or ineffectiveness could hook the reader very well:

“ Juxtaposing the modern ideals of reformation and change, over 400 individuals have been giving the death penalty in Singapore since 1991″

Like any research paper, a firm conclusion is a must in a well-written interview paper. Since your paper will deal with some contrasting ideas, summarizing all the perspectives while shedding more light on the thesis statement will hook your reader to think about the information and views brought up in your essay long after they finish reading. Though this is one of the many assignments you’ve to write for school, interview papers dealing with conflicting real-life issues also contribute to social change via beginning civil discourse and fact-oriented discussion on important causes.

• Step 7 – Citing the sources : It’s vital that after you finish the contents of your essay, you spend time formatting your interview paper in the correct format and cite all of your sources in the needed manner (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.). It’ll help provide credibility to your arguments, show that you delved into air-tight research for your topic, and protect you from any coincidental issues in plagiarism checkers.
• Step 8 – Revision : It’s believed that looking at your paper, especially one you’ve spent hours on, with a fresh set of eyes, gives you a better perspective on things to change and helps you spot any missed grammar and style errors. You can finish your draft, take a nap, get back to the assignment and make the changes, read it aloud to make any mistakes more noticeable, or even ask a friend to have a read-through.

It’s essential that you know the interview paper format to be able to present a well-written, researched, and formatted assignment for an excellent grade. So here are some steps on how to write an interview paper in APA format –

If you’re citing a personal interview that you conducted in the course of writing the piece, here’s the format to follow:

Include the name of the interviewee and their qualifications, job description, and experience Mention the purpose of involving them in your research paper Incorporate a couple of quotes from their interview Cite the interview in the correct APA format

For, e.g., – (Interviewee first name initial & last name, interview format, date of interview)

If you’re citing an already published interview of someone in the field, the way you format the quotes in the paper and the bibliography should follow the format of the document in which you found the interview. Say you found an interview of a renowned politician in a social science journal that followed the MLA format; you must follow the same and cite the social science journal as your source.

To have peace of mind that you’ve done everything you needed for the perfect interview paper, here’s a short checklist you can quickly run through before submitting your assignment

Included all interviewees point’s of view Remained neutral while elaborating on others’ opinions even if you have a solid personal perspective on the subject Followed the one-idea, one-paragraph rule and included well-written transitory sentences Utilized precise and high-level vocabulary and sentence structure Proofread the essay to rid it of any grammar or syntax inconsistencies Used the correct format to cite sources within the paper and in the bibliography

• What role do you think your genetics play in your character compared to your upbringing?
• Are beauty standards unrealistic?
• Is social media connecting or disconnecting people?
• Should abortion be a topic of policy?
• Should age-old prisons be reconstructed to fit modern ideas of reformation and change?
• Do nursing homes contribute to the well-being of the older generation?
• Should marijuana be legalized?
• Should the same humanitarian and crime laws apply in times of war?
• Should gun rights be ubiquitous?
• Is capital punishment leading to grassroots change?
• Should society be capitalist, socialist, or an amalgamation of both?
• Should cloning be legal?
• Is the concept of marriage as idolized as it used to be?
• Is choosing to be child-free selfish?
• Should the rich pay more tax?
• Are our immigration policies outdated in a globalized world?
• Should celebrities be more accountable for their actions than the average person?
• Are companies doing enough to contribute to climate change effects?
• Should holistic therapies be considered certified medical treatments?
• Should upbringing be gendered?
• Is having kids in a time of such turmoil ethical?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• How should racism or homophobia be combated on an individual level?
• College degrees and their relevance in the digital age
• Going vegan v/s consuming meat: What’s better for the climate?
• How important is your religion to you?
• Are money and happiness correlated?
• How much does early-child development affect one’s mental health into adulthood?
• Is stealing ever okay?
• Are arranged marriages still as popular?

Not Interested in Writing Paper by Yourself?

Getting started with an interview paper can feel intimidating, mainly since it entails so much work – in-depth research on the topic and the history of debate behind it, setting up and curating tailored interviews with people relevant to the topic, and so much more. While you juggle several courses and assignments and other extracurricular work at high school or college, it can be challenging to submit well-written papers that will put you at the top of your class.

Impressing your professor isn’t an easy task. Still, you can do it by hiring expert help that will assist you with your writing assignments and produce work that the accomplished writers will curate as per your needs, that too at highly affordable rates!

You’ll be able to buy and order a custom interview paper that will be ideated and written by thesis writing service for a cheap cost. It’s an efficient and cost-effective way to stay on top of your work, learn from experts in the field, and wow your teachers with a well-written interview paper!

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Write an A+ Interview Paper Using Our Tips and Examples

06 September, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

You will quickly find yourself with your back to the wall once your teacher assigns you an interview paper. Studying is often a headache by itself, and now you have to conduct interviews. Worse yet, you probably have no idea how you can do this. Luckily, we will tell you how to write an interview paper step by step in this comprehensive guide. So prepare your favorite drink and learn how to write a top-notch interview paper.

What is an Interview Paper?

An interview paper provides an expert opinion on a specific issue. In essence, it is an interview transcript inserted somewhere between the introduction and conclusion of an academic piece.

How long should it be? It depends on the topic and the length of your interview, but most papers are within the length of 2,000 – 5,000 words. What things should you consider before writing an interview paper in the first place? Let’s check them out below.

General Aspects of Writing an Interview Paper

Academic papers require you to provide arguments based on studies, research pieces, statistics, etc. But an interview paper is different – for this type of essay, you will develop assumptions around an expert’s opinion.

Let’s imagine your essay question reads the following: “Should we ban abortions?” If you write an interview paper, you should ask someone high-powered for their consideration. Let them be an executive director of the American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society.

You would reach them via email or phone or whatever communication channel you prefer and conduct an interview. Afterward, you would put all your findings on paper.

But in practice, writing an interview paper involves many more complexities and challenges, like planning, topic research , drafting, etc.

Let’s speak straight facts: nobody will reschedule their week to meet you because you need to do some homework. You’re one of the millions of students, and the local governor or a famous scientist won’t give you an interview nine times out of ten.

So you would want to target someone less busy, like professors from other faculties of your college or some researchers within your academic environment. Hunting a bigger fish is pointless unless you’re a well-established journalist working for a popular media channel. If you struggle to find someone within your college/university, you can contact people from your circle.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Interview Paper

 As you know, a typical paper consists of three parts:

• Introduction. This part includes background information, the hook, the thesis statement, and the transition.
• Body. It is the longest part of the paper consisting of several paragraphs. It should contain the actual interview.
• Conclusion. The final part summarizes the considerations and insights of your essay.

The question is: ‘where should you put an interview transcript and how do you do this?’

To answer this question, you need to come up with the interview papers format in the first place. There are several of them:

The narrative format implies that you can use either direct or indirect speech when referring to your interviewee. If you choose this path, you can stick to a 5-paragraph essay structure, retell the considerations of your interviewee, and cite their words here and there at your discretion.

You can also choose this format if you contact several people. Check what a narrative interview paper structure looks like when you reach out to several people:

• Introduction.
• Paragraph #1 – the first interviewee’s perspective.
• Paragraph #2 – the second interviewee’s opinion.
• Paragraph #3 – the third interviewee’s thoughts.
• Conclusion.

Alternatively, you can dedicate each paragraph to a particular idea of one person.

“Question and answer” will suit your needs perfectly if you interview one person. It is the simplest format used in online magazines, news reports, and other media. Your interview paper outline will look like this:

• Introduction
• Question #1 – Answer #1
• Question #2 – Answer #2
• Question #3 – Answer #3
• Question #4/5/6/etc. – Answer #4/5/6/etc.
• Interview analysis. You may include your thoughts on the subject matter.

Conversational

Conversational style is informal, and you can use either first-person or second-person narrative and follow a typical 5-paragraph paper structure. But writing interview papers in this lousy style might be perplexing, especially if you deal with this task for the first time.

We advise you to try the Q&A format because it’s the simplest one and takes the least time. Just imagine how much time your paper writing will take if you decide to interview three or five people.

How to Start an Interview Paper?

If you have no idea how to start an interview paper, choose the topic first. Selecting a topic for your interview paper is not a big deal, but you should keep in mind that you may not find appropriate interviewees for it.

Let’s imagine you want to explore whether the government should force people to get vaccines. This topic implies that you need to contact authorities. It might be a local lawyer, governor, or executive director of a local hospital. Well, the chances are these people will politely refuse to give an interview for your homework.

But if you choose to investigate how lockdown impacts intellectual workers, you can contact your friends or family members who work at home. In other words, it’s better to choose topics that reflect the experiences of ordinary people rather than the opinions of untouchable experts.

Asking people for their opinion about well-known facts like the Earth’s shape is a bad idea. You would want to choose high-profile debatable topics you can actually discuss.

Establish the Goal of Your Interview Essay

You have to establish the goal of your essay before researching the topic. For this, ask yourself: “What message should your interview essay deliver?” Sometimes, a topic of your choice might already explain the purpose of your essay.

Conduct Research

Interviewing someone implies that you should ask questions. But you will fail to do so if you know little to nothing about your topic. So read some case studies, news, articles, etc. Once you get the picture of your subject matter, you will come up with dozens of interview questions.

Get to Know Your Interviewee

A good interviewer always refers to the life and experience of their interviewee. If you’re lucky to work with someone you can read about on the Internet, find out as much information about them as possible. If your interviewee publishes any books, articles, or studies, you will better know them as well.

The more you know about the person, the more interview questions you can come up with. You can ask them whether the Internet tells their true story: “Is it true that you, Mr. Interviewee, support flat earthers?”

Draft Your Interview Questions

If you want a person to share their in-depth vision of the topic, you need to ask both open-ended and close-ended (“yes/no”) questions. However, you may struggle to prepare interview questions. Many students get stuck during this stage. To overcome this block, you need to learn some types of interview questions:

• Opinion – What do you think of this topic?
• Behavioral – What would you do in this situation?
• Experience and knowledge – What do you know about the subject?
• Background – How are you connected to the subject? What is your age, occupation, etc?
• Emotional – How do you feel about the subject?
• Sensory – What does the subject taste and feel like?

You can also think of the questions following the interviewee’s “yes” and “no” answers.

Tips for Conducting a Successful Interview

These four tips will help you conduct a productive interview on the first try:

1. Plan Your Meeting

Note that you want to interview a person in a quiet place so that nobody will distract you. This might be some cozy book store or a café. Or, you can arrange an online meeting. Make sure you have at least one hour for the interview.

2. Rehearse a bit

If you will conduct your first-ever interview, you want to practice with your friends/significant other/ family in the first place. This approach will help you identify what stage of your upcoming interview may challenge you the most.

3. Record Your Interview

You will forget about 50% of the information within an hour once you finish the interview. So don’t rely on your memory − bring a recorder instead. Why not take notes? You wouldn’t want to go red while asking your interviewee to repeat what they have just said or wait until you write down their answers.

4. Talk to Your Interviewee for a While Before You Begin

Speaking to someone you don’t know might be uncomfortable. You don’t have to attack them with your interview questions straightaway. Instead, you can exchange some casual phrases or discuss the weather. This will help you relieve stress and get comfortable with each other.

5. Explain Your Interview Protocol

It’s better to explain to your interviewee how you will conduct your interview. Tell them that you will use a recorder and introduce the discussion topic.

Interview Papers Format

In academic writing, you have to explain the purpose of your interview and introduce your interviewee in a specific “scholarly” format. The APA format interview paper has the following requirements:

• Use 12-point Times New Roman.
• Write a title page.
• Use double spacing.
• Introduce your interviewee and provide the background information – explain why this person is suitable for the interview. Mention their name and qualifications.
• Use direct quotes if you cite some facts provided by the interviewee.
• Use block quotes for citations longer than 40 words.

How to Write a Title Page?

The title of your paper must include your name, your institution, department, the course name and number, the teacher’s name, and the assignment date. The rules of writing the title page are the following:

• The title page must be numbered.
• Capitalize all major words in your title and make it bold.
• Place the title of the essay three or four lines down the top of the page.
• There must be one empty line before the student’s name.

Interview Papers Examples

If you’re searching for an interview essay example – check several samples below:

• A narrative interview essay .
• A Q&A interview format paper.
• An interview with a scientist.

Interview Papers Writing Tips

The following writing tips will help you deliver the first-class interview paper:

• Write the introduction at the end. Once you finish your essay, you will likely reconsider some ideas you had before you began. They will help you frame your interview essay with a captivating introduction and conclusion.
• Give yourself a break after finishing your final draft. This will help you look at your paper with a fresh pair of eyes once you start editing.
• Edit one type of error at a time. For example, you can reduce logical errors first and switch to grammatical mistakes afterward.
• Use an active voice. If active voice makes your sentence shorter, use it without hesitation.
• Check for any sample interview paper to decide on the interview questions. Perhaps, some pieces will spark your interest.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

An interview paper doesn’t seem that intimidating once you learn how to write it step by step. First, you have to choose the subject that allows you to interview ordinary people rather than hard-to-reach ones. Then, you need to research your topic, conduct an interview, and write a paper.

You can get an A+ for this assignment with enough effort and dedication. But a doable task doesn’t necessarily mean that you must do it by yourself. If you have plenty of other assignments to do, you can ask our essay writers to craft an exemplary interview paper for you. For this, you can place an order on our website, and we will do all the dirty work.

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Qualitative Research 101: Interviewing

5 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Undertaking Interviews

By: David Phair (PhD) and Kerryn Warren (PhD) | March 2022

Undertaking interviews is potentially the most important step in the qualitative research process. If you don’t collect useful, useable data in your interviews, you’ll struggle through the rest of your dissertation or thesis.  Having helped numerous students with their research over the years, we’ve noticed some common interviewing mistakes that first-time researchers make. In this post, we’ll discuss five costly interview-related mistakes and outline useful strategies to avoid making these.

Overview: 5 Interviewing Mistakes

• Not having a clear interview strategy /plan
• Not having good interview techniques /skills
• Not securing a suitable location and equipment
• Not having a basic risk management plan
• Not keeping your “ golden thread ” front of mind

1. Not having a clear interview strategy

The first common mistake that we’ll look at is that of starting the interviewing process without having first come up with a clear interview strategy or plan of action. While it’s natural to be keen to get started engaging with your interviewees, a lack of planning can result in a mess of data and inconsistency between interviews.

There are several design choices to decide on and plan for before you start interviewing anyone. Some of the most important questions you need to ask yourself before conducting interviews include:

• What are the guiding research aims and research questions of my study?
• Will I use a structured, semi-structured or unstructured interview approach?
• How will I record the interviews (audio or video)?
• Who will be interviewed and by whom ?
• What ethics and data law considerations do I need to adhere to?
• How will I analyze my data? 

Let’s take a quick look at some of these.

The core objective of the interviewing process is to generate useful data that will help you address your overall research aims. Therefore, your interviews need to be conducted in a way that directly links to your research aims, objectives and research questions (i.e. your “golden thread”). This means that you need to carefully consider the questions you’ll ask to ensure that they align with and feed into your golden thread. If any question doesn’t align with this, you may want to consider scrapping it.

Another important design choice is whether you’ll use an unstructured, semi-structured or structured interview approach . For semi-structured interviews, you will have a list of questions that you plan to ask and these questions will be open-ended in nature. You’ll also allow the discussion to digress from the core question set if something interesting comes up. This means that the type of information generated might differ a fair amount between interviews.

Contrasted to this, a structured approach to interviews is more rigid, where a specific set of closed questions is developed and asked for each interviewee in exactly the same order. Closed questions have a limited set of answers, that are often single-word answers. Therefore, you need to think about what you’re trying to achieve with your research project (i.e. your research aims) and decided on which approach would be best suited in your case.

It is also important to plan ahead with regards to who will be interviewed and how. You need to think about how you will approach the possible interviewees to get their cooperation, who will conduct the interviews, when to conduct the interviews and how to record the interviews. For each of these decisions, it’s also essential to make sure that all ethical considerations and data protection laws are taken into account.

Finally, you should think through how you plan to analyze the data (i.e., your qualitative analysis method) generated by the interviews. Different types of analysis rely on different types of data, so you need to ensure you’re asking the right types of questions and correctly guiding your respondents.

Simply put, you need to have a plan of action regarding the specifics of your interview approach before you start collecting data. If not, you’ll end up drifting in your approach from interview to interview, which will result in inconsistent, unusable data.

2. Not having good interview technique

While you’re generally not expected to become you to be an expert interviewer for a dissertation or thesis, it is important to practice good interview technique and develop basic interviewing skills .

Let’s go through some basics that will help the process along.

Firstly, before the interview , make sure you know your interview questions well and have a clear idea of what you want from the interview. Naturally, the specificity of your questions will depend on whether you’re taking a structured, semi-structured or unstructured approach, but you still need a consistent starting point . Ideally, you should develop an interview guide beforehand (more on this later) that details your core question and links these to the research aims, objectives and research questions.

Before you undertake any interviews, it’s a good idea to do a few mock interviews with friends or family members. This will help you get comfortable with the interviewer role, prepare for potentially unexpected answers and give you a good idea of how long the interview will take to conduct. In the interviewing process, you’re likely to encounter two kinds of challenging interviewees ; the two-word respondent and the respondent who meanders and babbles. Therefore, you should prepare yourself for both and come up with a plan to respond to each in a way that will allow the interview to continue productively.

To begin the formal interview , provide the person you are interviewing with an overview of your research. This will help to calm their nerves (and yours) and contextualize the interaction. Ultimately, you want the interviewee to feel comfortable and be willing to be open and honest with you, so it’s useful to start in a more casual, relaxed fashion and allow them to ask any questions they may have. From there, you can ease them into the rest of the questions.

As the interview progresses , avoid asking leading questions (i.e., questions that assume something about the interviewee or their response). Make sure that you speak clearly and slowly , using plain language and being ready to paraphrase questions if the person you are interviewing misunderstands. Be particularly careful with interviewing English second language speakers to ensure that you’re both on the same page.

Engage with the interviewee by listening to them carefully and acknowledging that you are listening to them by smiling or nodding. Show them that you’re interested in what they’re saying and thank them for their openness as appropriate. This will also encourage your interviewee to respond openly.

Need a helping hand?

3. Not securing a suitable location and quality equipment

Where you conduct your interviews and the equipment you use to record them both play an important role in how the process unfolds. Therefore, you need to think carefully about each of these variables before you start interviewing.

Poor location: A bad location can result in the quality of your interviews being compromised, interrupted, or cancelled. If you are conducting physical interviews, you’ll need a location that is quiet, safe, and welcoming . It’s very important that your location of choice is not prone to interruptions (the workplace office is generally problematic, for example) and has suitable facilities (such as water, a bathroom, and snacks).

If you are conducting online interviews , you need to consider a few other factors. Importantly, you need to make sure that both you and your respondent have access to a good, stable internet connection and electricity. Always check before the time that both of you know how to use the relevant software and it’s accessible (sometimes meeting platforms are blocked by workplace policies or firewalls). It’s also good to have alternatives in place (such as WhatsApp, Zoom, or Teams) to cater for these types of issues.

Poor equipment: Using poor-quality recording equipment or using equipment incorrectly means that you will have trouble transcribing, coding, and analyzing your interviews. This can be a major issue , as some of your interview data may go completely to waste if not recorded well. So, make sure that you use good-quality recording equipment and that you know how to use it correctly.

To avoid issues, you should always conduct test recordings before every interview to ensure that you can use the relevant equipment properly. It’s also a good idea to spot check each recording afterwards, just to make sure it was recorded as planned. If your equipment uses batteries, be sure to always carry a spare set.

4. Not having a basic risk management plan

Many possible issues can arise during the interview process. Not planning for these issues can mean that you are left with compromised data that might not be useful to you. Therefore, it’s important to map out some sort of risk management plan ahead of time, considering the potential risks, how you’ll minimize their probability and how you’ll manage them if they materialize.

Common potential issues related to the actual interview include cancellations (people pulling out), delays (such as getting stuck in traffic), language and accent differences (especially in the case of poor internet connections), issues with internet connections and power supply. Other issues can also occur in the interview itself. For example, the interviewee could drift off-topic, or you might encounter an interviewee who does not say much at all.

You can prepare for these potential issues by considering possible worst-case scenarios and preparing a response for each scenario. For instance, it is important to plan a backup date just in case your interviewee cannot make it to the first meeting you scheduled with them. It’s also a good idea to factor in a 30-minute gap between your interviews for the instances where someone might be late, or an interview runs overtime for other reasons. Make sure that you also plan backup questions that could be used to bring a respondent back on topic if they start rambling, or questions to encourage those who are saying too little.

In general, it’s best practice to plan to conduct more interviews than you think you need (this is called oversampling ). Doing so will allow you some room for error if there are interviews that don’t go as planned, or if some interviewees withdraw. If you need 10 interviews, it is a good idea to plan for 15. Likely, a few will cancel , delay, or not produce useful data.

5. Not keeping your golden thread front of mind

We touched on this a little earlier, but it is a key point that should be central to your entire research process. You don’t want to end up with pages and pages of data after conducting your interviews and realize that it is not useful to your research aims . Your research aims, objectives and research questions – i.e., your golden thread – should influence every design decision and should guide the interview process at all times. 

A useful way to avoid this mistake is by developing an interview guide before you begin interviewing your respondents. An interview guide is a document that contains all of your questions with notes on how each of the interview questions is linked to the research question(s) of your study. You can also include your research aims and objectives here for a more comprehensive linkage. 

You can easily create an interview guide by drawing up a table with one column containing your core interview questions . Then add another column with your research questions , another with expectations that you may have in light of the relevant literature and another with backup or follow-up questions . As mentioned, you can also bring in your research aims and objectives to help you connect them all together. If you’d like, you can download a copy of our free interview guide here .

Recap: Qualitative Interview Mistakes

In this post, we’ve discussed 5 common costly mistakes that are easy to make in the process of planning and conducting qualitative interviews.

To recap, these include:

If you have any questions about these interviewing mistakes, drop a comment below. Alternatively, if you’re interested in getting 1-on-1 help with your thesis or dissertation , check out our dissertation coaching service or book a free initial consultation with one of our friendly Grad Coaches.

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This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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How to write an interview article: A step-by-step guide

Writing an interview article correctly is essential for capturing the essence of the interviewee's viewpoints, experiences, and insights. The development of a comprehensive and engaging narrative from the interviewee's comments requires careful preparation, skillful questioning, and a strong storytelling ability.

In the following guide, we’ll discuss how to write an interview article and walk you through the entire process step-by-step.

A detailed tutorial of writing an article

Writing an article requires both creative and technical expertise in order to present facts, concepts, or viewpoints in a clear and interesting manner. It also requires the writers to follow a few essential procedures, regardless of whether it's for a newspaper, blog, magazine, or academic publication.

These steps help in organising thoughts, ensuring clarity, and engaging your target audience effectively.

Selecting a topic: Pick a topic that interests, corresponds to, and is relevant to your audience.

Research: Compile facts, figures, and viewpoints to create a solid article base.

Drafting an outline: Organise your writing to guarantee that the ideas flow naturally.

Writing the introduction: Create a captivating start that establishes the article's tone and explains its goal.

Developing the body: Provide information, examples, and analysis to support your points.

Conclusion: Summarise the main points and provide a closing thought or call to action.

Editing and revising: Edit your work to improve its grammatical correctness, consistency, style, and clarity.

Citation of sources: Give due credit to the information's original sources.

When writing an article that is reliable, engaging, and informative all at once, every step counts.

Getting started with the interview article writing process

Getting started with an interview article can feel a bit like being a detective – you're building a narrative, one answer at a time. Writing an interview article requires understanding of the format and making full use of the audio resources.

Moving forward, we'll outline how to turn your interviews from a straightforward discussion into an engaging, polished piece. How to write an article based on an interview is quite different from how a general article is written. We'll look at research and preparation strategies, examine interview article structure, and provide advice on how to conduct the actual interview.

These tips will assist you in how to write an interview article, regardless of your level of experience as a journalist or as an interviewer.

Understanding the interview article format

The structure of an interview article is crucial for effectively conveying the interviewee's voice and story. Important components of this format consist of:

Introduction: Introduce the interviewee, giving context about their background and why they are a subject of interest.

Segment the article: The article should be divided into sections based on the themes or subjects discussed in the interview. This aids in the logical arrangement of the content.

Formatting the Q&A section: Presenting the questions and answers in a clear manner. You may either paraphrase this for clarity or use a direct Q&A style.

Quotations: Use direct quotes to make an impression and to show the interviewee's character and voice.

Conclusion: Recap the most important learnings or conclusions from the conversation.

Research and preparation

Choosing the appropriate interviewee is essential. Select a person who can offer useful insight and is associated with the subject. To create thoughtful and interesting questions for the interview, thoroughly investigate the topic and the interviewee's background before the meeting.

Here’s a general guide to prepare for an interview to get started with the article:

• Raise unrestricted questions to get in-depth answers.
• Combine factual queries with questions that generate personal narratives or viewpoints.
• To ensure that the conversation continues, prepare more questions than you think you'll want to ask.

If you’re going for a journalistic interview, then you can read more about it here .

The interview process

A good interview takes planning as well as flexibility. There are certain things you should make sure to do and a few things you should be avoiding. We’ve listed down a few basics of those for you to consider.

Advice on interview strategies:

• Establish a welcoming atmosphere for the interviewee.
• Engage in active listening and pursue interesting topics.
• Be kind and considerate of the interviewee's comfort level when asking questions.

Common errors to avoid:

• Steer clear of biassed or leading questions.
• Avoid staying in a predetermined direction
• Stay quiet during the interviewee's speech.

To expedite your interview analysis stage post interviewing, you can employ transcription tools. Learn how to transcribe an interview so that you can start the structuring and writing without having to listen to the audio repeatedly for analysis.

The complete guide to structuring and writing an interview article

Have you ever wondered what makes some interview articles stand out, compelling you to read every word, while others barely hold your attention? In this section, we'll explore the art of structuring and writing an interview article that not only informs but also captivates.

If you’re still wondering how to write an article based on an interview then we’ve got more guidelines up ahead.

How to structure an interview article

The way your interview article is organised may have a big impact on how readers interact with it. An article with better readability should contain:

• Compelling introduction: A captivating beginning should grab the reader's attention from the first. Give background information on the person being interviewed as well as the interview's setting. Set the stage for what’s coming.
• Body passages: Arrange the article's body according to a theme or time period. Every segment needs to concentrate on an individual aspect of the interviewee's answers or a distinct subject covered throughout the conversation.
• Conclusion: Conclude the article by repeating the main ideas and perhaps offering any reflections on the wider takeaways or new perspectives from the interview.

Crafting an engaging article

To maintain readers' interest:

• Use quotations wisely: Include direct quotes in your writing to give it personality and authenticity. Quotes may accentuate important ideas and provide a personal touch.
• Change the sentence form: To keep the reader interested, alternate between brief, snappy sentences and longer, more detailed ones.
• Follow the red thread: Ensure that your content follows a narrative flow that leads the reader from one idea to the next.
• Add personality: Adding a little personality or a distinct voice might make the piece more relatable and interesting, depending on the readership and the topic matter.

Editing and proofreading

In order to make sure your work is error-free, clear, and precise, editing and proofreading are essential. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your writing is error-free:

Examine the larger picture while editing for content. Does the article make sense? Are there any parts that are off-topic or require greater clarification?

Make sure your tone is constant and your phrases are understandable. Look for technical terms or jargon that might mislead readers.

When proofreading, pay attention to punctuation, grammar, and spelling mistakes. It's usually preferable to do this after setting aside some time to read the material again so you can approach it objectively.

Remember that a well-proofread and edited article raises your reputation as a writer in addition to making it easier to read.

Read examples of interview-based articles

Now that we’ve covered how to interview someone and how to write an interview article, it’s important that you skim through a few sample articles to get a better idea of how things should go about.

If you wish to delve more into the art of writing interview articles, you can do so by browsing through these samples . Here, you can gain valuable insights and inspirations on how to write an interview article which involves capturing the essence of the interviews in your writing.

Discover Good Tape’s transcription software for journalists

Having a good transcription service to convert your audio interviews into written documents makes work 10x times faster. You can spend more time analysing and improving the overall quality of your article rather than on listening to the recordings on loop. This is where Good Tape comes to your aid.

It’s simple to use and has a shorter turnaround time which makes it the most effective choice. Here’s how you can work your way around it.

• Upload your file: The first step in the process is to upload the file you need to transcribe. Make sure the file is complete and has all the information you require.

• Select the language: Good Tape has a number of options when it comes to choosing the language of transcription. Select the one you want. You can also choose the “auto-detect” option for the system to automatically identify the language in the audio.

• Transcribe the text: Once the file is uploaded and the language is chosen, proceed further by clicking the “transcribe” button. Your audio transcription process starts here.

• To wait or not to wait: If you’re a casual plan user, you will have to wait for some time for your transcription to be completed due to excessive load by the users. However, if you’re a professional or a team user, you get your results ASAP. The wait time depends on the plan you’re subscribed to .

• Be notified: You will receive a notification once your transcribed document is ready. An e-mail will be sent to your inbox containing the link to access and download the document.

Get started with audio-to-text transcription today with Good Tape and save your valuable time by not having to manually transcribe interview audios. Experience the ease and efficiency of transforming your spoken words into accurately written documents to make the process of writing an interview article more smooth and hassle-free.

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Incorporating Interview Data

Introduction

When you incorporate original interview data into your writing, you are developing new ideas by using quotations and often sources that no one else has accessed. Drawing from interviews can liven up your writing, ground your big concepts within the specific circumstances of particular individuals, and introduce you to insights you might never have considered on your own. Additionally, interviews are an exciting way for you to provide a larger audience for people who might not otherwise have opportunities to share their stories, perceptions, and experiences.

There are lots of good reasons to incorporate original interview data into your writing. But doing so also involves making many, specific writing decisions. On this page we explore some of those decisions by considering: 1) the process by which interview data is gathered; 2) models for interview incorporation; and 3) identification of ways that writing with interview data can be like writing with information from any other source (as well as some of the unique writerly considerations that interviews raise).

Contents       Before You Write       Different Models of Incorporating Interview Data       Summarizing, Paraphrasing, or Quoting       Referring to your Interviewees       Using Verbatim or Non-Verbatim

Before You Write

Of course, before you can incorporate interview data into your writing, you need to plan and conduct your interviews and begin to analyze your findings.

Interviewing is a common form of research and information gathering in many different fields and across many different genres. In order to develop and actualize a plan for why interviews will help you answer the questions you’re asking, whom you’ll interview, and what you’ll ask these subjects, you’ll want to consult a range of resources. Talk with your instructor, mentor, or advisor about common ways of approaching interviews for this assignment or in this discipline. Additionally, many undergraduate textbooks about research in the social sciences and humanities offer introductions to interviewing. We’ve listed a few great resources to help you learn more.

For comprehensive introductions to research methods used in the writing research that include some information about interviews, consider:

• Jackie Grutsch McKinney’s book Strategies for Writing Center Research —especially pages 55-69. While Grutsch McKinney’s is focused on writing center research, her close consideration of the different ways to structure interviews as well as how to plan and conduct them can be applied to all interview contexts. Additionally, her treatment of data analysis in chapter 8 provides a step-by-step guide for coding qualitative data—one of the approaches you might use to make sense of what your interview data means.
• Joyce Kinkead’s Researching Writing: An Introduction to Research Methods —especially pages 37-39. This is a potential textbook for that could be used for a class specifically about the formal study of writing. However, its direct and specific information about interviewing is applicable for any social science researcher preparing to use interviews for research.

These resources focus more specifically on qualitative research methods in particular and interviewing in particular:

• Robert Bogdan and Sari Knopp Biklen’s Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theories and Methods —especially pages 103-109. Bogdan and Knopp Biklen’s treatment of interview practices provides a brief overview of how to approach and implement this research methodology.
• Irving Seidman’s Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences —especially pages 78-94. This entire book explores interview practices, logistics, and applications, but chapter six in particular usefully details particular interviewing techniques and provides transcripted examples of some of these strategic techniques in action.

The rest of the information on this page assumes that you have learned to develop and implement your interview plan, that you’ve analyzed the information you’ve gathered, and that you’re now ready to start weaving that information into your writing.

Different Models for Incorporating Interview Data

You can use interview data in many different ways. Most often, you will probably be making an argumentative or analytical point and illustrating and supporting it with evidence from your interviews. For example, in the following passage from the book Booty Capitalism: The Politics of Banking in the Philippines , Paul D. Hutchcroft, a political science professor at Australian National University, begins with an original claim, follows that with a quotation from an interview subject that exemplifies that claim, and then offers additional commentary on that issue. Note how the quotation from the interview both connects the concepts of banking and politics and introduces the prism metaphor that Hutchcroft continues into the next sentence.

The major focus of this [book] is two arenas that offer particular insights into the nature of relations between state and oligarchy in the banking system: bank supervision and selective credit allocation. “Banking,” observes one former bank president, “is a prism through which to understand power politics in the Philippines.” A study of the banking system highlights larger patterns at work within the political economy: how a predatory oligarchy extracts privilege from a patrimonial state, and how developmental policy objectives are continually choked out by a clamor of particularistic demands made by those who currently enjoy proximity to the political machinery. (7)

Generalizing about a Trend or Theme

Using information from an interview to support your claim is the primary purpose for incorporating interview data into your writing, but how you do this may change according to your specific intent. In what follows, we explore different models for weaving interview data into your writing and provide examples of what this looks like.

It is important to consider the politicization of the nationality responses in context. On the whole, the vast majority of republican executives did not try to influence the process, and the nationality question was a non-issue in the predominantly ethnically Russian regions. In my regional interviews I found that in the oblasts and krays, there were almost no reports of difficulty with the nationality question. Officials in those areas reported that respondents who were not ethnically Russian had no difficulty citing a different nationality. This finding corresponded with my observations of the enumeration process in Moscow. There were sporadic cases of respondents in ethnically mixed marriages registering one child as of one parent’s ethnic group and the other child as of the other parent’s ethnic group. However, this is a conceptual issue rather than a problem of politicization. ( 367-8 )

Quoting to Illustrate a Trend or Theme

Sometimes interviewees say things that are so strikingly similar that it is useful to draw attention to these complementary concepts and word choices by putting them together. In the following passage, Jane Calvert, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, and Joan Fujimura, a sociology professor at UW-Madison, use this strategy while writing about scientists’ responses to the new and developing field of systems biology. Note that these authors carefully tie quotations to specific anonymized interviewees through parenthetical citations.

In another US university, the decision to build an interdisciplinary research centre was top-down, initiated by university and funding administrators and initially opposed by most campus laboratory scientists. The building of new interdisciplinary structures is challenging for the existing disciplinary “fiefdoms” (Biologist19) and “silos” (Biologist9 and Biologist12) “where people feel protected and safe” (Biologist19) because they are not required to step outside of their “comfort zones” (Biologist7).

Putting Two Sources in Conversation with Each Other

Sometimes writers can use one interviewee to contribute to or complicate what another interviewee says. The following paragraph from Hutchcroft’s Booty Capitalism shows this practice at work. In addition to bringing two sources together, in this passage Hutchcroft also strategically incorporates paratextual insight gained from the interview process into his analysis. He uses the former governor’s laughter to showcase an attitude that directly contrasts with what the former bank supervisor says.

Even when the Central Bank has acted against those who milked their banks, former bank owners have been known to use personal connections, even up to the Supreme Court, to confound Central Bank discipline. Former Governor Jaime Laya noted that even martial law “didn’t seem to stop the lawsuits against Central Bank personnel.” He actually laughed as he told me how the Central Bank legal office has “never won a case.” But the former head of the bank supervision sector, who has herself been sued, doesn’t find it a laughing matter: “Why only in this country,” she exclaimed, “do the regulators go to the jail, and the bankers go scot-free?” (9)

Providing a Profile/Telling a Story

Sometimes your writing needs to focus on your interview subject as a full and complex individual. In order to analyze an issue, you need to write about this individual’s background, family, and previous experiences. In this situation, you’ll weave together information you gained from your interviews with quotations from this person. This kind of writing is common when you are using interviews to develop ethnographis case studies. In the following example of this technique, Kate Vieira, a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at UW-Madison, tells the story of Jocélia, an undocumented Brazilian immigrant living in Massachusetts:

Jocélia, a 22 year-old Brazilian woman who grew up in a favela (shanty town) in Brazil, came to the United States to study and to earn money. When her visa expired and the small sum she had borrowed from cousins ran out, she quit her ESL classes and began to work illegally. When I met her in 2008, she had been in the United States for 4 years, had managed to buy a house for her mother in Brazil, and had plans to buy another one for herself and a car. To earn money as an undocumented worker, she held down two jobs: one from 3 p.m. to midnight and another from 5 a.m. to afternoon. One evening, exhausted from having not slept in days, she nodded off as she drove home from work, resulting in a serious accident that led her to a friend’s house in South Mills and to a Catholic retreat. When I came here, I was not a youth who had fun. I only worked, and this made me a little frustrated, you know? Sad, lonely, understand? And nobody could change my mind. I had to work . . . But the Lord showed me something different, that I can’t live only for work . . . So I went there [to the retreat] and I really felt that the Lord touched us. It was a very good experience . . . (444)

Attending to Language

As explored in greater depth in the discussion about verbatim transcription , sometimes you want to analyze or consider the language an individual uses or the implications of certain kinds of words or even pauses. For example, in the following passage, Beth Godbee, a writing and rhetoric professor at Marquette University, meticulously considers the implications of her subjects’ specific words and phrasing. Although this example is taken from Godbee’s analysis of a conversation she recorded between a writer Susan and a writing center tutor Kim as opposed to a direct interview she conducted, the attention she pays to language could just as well be applied to information from an interview.

Kim reinforces Susan’s qualifications: “You’re gonna—you’re the specialist in this area. You know these kids; you see what know the effects are, and maybe where some change could be made” (lines 558-561). Here Kim revises her projection of Susan as a “specialist” in the future tense (“gonna,” as in “you’re going to be”) to a statement of her current position (“you’re,” or “you are now”). By repairing her speech mid-utterance, Kim emphasizes Susan’s current status and qualifications to write, thereby reframing her institutional power to assert her right to speak. (185)

Summarizing, Paraphrasing, or Quoting

As the above examples show, interview data is incorporated into writing through summaries, paraphrases, or quotations. In some ways this makes working with interviews just like working from any other kind of outside. As you choose between summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting, a guiding question for you to consider is: What is most important about this information?

• Is it the overall story it tells or the general perspective it provides? Then summarizing might be the best option.
• Is it the particular take on a complex issue? Then paraphrasing that idea in your own words to make it as understandable as possible might be best.
• Is it the memorability, specificity, or authenticity of the language the source used? Then probably go with a quote, but be sure to contextualize this quotation by providing necessary background and commentary.

Of course, in working with interview data, you might go with all three incorporation strategies by, for example, summarizing early in a paragraph to provide an overall sense of what this source is saying, paraphrasing a key idea or two, and then including a poignant quotation that exemplifies the argument you are making. For more information about quoting and paraphrasing outside sources in your writing, check out our resources on this issue .

Referring to your Interviewees

In certain writing situations, you are expected to identify the people you interviewed by using their real names. This is often the case in journalistic writing as well as when you have consulted with an expert on an issue. But, even in these writing contexts, you must receive permission from them to associate their words and insights with their names by clearly establishing whether or not they are talking with you “on the record.”

However, when you are conducting interviews for academic research, you are frequently expected to use pseudonyms so that your subjects’ responses are confidential. Protecting your subjects’ privacy should be your primary priority. They are giving you access to personal experiences and trusting you with their individual insights and observations; you must honor that trust by anonymizing their identities so that readers can’t figure out who your subjects were. Developing a research methodology that keeps all of your data confidential is an important part of the IRB (Internal Review Board) process, and in order to receive permission to do research at your institution you’ll need a plan that outlines how you’ll achieve confidentiality. Part of that plan will involve using different names for your subjects. But selecting pseudonyms is a bigger issue than just choosing different names at random.

Ruth Allen and Janine L. Wiles, Social and Community Health scholars at the University of Auckland, have closely considered the many issues surrounding pseudonym selection in connection to their original psychological and health-related research. They advocate that researchers think critically about this process and even bring their subjects into these discussions of identity and confidentiality. You need to be thoughtful about what aspects of your subjects’ true identities you are communicating or obscuring through the pseudonyms you use. The following questions are adapted from ones Allen and Wiles recommend researchers ask themselves when preparing to use pseudonyms for participants:

• Does the researcher or the participant choose the pseudonym? How does this issue get talked about with the participants?
• Is it important, valuable, or expected to use first name or also include last names and/or titles (i.e., Cara, Mr. Terrance, Dr. Jean Nichols)?
• Within the context of this writing, should the names to be associated with a specific gender, ethnicity, and/or culture? Should those nominal identity markers align with the participants’ actual identities?
• Do pseudonyms need to be selected for other people, places, activities, and organizations mentioned in the interview? And if so, who makes those choices?

How you answer these questions should be informed by your specific context. For example, in relation to that fourth question, if a participant is talking supportively about a small on-campus organization that you want to bring attention to through your writing, it might make sense to refer to this organization by name even though its size might make it harder to disguise your participant’s identity. However, if your interviewee is speaking critically about a large, multi-national corporation where she works, you might want to develop a pseudonym for that company in order to protect this individual as much as possible.

Using Verbatim or Non-Verbatim

When you are conducting interviews, you are engaging people in very focused conversation. But when we converse, we say “like” a lot and “um” and “ah.” We start sentences and then interrupt ourselves and never return to complete those earlier thoughts. Conversation is never as direct and naturally coherent as writing can be. As a result, when you’re representing other people’s speech, you need to decide if you’ll be employing what is called “verbatim transcription” or “non-verbatim transcription.”

In “verbatim transcriptions,” you write out what people say exactly as they say it. You include all the filler words, false starts, and grammatical inconsistencies. You may even choose to include coughs and laughs. Scholars have traditionally upheld verbatim accounts as being accurate depictions of the interview process, but as Blake Poland pointed out, “much of the emotional context of the interview as well as nonverbal communication are not captured at all well in audiotape records, so that the audiotape itself is not strictly a verbatim record of the interview” (291). “Non-verbatim transcriptions,” (sometimes called “intelligent transcription”) respond to this acknowledged gap between the complexities of real conversation and the limitations of writing by encouraging writers to focus on the primary substance of participants’ quotes. In “non-verbatim transcriptions, you eliminate the unnecessary utterances like “er,” “well,” and “you know” and just include the foundational meaning of the interviewees’ words.” For example:

Verbatim Transcription : Well, you see, I was [pause] the problem, as I saw it, was more of a, a matter of representation, you know? How can I, like, be the one that’s just out there just declaring the way things are when I’ve not even, like, you know, experiencing the whole process for myself? Non-verbatim Transcription : The problem, as I saw it, was more a matter of representation. How can I be the one that’s out there declaring the way things are when I’ve not even experienced the whole process for myself?

The choice to use verbatim or non-verbatim transcription in quoting your participants should be informed by intentional considerations you are making as a writer. There are good reasons to use either forms. As Mahesh Kumar has identified in a blog post for the Transcription Certification Institute, verbatim transcription is useful for showcasing the thought process by which interview participants develop their ideas. False starts and self-corrections track down how someone is thinking about an issue in real time, and some fillers can be useful expressions of personality. Additionally, some linguistics research and conversation analysis methodologies expect highly structured, verbatim transcriptions that even account for pauses and simultaneous dialogue. However, quotations presented through non-verbatim transcriptions are clearer and easier to read and enable you to present your interview subjects as articulate (Poland 292). Whether you go with verbatim or non-verbatim transcription, make sure that you are being consistent with this choice across your article, paper, report, or essay. Also, if it’s common in the genre you are writing to discuss your methodology choices, it may be useful to clarify which transcription form you have chosen to use and why this was an appropriate choice.

Works Cited

Allen, Ruth E.S., and Janine L. Wiles. “A Rose by Any Other Name: Participants Choosing Research Pseudonyms.” Qualitative Research in Psychology , Dec. 2015. Research Gate , doi: 10.1080/14780887.2015.1133746.

Bogdan, Robert C., and Sari Knopp Biklen. Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theories and Methods . 5 th ed., Pearson, 2007.

Calvert, Jane, and Joan H. Fujimura. “Calculating Life? Duelling Discourses in Interdisciplinary Systems Biology.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences , vol. 42, no. 2l, 2011. Science Direct , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2010.11.022 .

Godbee, Beth. “Toward Explaining the Transformative Power of Talk About, Around, and for Writing.” Research in the Teaching of English , vol. 47, no. 2, 2012, pp. 171-97.

Grutsch McKinney, Jackie. Strategies for Writing Center Research . Parlor Press, 2016.

Herrera, Yoshiko M. “The 2002 Russian Census: Institutional Reform at Goskomstar.”  Post-Soviet Affairs , vol, 20, no. 4, 2004, pp. 350-86.

Hutchcroft, Paul D. Booty Capitalism: The Politics of Banking in the Philippines , Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1998.

Kinkead, Joyce. Researching Writing: An Introduction to Research Methods . University Press of Colorado, 2015.

Kumar, Mahesh. “Verbatim Vs Non-Verbatim Transcription: Differences, Requirements, & Jobs.” Transcription Certification Institute , 5 December 2017. Accessed online 19 June 2017. https://blog.transcriptioncertificationinstitute.org/verbatim-vs-non-verbatim-transcription-differences-requirements-jobs/.

Poland, Blake D. “Transcription Quality as an Aspect of Rigor in Qualitative Research.” Qualitative Inquiry , no. 1, vol. 3, 1995, pp. 290-310.

Seidman, Irving. Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences . 3 rd ed., Teachers College Press, 2006.

Vieira, Kate. “Undocumented in a Documentary Society: Textual Borders and Transnational Religious Literacies.”  Written Communication , vol 28, no. 4, 2011, pp. 436-61.

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Let's chat best strategies to weave personal interviews into your paper.

You’ve searched through peer-reviewed journal articles. On your work table lies a tall stack of books you’ve accumulated from the expansive library shelves. You’ve bookmarked numerous e-books with helpful information for your research paper.

Yet it seems your aggregation of quality sources is still missing something to bring your paper to the next level of quality and authenticity.

That missing piece may just be quotes and information from a personal interview.

Personal interviews are considered primary research, meaning that you as the writer are collecting information right in the real world. Let’s find out what benefit they can add to your work.

WHY PERSONAL INTERVIEWS?

Primary research in the form of personal interviews gives an added layer of specialization to your accumulated information. Rather than applying your research topic to material you find, you begin with your research topic and discover information specifically relating to that topic.

Personal interviews, whether face-to-face, on the phone or over email, provide the opportunity for you to learn more about a particular topic and incorporate another credible source into your research paper.

TIPS FOR CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

Your first step is to find that credible source who you can talk to. Who you choose will obviously depend on your research topic—it may be a doctor, a lawyer, a business manager, a scientist, etc. But don’t just pick someone convenient with just a little bit of knowledge in some area. Select an interview subject that is credible, experienced and knows a lot about your research topic.

1) PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW

Before you dive into a personal interview, be prepared. Have a direction in mind for how the interview will go. It may be helpful to bring along your phone or some other device to record the interview. Think through what questions you want to ask and ensure those questions will help you in your research.

2) ASK YOUR INTERVIEWEE THEIR NAME AND OCCUPATION

Make sure you get this important information first so that you don’t forget. Ask her to spell her name so you don’t have to wonder if you got it right. Ask her to describe her occupation, daily work, experiences and any relevant certifications. Gathering this information will demonstrate the interviewee’s credibility on your research topic.

3) LISTEN AND FOLLOW-UP

Pay attention to what your interviewee is saying rather than trying to record her every word. If you don’t understand something she says, ask follow-up questions. Don’t only stick to your standard list of questions. Be open to take the conversation in a different direction.

INCORPORATE INTERVIEWS INTO YOUR PAPER

Now, you can use that valuable information to add credibility and support your research paper.

1) WEAVE CONTENT INTO YOUR PAPER.

The pages of quotes and information you’ve acquired can be used as direct quotes or paraphrases to support your main points.

As you look for what content from your interview to include in the paper, be sure those quotes or facts are relevant and add value to your main points. Just as in using content from a book or journal article source, information from interviews should be used as supplements to the content you write.

Also like book and journal article research, don’t take your interviewee’s comments out of context. Be sure his or her quote and intention match up. Maintain integrity when making decisions about what quotes to include where.

2) CITE YOUR INTERVIEW.

As you would with book or journal article sources, you’ll need to cite the information you’ve acquired from your personal interview. In writing, follow APA Style in determining what to include:

In-Text Citations

Like books and journal articles, include an in-text citation after you incorporate a direct quote or paraphrase into your research paper. Use the format:

(First initial. Last name, personal communication, Month Day, Year).

For example, if you spoke to an expert in business management practices name John Smith on Dec. 5, 2017, your citation would look like this:

Ex. (J. Smith, personal communication, December 5, 2017).

Block quotes

If you select a direct quote that is 40 words or more, arrange the content in a block quote format. A block quote means you indent a half an inch from the left margin for the entire quote. Don’t use quotation marks around the block quote. And, after the quote, include the in-text citation.

Weave in quotes

Similar to incorporating sources from books and journal articles, weave in quotes with your own content. This will make the paper flow and helps your reader know your sources.

Not in Reference List

Since your personal interview is not a published work, DO NOT include it in your Reference List at the end of your paper.

Personal interviews provide a unique level of specialized information that can really add value to your research paper. By incorporating best practices such as conducting the interview thoughtfully, weaving quotes in seamlessly and citing your source properly, you can bring your paper to the next level of quality and credibility.

At Cornerstone University, you’ll experience numerous academic support resources to equip you to succeed in your degree program, whether that’s in writing a paper or other assignment.

Discover Academic Support

Ellie Walburg

Ellie Walburg (B.S. ’17, M.B.A. ’20) serves as the admissions communications coordinator for Cornerstone University’s Professional & Graduate Studies division.

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3 Writing Up the Methods Section

• Published: May 2013
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This chapter focuses on how to write up the methodological procedures of an interview study. It considers both standard formats for writing-up methodological procedures and non-traditional formats in which methodological descriptions are often integrated into the more general narrative of the text. The chapter first provides an overview of the most common elements that comprise interview reports, such as dissertations, journal articles, or monographs. It then presents three different ways of conceiving of the methods section—as a prelude to the analysis and findings, as a postscript, and as embedded in the interpretation itself. It concludes with reflections on how to deal with the idea that, in qualitative interview research, the researcher is the most important “methodological instrument.”

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• > Doing Interview-based Qualitative Research
• > Designing the interview guide

Book contents

• Frontmatter
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Some examples of interpretative research
• 3 Planning and beginning an interpretative research project
• 4 Making decisions about participants
• 5 Designing the interview guide
• 6 Doing the interview
• 7 Preparing for analysis
• 8 Finding meanings in people's talk
• 9 Analyzing stories in interviews
• 10 Analyzing talk-as-action
• 11 Analyzing for implicit cultural meanings
• 12 Reporting your project

5 - Designing the interview guide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2015

This chapter shows you how to prepare a comprehensive interview guide. You need to prepare such a guide before you start interviewing. The interview guide serves many purposes. Most important, it is a memory aid to ensure that the interviewer covers every topic and obtains the necessary detail about the topic. For this reason, the interview guide should contain all the interview items in the order that you have decided. The exact wording of the items should be given, although the interviewer may sometimes depart from this wording. Interviews often contain some questions that are sensitive or potentially offensive. For such questions, it is vital to work out the best wording of the question ahead of time and to have it available in the interview.

To study people's meaning-making, researchers must create a situation that enables people to tell about their experiences and that also foregrounds each person's particular way of making sense of those experiences. Put another way, the interview situation must encourage participants to tell about their experiences in their own words and in their own way without being constrained by categories or classifications imposed by the interviewer. The type of interview that you will learn about here has a conversational and relaxed tone. However, the interview is far from extemporaneous. The interviewer works from the interview guide that has been carefully prepared ahead of time. It contains a detailed and specific list of items that concern topics that will shed light on the researchable questions.

Often researchers are in a hurry to get into the field and gather their material. It may seem obvious to them what questions to ask participants. Seasoned interviewers may feel ready to approach interviewing with nothing but a laundry list of topics. But it is always wise to move slowly at this point. Time spent designing and refining interview items – polishing the wording of the items, weighing language choices, considering the best sequence of topics, and then pretesting and revising the interview guide – will always pay off in producing better interviews. Moreover, it will also provide you with a deep knowledge of the elements of the interview and a clear idea of the intent behind each of the items. This can help you to keep the interviews on track.

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• Designing the interview guide
• Eva Magnusson , Umeå Universitet, Sweden , Jeanne Marecek , Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania
• Book: Doing Interview-based Qualitative Research
• Online publication: 05 October 2015
• Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107449893.005

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Essay Papers Writing Online

How to write an engaging and informative interview essay that captivates readers.

Are you ready to embark on a journey of words and emotions? Do you yearn to bring real-life stories to life on paper? If so, then the art of conducting an interview essay might just be the path for you. Through a delicate amalgamation of acute observation, introspection, and empathetic listening, you can unravel the intricacies of a person’s life and translate their experiences into a captivating piece of writing. Discover the key steps and techniques that will help you become a master of the interview essay genre.

Imagine yourself as a literary detective, armed with a notepad and pen, delving into the depths of someone’s thoughts and experiences. Your duty is to uncover the hidden layers of a person’s soul and translate them into a narrative that captivates the reader from the very first word. The interview essay offers a unique opportunity to break through the boundaries of traditional storytelling and delve into the realm of intimate conversations. Using skillful questioning and active listening, you can extract stories that will resonate with readers and give them a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Crafting a successful interview essay requires the delicate balance of objective reporting and subjective interpretation. It is a dance between the facts and the emotions, the words spoken and the unspoken truths. As an interviewer, your role extends beyond mere transcription; you are an interpreter, a curator of stories, and a storyteller. By carefully selecting the most powerful quotes, weaving them into a coherent narrative, and providing insightful context, you can create a compelling tapestry of human experiences that will inspire and enlighten your readers.

Overview of Interview Essays

In this section, we will explore the fundamental aspects of conducting and presenting an interview essay. By delving into the art of conversation and storytelling, interview essays provide a unique opportunity to capture the essence of an individual’s experiences and perspectives. These essays allow readers to gain insight into a person’s life journey, accomplishments, and insights on various topics, offering a glimpse into their world.

Interview essays go beyond the realm of traditional journalistic interviews, offering a more personal and in-depth exploration of the interviewee’s thoughts and emotions. Unlike a standard news article or report, interview essays focus on the individual and their unique perspective, providing a platform for their voice to be heard.

Throughout the essay, the interviewer must skillfully navigate the conversation, asking thoughtful and probing questions to elicit meaningful responses. It is crucially important to establish a comfortable and trusting environment, allowing the interviewee to open up and express themselves authentically. The interview process requires active listening and keen observation, ensuring that the essence of the interviewee is accurately portrayed.

The structure of the interview essay typically begins with an engaging introduction that introduces the interviewee and sets the tone for the rest of the piece. Following the introduction, a series of questions and answers, presented in a logical and coherent manner, form the body of the essay. This section should highlight the most compelling and enlightening aspects of the interview, showcasing the interviewee’s unique insights and experiences.

As the interview draws to a close, a well-crafted conclusion synthesizes the main points discussed during the interview, providing a final reflection on the interviewee’s thoughts and perspectives. This section should leave the reader with a lasting impression of the interviewee and their story.

In summary, interview essays offer a captivating and rich exploration of an individual’s life and experiences. Through thoughtful questioning and careful listening, these essays provide a platform for the interviewee’s voice to be heard, shedding light on their unique perspective and contributions to the world.

Choosing an Interviewee

When embarking on the task of conducting an interview essay, one of the most crucial decisions to make is choosing the right interviewee. This individual will be the subject of your essay and plays a significant role in shaping the overall narrative and content. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider several factors when selecting an interviewee.

First and foremost, it is essential to choose an interviewee who possesses expertise or experience in the subject matter you wish to explore. The interviewee should have valuable insights and a deep understanding of the topic, ensuring that the interview will provide meaningful and informative content. Consider professionals, experts, or individuals who have unique perspectives that align with your essay’s theme.

In addition to expertise, it is crucial to select an interviewee who is willing and enthusiastic about participating in the interview. Look for individuals who are open to sharing their thoughts and experiences, and who express genuine interest in engaging in a conversation about the chosen topic. This will ensure that the interview is engaging and that the interviewee is willing to provide detailed and insightful responses.

Another factor to consider when choosing an interviewee is their accessibility. It is important to select someone who is readily available and willing to commit the necessary time for the interview. Consider individuals who have a flexible schedule or who are willing to accommodate your interview request. This will help ensure that you can conduct the interview within your desired timeframe.

Lastly, consider the diversity and representation that the interviewee can bring to your essay. Aim for inclusivity and diversity by selecting individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, or perspectives. This will enrich your essay and provide a broader range of insights and experiences to draw from.

In conclusion, choosing the right interviewee is a critical step in writing a successful interview essay. It requires careful consideration of factors such as expertise, willingness to participate, accessibility, and diversity. By selecting the most suitable interviewee, you can ensure that your essay will be engaging, informative, and provide a unique perspective on the chosen topic.

Tips for selecting the right individual to interview for your article

Choosing the right person to interview for your essay is a crucial step in ensuring that your piece is insightful and engaging. The individual you select should have firsthand knowledge or experience related to your topic, offering unique insights and perspectives. Taking the time to carefully select the right person will not only enhance the quality of your interview essay but also lend credibility to your work.

Firstly, consider the expertise and background of the person you are considering interviewing. Look for individuals who have extensive knowledge and experience in the field you are focusing on. This could be a subject matter expert, a professional in the industry, or someone who has had personal experiences relevant to your topic. These individuals can provide valuable insights and opinions, allowing your essay to delve deeper into the subject matter.

In addition to expertise, it is essential to choose someone who is articulate and can effectively convey their thoughts and experiences. Good communication skills are a vital aspect of a successful interview. Look for individuals who can express themselves clearly and concisely, ensuring that the information they provide is easy to understand and engaging for your readers.

Another important factor to consider when selecting an interviewee is their availability and willingness to participate. Ensure that the person you choose is willing and able to commit the necessary time and effort to the interview process. This could include conducting in-person interviews, phone interviews, or even email correspondence. Being flexible and accommodating to the individual’s schedule is key to obtaining the information you need for a compelling interview essay.

Finally, aim for diversity when selecting an interviewee. Consider individuals from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. This will not only provide a well-rounded view of your topic but also make your essay more relatable and interesting to a wider audience. Including diverse voices and opinions will enrich your work and make it more impactful.

By following these tips and selecting the right person to interview, you can ensure that your essay is informative, engaging, and offers a unique perspective on your chosen topic.

Preparing for the Interview

Getting ready for an interview is a crucial step towards a successful conversation that will leave a lasting impression on the interviewer. Adequate preparation is important as it helps you feel confident and ready to showcase your skills and qualifications. In this section, we will discuss the key steps to take before an interview to ensure you are well-prepared and can present yourself in the best possible light.

• Research the company: Before attending an interview, it is essential to research the company you are interviewing with. This includes understanding their mission, values, products or services they offer, and any recent news or projects. This knowledge will not only demonstrate your interest in the company but also allow you to ask relevant questions during the interview.
• Analyze the job description: Take the time to thoroughly analyze the job description for the position you are applying for. Identify the key skills, qualifications, and responsibilities mentioned in the description. This will help you tailor your answers during the interview and showcase how your experience aligns with the requirements of the role.
• Prepare your answers: It is a good idea to anticipate some of the questions that may be asked during the interview. Practice your answers to common interview questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” This preparation will help you showcase your skills and qualifications confidently and concisely.
• Prepare questions to ask: In addition to answering questions, you should also prepare some questions to ask the interviewer. This shows your enthusiasm and interest in the role and allows you to gather more information about the company and the position. Consider asking about company culture, team dynamics, or opportunities for growth.
• Dress appropriately: First impressions matter, so it is important to dress professionally for the interview. Research the company’s dress code and aim to dress slightly more formal than what is expected. Ensure that your attire is clean, ironed, and appropriate for the industry.
• Practice good body language: During the interview, your body language can speak volumes. Practice good posture, maintain eye contact, and use confident and friendly gestures. This will help you appear engaged and interested in the conversation.
• Gather necessary documents: Before the interview, gather all necessary documents, such as copies of your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications or references. Organize these documents neatly in a folder or portfolio, so they are easily accessible during the interview.
• Plan your route and arrive early: Before the day of the interview, plan your route and ensure you know how to get to the location. Consider traffic or public transport delays, and aim to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early. This will give you time to relax, collect your thoughts, and make a good first impression.

By following these preparation steps, you will increase your chances of success during the interview. Remember to stay calm, be yourself, and let your qualifications and enthusiasm shine!

Steps to take before conducting the interview to ensure its success

Prior to conducting an interview, there are several key steps one should take to ensure its success. By carefully preparing and organizing beforehand, you can maximize the outcome of the interview and gather the most valuable insights and information from your subject.

• Research your subject: Take the time to thoroughly research your subject before the interview. Familiarize yourself with their background, achievements, and any relevant work they may have done. This will not only help you ask informed and insightful questions but also demonstrate your interest and preparedness during the interview.
• Define your goals: Determine what specific information or insights you hope to gain from the interview. Clarify your objectives and the overall purpose of conducting the interview. This will help you structure your questions and guide the conversation in a focused and meaningful direction.
• Prepare a list of questions: Create a list of questions that will prompt your subject to share their experiences, opinions, and expertise. Mix open-ended questions with more specific ones to encourage thoughtful and detailed responses. Consider the flow and order of your questions to ensure a smooth and logical conversation.
• Consider the logistics: Plan and organize the logistics of the interview in advance. Determine the best format for the interview, whether it is in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing. Confirm the date, time, and location if applicable. Additionally, make sure you have all the necessary equipment ready, such as recording devices or notepads.
• Establish rapport: Building a rapport with your subject is crucial for a successful interview. Prior to the interview, introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the interview. Create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere during the actual interview to allow your subject to feel at ease and open up more naturally.
• Anticipate challenges: Anticipate potential challenges or obstacles that may arise during the interview. Prepare alternative strategies or questions to handle any unexpected circumstances. By being flexible and adaptable, you can ensure the smooth progression of the interview.
• Respect confidentiality: If your interview involves sensitive or confidential information, assure your subject of confidentiality and obtain their consent to share certain details. This will help establish trust and encourage them to share more freely and openly.

By following these steps before conducting an interview, you can set the stage for a successful and valuable exchange of information. Proper preparation and organization will ensure that you extract the most meaningful insights and present a well-rounded and informative interview.

Conducting the Interview

During this phase, you will have the opportunity to engage in a face-to-face conversation with your interviewee. This is a crucial step in gathering valuable information for your interview essay. The interview allows you to unravel the unique perspectives, experiences, and insights of your subject, bringing depth and authenticity to your writing.

Before the interview, it’s important to research your interviewee and become familiar with their background and work. This preparation will enable you to ask informed questions and show respect for their expertise. Showing genuine interest in their work will make them more willing to open up and share their insights during the interview.

When conducting the interview, create a comfortable and relaxed environment for your interviewee. Establishing a friendly rapport will help them feel at ease and encourage thoughtful responses. Begin by asking a few general questions to ease into the conversation and then gradually move into more specific topics of interest. Active listening is key during the interview; pay attention to not only the words spoken but also the tone, body language, and emotions conveyed.

As you progress through the interview, probe deeper into the interviewee’s thoughts and experiences. Ask open-ended questions that invite detailed and reflective responses. Be prepared to adapt your questions based on their responses to keep the conversation flowing naturally. It’s important to strike a balance between guiding the conversation and allowing your interviewee to express themselves freely.

Remember to be respectful and considerate throughout the interview process. Avoid interrupting and allow your interviewee to fully express their thoughts. Take notes during the interview to capture important details and to ensure accuracy in your essay. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification or additional information if needed.

By conducting a successful interview, you will gather rich material to create a compelling and engaging interview essay. The insights and personal anecdotes shared by your interviewee will add depth and authenticity to your writing, making it a truly captivating piece.

Techniques and strategies for effectively interviewing your subject

When conducting an interview, it is important to have a set of techniques and strategies to ensure a successful and insightful conversation with your subject. By employing these techniques, you can gather valuable information, establish rapport, and make the most out of your interview.

• Prepare: Before the interview, do thorough research on your subject to familiarize yourself with their background, expertise, and accomplishments. This will enable you to ask informed and relevant questions during the interview.
• Establish rapport: Building a connection with your subject is crucial to create a comfortable and open atmosphere during the interview. Begin by introducing yourself, showing genuine interest, and actively listening to their responses.
• Ask open-ended questions: Instead of asking questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” focus on open-ended questions that encourage your subject to provide detailed and insightful responses. These questions often start with “how,” “why,” or “tell me about.”
• Active listening: During the interview, give your full attention to your subject and demonstrate active listening. This involves maintaining eye contact, nodding, and providing verbal cues to show that you are fully engaged in the conversation. Avoid interrupting and allow your subject to complete their thoughts.
• Probing and follow-up questions: To dig deeper into a topic or clarify any ambiguous answers, ask probing questions. These questions can help you extract more specific details and provide a more comprehensive understanding of your subject’s perspective.
• Keep it conversational: While it’s important to maintain a professional approach, aim to make the interview feel like a conversation rather than an interrogation. Use a friendly tone, ask follow-up questions, and be empathetic to create an environment where your subject feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences.
• Record or take notes: To fully capture the interview, consider recording the conversation with your subject’s permission. Alternatively, take detailed notes during the interview to ensure accuracy when transcribing and referring back to the interview later.
• Thank your subject: Once the interview is complete, remember to express gratitude to your subject for their time and insights. Sending a follow-up message or a handwritten note as a token of appreciation can leave a positive impression and may result in future interview opportunities.

By utilizing these techniques and strategies during your interview, you can obtain valuable information, establish meaningful connections, and create a successful and insightful interview essay.

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Writing a Research Paper

• The Research Process: Getting Started

Choosing a Topic and Identifying Keywords

• Finding Library Materials: Using LibGuides
• Using HillSearch (Library Catalog) to Find Books, Ebooks, And Streaming Media
• Search Databases for Scholarly Journal Articles
• Synthesizing Sources
• Citing Your Research/Creating a Bibliography
• Where to Get Help with Research and Writing

Steps 1 and 2 : Initiation and Selection

Step 1 - Initiation :  When you receive a research assignment, read it carefully. Make sure you're understanding what types of sources your professor wants you to use - scholarly/peer reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, primary sources, etc. Refer to the definitions on the home page to get a clear understanding of the different types of sources.

Step 2 - Selection : Decide on a topic that you'll research. Your topic likely will change somewhat as you progress in your research as you learn more about your topic and find a particular area of focus.

How to Get Started With Topic Selection

The best topics are those that are meaningful to you. When choosing a topic, reflect on class discussions and readings. Was there any topic that intrigued you, perhaps related to a personal interest? Are you a science major taking a cornerstone history course on World War I? You might be interested in researching advances in battlefield medicine, for example. If you're not sure if your topic will work, check with your professor. A librarian can also provide input on whether the topic's scope is appropriate.

Where Can You Look for Information on Topic Selection

Anywhere! In addition to relying on your course readings and discussions, librarians encourage you to use Google as you explore potential topics. For example, a Google Search for "World War I Battlefield Medicine" turns up an interesting article from  The Atlantic , an entry from  Encyclopedia Britannica , and a  Wikipedia entry . These might not be the types of sources your professor wants you to use for your paper. But they will provide you with background information to develop a topic and come up with key words and search terms you can use to look for scholarly books and peer-reviewed journal articles.

Also consider consulting the library's  Subject Encyclopedias/Reference Works -  The library's reference collection contains works (both print and electronic) that can give you a broad overview of a topic, provide you with additional information to search for and ideas for search terms to use when looking for resources in the library catalog or databases. For example, if I'm interested in writing about the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and how it compares to the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, I might want to start by looking at reference works that deal with the history of medicine in the United States. The image below shows how you can limit your search for library materials to the reference works by selecting "Reference" as the location.

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How to write a seminar paper: A helpful step-by-step guide

Most students find drafting a seminar paper less tedious after conducting well-done research and seeking guidance from reliable sources. This article offers detailed step-by-step directions on how to write a seminar paper, from preparing for research to reviewing the final copy.

A seminar paper presents your original research on a specific thesis. A seminar can be a conference or any other meeting for discussion/training. It can also be a university class that includes doing a project/research. In both cases, a group(s) of people/students write a seminar paper about their research topics.

This article covers the following topics about a seminar paper:

• How to brainstorm about the research topic
• How to create a plan for your research
• How to start your research and where to get data
• How to write a good seminar paper (format)
• Tips for revising the paper

How to write a seminar paper in Nigeria

Although there are various formats for writing a seminar paper, depending on school and course of study, these formats are not too different from the general format. The steps outlined below will guide you on how to write a good seminar paper:

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1. Brainstorm about the research topic

Your group should generate ideas for the research. Brainstorming takes some time, but it is easier to research after listing ideas than diving into it without giving it much thought. The group can use the following methods to develop ideas for the research:

Write down the questions

Write down the questions for the research on a piece of paper and brainstorm answers. Below are some essential questions researchers should write down and provide answers:

• What is the topic of research?
• What do you know now about the topic?
• What type of research suits the topic (exploratory or confirmatory research)?
• What do you want to find out, or what is your objective for conducting the research?
• What type of data do you need (Quantitative or Qualitative)?
• Where will you get the data (primary and secondary data sources)?
• What is your target population?
• How large should your sample population be?
• How large should your data be?
• What data analysis method will you use?
• How long will the research and writing of the seminar paper take?
• How much will it cost to collect the data, print the document, etc.?
• What risks or challenges will you face when collecting the data, and how can you overcome them?

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Use the freewriting, net/tree diagram, or lists when answering your questions

To answer the questions using a freewriting style, write anything that comes to your mind for 10-12 minutes. After that, read your answers and highlight useful points. When done, make a summary to help you create a schedule for your research and seminar paper.

When listing ideas on how to do the research and the seminar paper format, list all the good and the bad ideas that come to mind on the paper. After that, select similar ideas and expand your list further. By writing down everything, you will develop even more ideas that you can use for your seminar paper.

The net style requires you to write short answers (two or five words) in the middle of the paper. Circle each idea and draw a line from the circle towards the end of the paper. Draw branches on the line for each new idea you think relates to the main idea. You can also use a tree diagram instead of a net diagram.

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2. Create a plan for your research

Writing a seminar paper requires extensive research, original research, data collection and analysis, and excellent writing skills . Therefore, the group should start their research early instead of doing the workload a few days before the deadline.

Answering the research-related questions you brainstormed will help you plan a schedule for daily or weekly tasks during the research and writing the seminar paper.

Since there is no such thing as “enough time,” cover a section of your research or seminar paper as scheduled to avoid piling work. You will compile everything and write a final copy of your seminar paper at the end of the research.

3. Start your research and where to get data

After brainstorming and creating a schedule for your research, collect the materials and resources you need to do the work. You can use the following data sources , but always ensure your source is authentic and reliable.

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Primary data sources

Primary data sources provide direct or firsthand evidence/information about the topic to enable the researchers to understand what happens in real life. Your primary data sources can be:

• Oral and written interviews
• Observations
• Surveys and questionnaires
• Focus groups
• Oral histories

Secondary data sources

Secondary data sources provide data collected by other researchers or any other party. Analyzing such data allows researchers to enhance the quality and accuracy of their insights into their study topic. Most secondary data comes from external organizations, but you can collect it within an organization. Here are some types of secondary data sources:

• Autobiographies and memoirs
• Diaries, personal letters , and correspondence
• Internet (email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups)
• Photographs, drawings, and posters
• Works of art and literature
• Government archives and databases.
• Corporate or an organization's archives and databases.
• Academic research copies and books from libraries

Below are things that can help you establish trustworthy secondary data :

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• An author is an expert or a well-respected publisher.
• Citations used in academic research copies are authentic.
• The writer made an unbiased analysis of the topic.
• The information is up-to-date.

4. Draft your seminar paper

A university seminar/research paper consists of the following major sections:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Data analysis and findings
• Conclusion and recommendations

The best way to write a seminar paper is to draft separate documents for each section and compile the final document later. For instance, write the findings from each data source separately and compile the data analysis and findings section at the end. The approach saves time and relieves you of the workload of writing the entire paper at the end of your research. You can follow the following guide when writing your seminar paper:

Write the cover page

The cover page of the seminar paper contains the topic of research. You should state your topic in the smallest possible number of words, bold it, and move it 3-4 inches down from the top margin.

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Right below the title, write the names of the researchers/students, their student ID numbers, the name of your department and university, and the date of submitting the seminar paper. Do not bold this section.

Write the abstract

The abstract is the overview of your thesis and is generally very short. A thesis is a statement or theory the researcher seeks to prove or maintain. It is usually a brief, direct statement that summarizes the main argument of a research paper. Your thesis should be practical, express your opinion, and present an original perspective.

A thesis statement sample: Community codes of conduct should be mandatory in new developments as they help improve home values, community involvement, and safety.

Write the table of contents

The table of contents shows the structure and elements of the seminar paper. You should insert it right after the abstract when you are done writing the paper. This way, you can reference the right pages for each section. The table of contents must also show the references and appendices page.

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Write the introduction

Your introduction kind of reviews the contents of the entire seminar paper. Therefore, only write the main ideas. Start with why the research topic is important, summarize the background information, state your thesis, and convey your data collection methods. The following questions will help you write a good introduction for your seminar paper:

• Why is the topic being studied?

Write why the research topic is important. They can be issues you seek to find solutions for through research.

• How is the topic being studied?

Write the data collection methods you will use to do the research.

• What is being studied?

Assume your readers need to learn about your research topic and write background information about it for them.

Write your data analysis results and findings

You can write your data analysis results and findings when your abstract and introduction are ready. You should be extremely careful when writing this section because it is the most important part of the seminar paper.

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Outline all facts you learned from the data analysis concerning your research topic. In this section, you do not discuss these facts. Instead, you only state them. Also, you should do in-text citations (using the appropriate citation format) to show secondary data sources you got the facts.

Write your conclusion and recommendations

After writing your data analysis results and findings, write your conclusion and recommendations. The conclusion supports or opposes your thesis statement, while recommendations are alternative solutions a researcher suggests as better ways of solving the problem the research addressed.

Your conclusion and recommendations report should emphasize the ideas presented in the research rather than the data you collected and proof.

For example, when writing a conclusion for the following thesis statement sample :

Community codes of conduct should be mandatory in new developments as they help improve home values, community involvement, and safety.

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The researcher must support or oppose making community codes of conduct mandatory. After that, the researcher should suggest other ways of improving home values, community involvement, and enhance safety without making community codes of conduct mandatory.

Write the references

Create a reference list of the secondary data sources you used in the research. They can be books, journals, magazines, periodicals, websites, eBooks, newspapers, etc. There are various citation formats or styles. Therefore, use the appropriate one for your school or course.

• The Humanities research papers use the MLA (Modern Language Association) style.
• APA (American Psychological Association) is used in Education, Psychology, and Sciences research papers.
• Chicago/Turabian style is used in Business, History, and Fine Arts research papers.

Write the appendices

You place the appendices section after the references page. It contains a list of pictorial data presentation methods you used to present your data analysis results. They can be tables, graphs, maps, etc.

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5. Revise the paper

When you finish writing your seminar paper, revise and proofread it to correct misleading information and grammar mistakes. You can also refine the contents of the paper before printing it out. Ensure you and your supervisor are satisfied before printing the final draft.

What is the difference between a seminar paper and a research paper?

A seminar paper shares many features with a regular research paper but is more advanced than a research paper. Unlike a basic research paper , a seminar paper also requires:

• An argument that makes an original contribution to the existing scholarship on your subject
• Vast research that supports your argument
• Comprehensive footnotes or endnotes (depending on your documentation style).

How do I start writing a seminar paper?

A seminar paper should have the following sections: a cover page, an abstract, a table of contents, an introduction, data analysis & findings, a conclusion & recommendations, a list of references, and appendices. These sections should follow each other systematically, from the cover page to the appendices as listed.

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How do I create a seminar file?

A seminar paper could be anywhere between 12-20 pages. After writing the abstract, introduction, data analysis & findings, and conclusion & recommendations sections insert the cover page above the abstract and table of contents between the abstract and introduction. Insert the references and appendices pages after the conclusion & recommendations. Appendices should be on the last page of your document.

There you have it - now you know how to write a seminar paper. Preparing for the research comes first, followed by the research itself. Writing the seminar paper comes last. Handle these tasks separately because they are time-consuming and require dedication.

Legit.ng published an article on how to write a formal letter . You can use your laptop, tablet, or smartphone to compose a formal letter instead of handwriting it. Also, some devices allow you to install apps that can scan your handwriting and transform it into typed text.

However you want to do it, remember to follow the standard rules for writing formal letters. Your letter will only look appealing if you observe formal writing rules.

Source: Legit.ng

Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 3 years of experience in writing informational and entertainment articles, researching, editing, and proofreading. She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi (class of 2019). She joined Legit.ng in April 2022. She covers bios, marketing & finance, tech, fashion & beauty, recipes, movies and video game reviews, culture & traveling. In 2023, Peris finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. Email: [email protected].

Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: [email protected]

More From Forbes

How to answer “why are you interested in this role” in 2024.

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The key to answer "Why do you want this job?" is to research the role and highlight unique angles ... [+] that are not typical of the job

You've been practicing for weeks.

You've (finally) figured out how to answer all the tough interview questions you know you're likely to be asked for your dream remote job.

But for some reason, you can never quite get past this question: "Why are you interested in this job/position/role?"

In theory, it's a ridiculously easy question to answer. Because why on earth would the hiring manager ask you that question when you are clearly motivated for the job? Surely, you wouldn't apply unless it was something you were interested in, right?

And at the end of the day, especially if you've been out of work for months or even years, why else would you want a job except to get back on your feet again? The answer to "Why are you interested in this role?" may seem fairly obvious—but you're wrong.

Applying for a job because you are in it mainly for the salary, because it's work-from-home, or applying because you like the idea of the prestige associated with the role itself or the employer, are not sufficient enough motivations to ensure wholehearted commitment to your job—and these will certainly not pass as good enough reasons for the hiring manager to take you seriously and hire you.

You need to provide the talent acquisition team and hiring manager with something more tangible and meaningful to persuade them that you are committed to the job as a career, a stepping stone, and not just something to make money and survive. Otherwise, any wise employer knows that without the right motivations, an employee will quickly lose interest and either job hop or prove unreliable and distracted when on the job.

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, why does the hiring manager ask "why are you interested in this role".

Employers may ask the same thing in different ways. For instance, they may rephrase this question as, "What made you apply for this position?" or "What interests you most about this role?"

These are all fundamentally the same, and employers ask this to gauge several key insights about you, including:

• Your motivation, passion, and enthusiasm for the role
• Would your expectations align with the reality of the position and where the company is headed?
• Do your skills and experience perfectly match with the role?
• Are your personal and career goals aligned with the job? Do you even have any career goals, for that matter?
• Are you committed to adding vale to the organization?
• Do you understand the role you have applied for and what it entails? Have you read the job advert thoroughly?

Employers want to ascertain that you understand the role and its requirements, and have the right ... [+] expectations

How To Answer "Why Are You Interested In This Position?" Effectively

To satisfy each of the points above effectively, here are some steps you should consider that will help you formulate a compelling answer for your remote job interview:

1. Research The Role

This is the most obvious step you should take, but you should remember that this research extends beyond the role itself (as the job title might vary in meaning depending on the company you work for). You should research the company and the specific project, department, team, or program your role is being recruited to fill. This enables you to have a thorough grasp of the position and understand if it is what you initially expected.

2. Highlight Unique Angles Of The Role

The next step is to highlight unique aspects of the role that appeal to you the most. This demonstrates that you have undertaken due diligence to research the job, and shows them that you are keen and committed to the role. For example, if you were being hired to work as a program manager, you could talk about the specific program that you know you will be managing, and how excited you are about the program and its objectives, especially if it is something that resonates with you personally.

You should also make reference to how you are well positioned to contribute in the company within this role, based on your unique background and career achievements.

3. Align Answer With Yours And The Company's Goals

Finally, you need to ensure that your answer makes strong reference to how this particular position is part of your career plan and will help you achieve your long-term career goals. This is especially necessary if you are making a career pivot, as employers will likely be extremely curious as to why you are completely switching roles and applying for a job that has no relation to anything you've done previously.

You should also consider the company's vision and mission statement, and ensure your overall answer conveys the value you aim to provide to their organization in helping them achieve their business goals.

Sample Answer For "Why Are You Interested In This Position?"

So, a sample answer for a program manager at a healthcare organization would be:

"I am excited about this program manager role at [company name] because it aligns perfectly with skills and personal career goals to [career goal in X number of years]. Throughout my career so far, I have been deeply passionate about driving strategic initiatives and overseeing complex community health projects from inception to successful completion. This role as a [name of role and team name] provides the ideal platform for me to leverage my experience in project management, team leadership, and process optimization.

Your career goals, and their alignment with the company's goals and values, play a major role in ... [+] determining if the job is a right fit

"One of the aspects that drew me to [company name] is your commitment to innovation and excellence within the industry. [Go into further detail, briefly, about a specific project they completed recently that resonates with your personal values and professional aspirations].

"In my previous position at [previous company], [relate how your background is perfectly suited to the requirements of the role].

"I am also particularly interested in the opportunity to work at [company name] because of your strong emphasis on professional development and employee growth. I am eager to bring my expertise to your team and continue to grow as a program manager in such a supportive environment, while being a part of a company that is leading the way in [specific industry]."

Structuring your answer in this way perfectly highlights to the interviewer just why your motivations, skills, and experience, make you a strong fit for the position.

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How to Prepare for an Interview

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Preparation is one of the most important keys to a successful interview and potential job offer. Most interviewers will decide for you in the first 30 seconds of the interview. Your level of knowledge, experience, professionalism, and mannerisms you exude is critical throughout the interview process. Researching the organization and networking with any contacts there will help organize your efforts as you prepare to meet company representatives.

What should you do in the 24 hours before your interview? Here are a few last-minute tips to help you get together before the interview.

The Day Before

• Get plenty of sleep so you can be alert and provide thoughtful answers to your interviewer.
• If you need to find out where the interview is taking place, do a practice run before the interview. Check the gas tank or the bus/train schedule to help proactively avoid delays on the day of the interview.
• Review your research on the organization and your resume. Make notes on the skills you acquired in each job or activity. Develop a shortlist of why your skills and experience match the position. Prepare a small list of questions for the employer. If you have a portfolio of your work, mark relevant pages to refer to during the interview. Think about what makes you stand out from other job candidates.
• Bring extra copies of your resume, application materials, and a paper and pen if the interview is in person. Use a professional portfolio or bag to carry your materials.
• Wear professional attire following your gender expression. Press and lay out your clothes, even if the interview is virtual.

   Overall suggestions:

• Dress in a dark or neutral color suit, dress shoes, and neutral hosiery.
• Keep make-up as natural as possible. 
• Minimize jewelry.
• Wear freshly pressed clothing and polished shoes.
• Hair should be neat, clean, and trimmed.
• Keep nails manicured. Avoid flashy or bright nail polish.

Interview Day

• Eat a high-protein and high-carbohydrate breakfast to boost your energy.
• Review your resume and notes.
• Practice answering potential interview questions. This will help you feel comfortable with the process.
• Read the newspaper or check the Internet to be prepared for the “ice-breaker” small talk around the day’s events.
• Plan to arrive at the interview location 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview. You should check the traffic conditions to help you plan your commute. On time is late, and early is on time!
• Avoid perfume/cologne and smoking before the interview.
• Carry a small portfolio to hold your resume and pen.
• Do not wear your outerwear in the interview. Overcoats should be taken off before you go into the interview.
• Do not wear sunglasses or headphones during the interview or while waiting for it to begin.
• Check the weather before leaving for your interview. If it is raining, use an umbrella.

Twenty Minutes Before

• Arrive with time to stop by the restroom for any last-minute touch-ups. Check for stray human and animal hair, shoulder flakes, and static cling. Before the interview, wash and dry your hands if you get sweaty palms.
• Be courteous to all support staff, including the security guard. You must always find out who is providing input for the selection process.
• While waiting for the interview, people watch and pick up clues about office culture. Observe how people dress and interact with one another. How diverse is the workforce? Will you feel comfortable working here?
• Turn off your cell phone alarms before the interview.
• Still nervous? Try taking slow, deep breaths to help you relax.

During the Interview

• Be yourself!
• Eye contact and smiles help build a connection with your interviewer(s).
• Wait to be seated and sit in the chair in a straight position.
• Try not to convey nervousness. Playing with items on a desk, swinging legs, or cracking knuckles will distract from your presentation.
• Approach interactions with employers with care and professionalism.
• Do not interrupt the interviewer. Listen to the questions carefully before answering the question.
• Speak with confidence and enthusiasm.
• If you do not know the answer to a question, do not pretend you do.
• Take your time answering questions by being thoughtful with your answers.
• Remember to ask them what the next step is and when you can expect to hear from them.
• At the end of the interview, ask for business cards.

Things to Avoid

• Remember to let the interviewer take the lead in the interview and not overpower anyone.
• Refrain from welcoming yourself to the interviewer’s desk space by placing your portfolio on the desk. It is best to keep it on your lap at all times.
• Do not chew gum or breath mints during the interview.
• Do not use profanity, even if the interviewer does.
• Do not give one- or two-word answers. Share answers that use your personal and professional history to prove how well you match the ideal candidate’s profile. Find a way to make small stories, narratives, and examples for each possible question you might be asked.
• Do not call an interviewer “sir” or “madam.” Use the interviewer’s first name in the interview when appropriate, but do not overdo it.
• You do not need to stand if someone enters the office during the interview. It is appropriate to stand if you are introduced to the person who has entered the room.
• Sharing jokes or being overly humorous could cast doubt on the seriousness of your candidacy, so use your best judgment based on the situation.
• Do not criticize others, including past employers or associates.
• Do not listen in on telephone conversations or read or inspect documents on an interviewer’s desk.
• Do not ask, “Will I get the job?”
• Do not ask about salary, but be prepared to give a well-researched salary range if pushed for an answer.

After the Interview

• Take some time to write down some impressions of the interview. List the names of the people you met. Did you mention something about your background that you would like to include in a thank-you note?
• Within 24 hours of completing your interview, write a thank you email to the people you met.
• Evaluate the interview by asking yourself which questions were the most challenging. Make notes about improving your interviewing skills before the following interview.
• Contact the interviewer(s) if you are still waiting to hear from the company by the date they gave you.