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IDST 150 Honors Rebekah Taveau

Conducting Interviews

Conducting an interview with an expert in your research's area is easy! Usually, experts or professionals in the field are easy to find. These can be employees in the area you're researching, public offiicials, professors who work in your area, celebrities or influences, etc., or a wide variety of other people. Once you chose a person, contact them as soon as possible and explain that you're a student conducting research for an assignment. Most people are more than happy to take time out of their day and talk about their work.

 

Why do this instead of relying totally on other research? Assignments will often benefit from the opinions of experts in the field. Along other reasons, performing an interview can:

  • Get you the most cutting edge research or opinions on your topic
  • Provide you with information you wouldn't have come across in your other research
  • Give your assignment personalized edge
  • Help your assignment stand out

Experts can also lead you in directions you wouldn't have thought to go in your research.

If you're interested in interviewing someone for your assignment, you can find several guides below that will help you prepare for and conduct an interview.

Creating and Conducting Research Interviews

If possible, interviews should be conducted face-fo-face or through Zoom (or a different video platform). if this isn't possible, phone emails are the next best bet, followed by email interviews. Remember that the person you're interviewing may have a preference.

 

Always remember that the person you're interviewing is doing you a favor. Be polite and respectful. 

Surveys

Survey research simply means collecting information about a group of people and gathering the results. Surveys are useful for learning more about the opinions and preferences, social issues, etc. of specific groups of people.

Creating and Conducting Surveys

Questionnaires

A questionnaire is a research tool that gathers information using a list of questions.

Creating and Conducting Questionnaires