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Academic Research Interviewing |
This module introduces basic interviewing skills. Interviewing is a common way to go about collecting a rich set of data by taking advantage of the knowledge and expertise of others. Employment interviewers certainly hope to do this when they talk with candidates for a position. Journalists also do this when they interview people for a story. Academic researchers also commonly use interviews to collect their data.
When you conduct an interview, you gain practical experience with gathering data from a primary source. This kind of research demands a considerable amount of preparation and planning. You must also establish an atmosphere of trust, exchange information, give and receive feedback, and sometimes perform a follow-up interview. Interviews incorporate critical thinking and problem identification as well as make use of many interpersonal skills such as active listening and note taking.
The main goal of this module is to introduce you to some common interviewing techniques. By the time you finish the Acamedic Research Interviewing module, you will be able to:
- describe a good interview atmosphere
- explain why preparation and planning are important
- demonstrate an understanding of types of interview questions
- analyze and evaluate an interview experience
- conduct an interview to gather information
- list the parts of an interview
- identify strategies for conducting each part of an interview
Activity 1:
This module is about talking to experts and professionals in order to obtain information for a research project. Use the "My Notes" tool on the right side of the toolbar at the top of the page to type your answer to this question:
What are some examples of situations where academic research interviewing would be useful to you?
Now that you have thought about situations where interviewing might be useful to you, read the information about how to conduct a successful interview.
The materials for the iStudy for Success modules were originally developed at the Jack P. Royer Center for Learning and Academic Technologies.
Additional materials were developed and assistance was provided by the University Learning Centers (ULC), University Park.
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