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“Everyone has a story. When people are talking about something they know well and do well, they’re almost always interesting. And if they’re not, it’s generally your fault because you’re not asking the right questions and you haven’t made them comfortable. And once I learned that lesson, my journalism became a lot easier.” —MALCOLM GLADWELL, C-SPAN 2009
Elements of the Interview • Questions • Silence • Interruptions • Etiquette • Body language
Watch out for closed questions! • P1: “So do you ski, too?” • P2: “Yes, yeah.” • P1: “And, ah, how often do you ski?” • P2: “Maybe three times a week?”
Ask good questions • Questions should not lead to a dead end • Ask open-ended, not closed questions • Ask questions that cannot be answered with yes or no; short dead-end answers • Curb the conjunctions • Kill the trailing ellipsis
Hmmm…. • P1: “When you're skiing, do you like to use trick skis, have a preference for what kind of snow you ski on , or do you sort of take it as it comes, or do different things…new things….” • P2: “Ah, um. Yeah. I don't really use trick skis. ... But if you would have asked if I like back country skiing, I do that every once in a while.”
" • P1: “So I've got a few different pairs of new skis here. Would you say the Salomons are nicer than the Vokls?” • P2: “Well. .... Yeah. Probably. Yeah.”
Question Types • Tasks • Participation • Demonstration • Role Play • Sequence • Specific example • Can you show me how you would make a birthday cake? • Can you show me how I should make a birthday cake? • Show us how to make a birthday cake. • I’ll be the customer and you be the baker; show me how they should respond. • Walk me through a typical day. • Show us how to make a birthday cake.
Highly Open Questions • May be quite general: • “Tell me about yourself.” • “Tell me how you got started in show business.” • “What do you think about the upcoming election?” • “Tell me how you came to adopt 17 children.” • Answers may go anywhere and may be quite long. • Responses will likely need more editing • Good place to get powerful quotes • Dangers?
Moderately Open Questions • Answers are shorter than with highly open questions. • Semi-directed, often looking for focused information. • Often done as a follow-up question • “I’ve never met anyone who’s been to the North Pole once, much less twice! What made you go back the second time?” • “And why did you go to Chile for the next two babies?” • “How do you think Ron Paul will do?” • “How did George Lucas help you, specifically?
Moderately Closed Questions • Looks for particular information • Efficient • Surveys & political campaigns • Responses are usually only a few words: • “What effect do you think a Tea Party sweep could have on education?” • “What was your second film, and who was your co-star?” • “How did you keep from freezing while you slept?” • “What kind of household help do you have?”
Highly Closed Question • Usually looks for a one or two-word answer • “Will that change affect middle class income?” • “Who is your favorite leading man?” • “What kind of tent did you use?” • “Don’t you have a housekeeper?” • The more closed the question, the tougher to establish rapport or put the subject at ease. • Less flexible • Don’t work well with one on one interviews
Bipolar Questions • Allow interviewee to choose between two opposite answers. • “The Democrats or the Republicans?” • “Antarctica or Mount Everest?” • ‘’Sean Connery or Anthony Hopkins?” • “Public or parochial school?” • Surveys & political campaigns • Hard to establish rapport
Primary Questions • Can stand on their own: • “Tell me about your previous campaign experience.” • “What’s it like to work with Hugh Grant?” • “Tell me about your first time driving a dog sled.” • “What’s it like to put ten children to bed at once?”
Probing Questions • May also be categorized as other types of questions. • When more information is needed, possibly of a sensitive nature. • May be used when a question is being avoided. • “But aren’t there reports that some of that money disappeared?” • “Was the report in People accurate?” • “Did you leave them to die?” • “Some people say you are exploiting these children. What would you say to those people?”
Amplification Process • Follow up questions. • “So how will you make your decision about whether to run?” • “Hugh Grant is a very sexy guy. How were you able to deal with that and do your work?” • “What was it like to spend two weeks in the dark, with no sunrise or sunset?” • “Tell me about the first time you saw them. What was that like?”
Other kinds of questions • Accuracy checking • Summary • Clearinghouse or tying up loose ends And on and on and on……
