Writing an interview report isn't as simple as it sounds, but by following specific guidelines, students can be guaranteed of earning a good

grade.
An interview report is one type of paper that students are often required to write for college courses, ranging from English to history to economics to science. In fact, you could be asked to write an interview report in almost any class that you take. For instance, in a recent humanities course that I taught, students were required to conduct an interview with a person they considered a creative genius, past or present, in art, music, literature, or architecture. (If the person were dead, naturally students had to use their imaginations and creativity.) Consequently, when, not if, you are faced with conducting an interview and then writing about it, if you keep the following guidelines in mind, you will be virtually assured of earning not just a passing grade, but perhaps even an outstanding grade.

How to Conduct a Successful Interview

Theoretically, interviewing someone might seem like a simple process. According to Joseph F. Trimmer (2002), however, although it might seem simple, . . . the process is never so simple or spontaneous as it appears on television (p. 34). Therefore, in order to conduct a successful interview, whether real or imaginary, follow these steps:

Choose an appropriate subject (Of course, exactly who is appropriate will be determined by the assignment). If conducting an interview with a real person, call beforehand, politely request an interview, and set an appointment. Decide in advance what you want to learn or discover about the subject. (Since this is an assignment, you most likely will be given specific directions regarding content.). If meeting the subject in person, make sure that you arrive on time and have all necessary tools, for example, pens, notebook, recorder, video or digital camera, etc. Design the interview to focus on the persons identity, story, and values (VanderMey, 2002) Prepare questions in advance and make sure they are relevant, meaning they will yield quality information and provide insight into the subject. However, its perfectly all right to ask questions that peek below the factual surface (VanderMey, 2002, p. 346). In fact, such questions can help make your report interesting and perhaps even entertaining. Ask both open and closed questions. Closed questions lead to simple, factual answers; for example: When were you born? Open questions, on the other hand, ask for more detailed and sometimes personal information; for instance: What is your most vivid memory of childhood? (VanderMey, 2002) Once the interview process is over, if conducted in reality, thank the subject for his or her time and promise to provide him or her with a copy when the report is completed.

Steps to Writing and Formatting the Interview Report

Once youve finished all the preliminaries, its time to sit down and actually write the report. The usual formatting begins with a brief introduction that provides the name of the interviewee; his or her credentials, position, or claim to fame; and the place and time the interview was conducted. Then, unless otherwise instructed by your professor, write the interview using a question and answer format, for example:

Question: Mr. Einstein, where and when were you born? Answer: I was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879, although I became a United States citizen in 1940 (Columbia, 1999).

Question: Where did you attend college? Answer: The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zrich (Columbia, 1999).

Note: In most college courses, students are required to cite information they learn from sources, thus, the in-text citations.

How to Conclude an Interview Report for a College Class

Once youve addressed all questions, dont just stop writing. You need a conclusion, and the best, as well as easiest, way to conclude is by renaming the interviewee and then providing a few summarizing thoughts regarding his or her qualifications, accomplishments, or perhaps what makes him or her so interesting, creative, entertaining, etc. Of course, just because youve now written the report, that doesnt mean its ready to submit for a grade. Before submitting it, you should naturally review and edit the report for grammar, word choice, sentence structure, and spelling (Spell Check is not infallible), since errors can have a negative impact upon the grade earned. In summary, as a college student you will probably be required to write interview reports at some point in your course of study, but if you know the steps involved and then follow those steps, you will greatly increase your chances of earning a good grade for your efforts. Sources: Trimmer, J. F. (2001) Writing with a Purpose; Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company VanderMey, R., Meyer, V., Van Rys, J., Kemper, D. & Sebranek, P. (2004) The College Write: A Guide to Thinking, Writing, and Researching; Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia (1993) New York: Avon Books

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