Who is a good interviewee and what should I ask?
Selecting the right person to interview can take some time to consider as well as some time to arrange, so plan accordingly. As previously mentioned, the first criteria researchers use in determining who to interview is the overarching research question and the specific questions that will help to answer the research question.
Ethnographers interview people to understand their experiences with all kinds of things, whether they're an inhabitant of a place being studied, a user of a product being analyzed, or an authority overseeing a group of people. Think about what it is you are trying to find out, and from there consider who would be knowledgeable about the topic.
Example of Interview Questions
Turning to the example of the park, let's say you're trying to understand the how people who go to the park experience it. Therefore, you would want to develop questions that help you to understand a variety of people's experiences - e.g., How often do they come to the park and for what reasons? Do they come for more than one reason? When do they usually visit the park? Does their number of their visits to the park change with the changing seasons? How does the park feel when they're there? Why do they think it feels the way it does? Do they interact with other people at the park? Who and why? In what ways does the park benefit them? Is there anything that they dislike or wish was different about the park? Why? Are they more likely to visit the park now than they were in the past? If so, why?
If you were to pursue answers to those kinds of questions, you might want to interview a person who is not visiting the park for the very first time. By interviewing someone who has been to the park on multiple occasions, they will be able to say more about the park and their experiences with it.
On the other hand, not all interview questions are appropriate for all interviewees, even if they are helping to answer the same overarching research question. For example, if we are trying to understand how people who go to the park experience it, the questions above would be best suited for a person who goes to the park for leisure as opposed to work. If, however, we were to interview someone who works for the parks department and spends time tending to the park's landscaping, trash pickup, etc., we would likely change some of the questions to better suit an interviewee who visits the park as part of their job.
Selecting and Approaching Potential Interviewees
When considering who to interview, we must also be mindful of the fact that some people may be reluctant to participate in our research - maybe they don't feel comfortable, maybe they don't have time, etc. If you plan on approaching strangers to conduct short, in-person interviews, first take a moment to read your audience. Does the person look busy and engaged in work or a conversation with someone? You might not want to interrupt. Or does the person look a bit bored, maybe sitting quietly waiting for the time to pass? This person might be a better choice.
You also may consider presenting yourself in a way that will make them more likely to be receptive to your request to be interviewed. Wearing clothing that indicates you're a student at a particular institution, holding a clipboard and pen, removing sunglasses so your eyes can be seen are all ways to make yourself appear more approachable and signal to potential interviewees that you are well-intentioned. Approaching strangers with a smile and a gentle "hello" and/or "excuse me" is a good start. Then tell them you are doing a research project and are curious to know if they would be willing to talk to you for a short amount of time; it is best to tell them exactly how much time it will take - e.g., '5-10 minutes.' Be prepared for people you ask to participate to decline. That's ok and very common. Thank them and graciously move on.
Conversely, if you are trying to arrange an interview with a person who is an expert on your topic of focus, you will want to reach out to them via email or phone first, tell them a bit about your research, and see if you can set up a time to conduct an interview; again, be specific about how much time it will take, which, in this case would usually be much longer than 5-10 minutes as this research is more in-depth.
Because ethnographic research involves human participants, when conducting interviews, researchers also must follow a number of ethical considerations like getting consent from the interviewee to conduct the interview. Be sure to check with your instructor and/or human participant review board as the researcher needs to to follow all human participant research protocols determined by their institution (note: at some institutions, interviews for class assignments is not considered formal research and does not require a human subjects review board application). Regardless of what is required, all researchers should be aware and mindful of legal and ethical considerations when conducting research on people.
For a number of resources on ethical considerations, click here.
Finally, recognize that by asking someone, usually a stranger, to take time to participate in your research project, you are asking them to give you their time and energy. Think about what you can do to give back to this person in some way. In formal research, interviewees are often compensated; when doing interviews for a class assignment, funds for compensation may not be available. However, researchers can give back in other ways - you could give them a list of resources you have found on the topic, share your email address and tell them if they write you that you will give them access to read your final project, or make it a point to discuss some positive aspects of the topic at hand. Other times, thanking the interviewee and making sure that the interview wraps up in a way that leaves the interviewee feeling good about having spent time speaking with you can be sufficient.
For more examples of interviewing in ethnographic research, click here to check out the Examples page.
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