Interview Tips and Strategies
Personal interviews can add immediacy and human interest to a scholarly paper that is otherwise
well supported with credible, academic sources. As first-hand accounts, interviews are primary
sources. When conducting (and using) interviews, be respectful and be ethical. The tips below
ensure that interviews are obtained and used in an ethical and effective manner.
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Before conducting the interview, it is always a good idea to obtain permission in writing
from the interviewee for use of the interview material. While some teachers may not
require you to do this for course use, it serves as ethical and legal protection for you in
using the material and may be necessary if you ever use the material in a way that is
public. It can be a simple form that covers these basics:
I, [interviewee/person being interviewed], give [interviewer/person doing the
interview] permission to use my interview responses for academic purposes.
[signature of interviewee] , [date signed].
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While a physical interviewee signature is most effective, if the assignment allows long
distance interviews, additional precautions may be needed. The best option remains
having the interviewee sign and scan the permission form to email to the interviewer;
however, be sure to save the entire email with the permission form attached.
Consider carefully whom to interview. Does this person have any experience with the
topic? Will readers find this person’s experience valuable and credible? Can this person
give thoughtful comments and good examples? If you find during the interview that the
person is not really providing useful details, thank the interviewee for his or her time,
then find another person to interview.
Prepare questions ahead of time, and prepare more than you will need. Depending
on the topic and interviewee, one question alone may generate the perfect, detailed
answer that you need. However, most interviews need quite a few questions (and
sometimes non-prepared follow-up questions) to prompt the interviewee. Ask the
interviewee for specific details or examples to illustrate if initial responses are too sparse.
Use open-ended questions rather than those that can be answered with “Yes” or “No.”
Interview Notes should be kept as a way of documenting what was asked and what was
said. Audio recording should be used if you need word for word records; however,
interview notes do not need to be word for word and should indicate direct quotes (word
for word phrases or sentences) with quotation marks.
o When using these materials in an essay, there are three steps that must be used to
avoid plagiarism: 1) the source must be introduced and contextualized, 2)
quotation marks must be used around direct quotes and should not be used around
paraphrases, and 3) there must be a Works Cited entry with proper details about
the interview.
o When using all types of sources it is also essential to avoid mischaracterizing the
source. Do not take the interviewee’s words out of context or otherwise misquote
him or her.
Q & A. There is no single proper format for interview notes; however, most people feel
comfortable with a question and answer (Q&A) format.
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Respect is important. Questions may be sensitive to the interviewee, even if they do not
seem so to the interviewer. Be respectful of the interviewee’s feelings, and honor his or
her wish to not have something included in the interview. If an interview subject is
uncomfortable, try another question. Likewise, if the interviewer becomes uncomfortable,
he or she may politely end the interview with a phrase such as “Thank you for helping; I
believe I have what I need.” You can always find another person to interview. Always
thank the interviewee for giving his or her time, even if interview was not productive.
Consider where, how, and what interview information is used in your writing.
o Where: More than likely, the interviewee is not a leading expert on a subject, but
an example, perhaps, of how common an issue is, or how the average person feels
about something.
o How: Because this person may not be known to your audience, you should
introduce the person in a way that shows how he or she is relevant to the topic.
For example, if you interviewed a roommate about his experiences with diversity
on the college campus, and you were writing about the importance of diversity in
the community, you might say, “According to Jean Deaux, a first-year college
student, he was surprised to find many older, nontraditional students in his
classes.” Make a quick connection that shows why you would have chosen this
person in the first place. It can be a short phrase, and you do not need to do this
more than once in that essay for that particular source. Use his or her full name
the first time, then refer to him or her by last name only (not first name only, even
if this is your best friend).
o What (and How): Decide what information is most effective to support your own
purpose and position; this may be a quote or telling a part of someone’s personal
story or experience. Don’t use an extended narrative or the readers will lose track
of why you are giving them the information. Often one gathers a great deal of
primary interview material just to find the one sentence that will help the essay. It
is important to leave out irrelevant details; anything that does not help the writer
make his or her point will only weaken the impact of material that does support
the writer’s point.
o As with all sources, it is important to not just drop in someone’s words or
opinions without explaining. Use specific examples from the interviewee, but then
explain to readers why the information matters.
o Paraphrase carefully, and use quotation marks for direct quotes.
o See the handbook for MLA Format guidelines (or APA Format if appropriate) for
how to cite interviews and prepare the Works Cited entry. You must cite all
sources—even primary sources—used or mentioned in an essay.