Guidelines for Conducting Interviews.
Abstract
This report provides practical guidance for anyone, inside or outside the Air Force, interested in conducting interviews, especially for general data gathering and evaluation purposes. The report begins with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of interviews relative to survey or naturalistic observation and the skills and characteristics interviewers should possess. Then, interview ethics are discussed from free speech and privacy perspectives with emphasis upon the need for ensuring voluntary participation and maintaining confidentiality. Following this, discussion focuses on preparing for and conducting interviews. Issues such as sampling, selecting the type of interview, interview protocol development, and what to do to prepare for and conduct successful interviews are discussed. This includes practical suggestions on how to write questions, how to develop probes, and how to clarify understanding of what is being said. Finally, techniques for analyzing and reporting results are presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA328769
Entities
People
- Thomas W. Watson
Organizations
- Armstrong Laboratory