If you've worked on your school newspaper, you know that getting the perfect interview isn't always easy. Interviews are essential to the media. Just turn on the television to the morning news or flip to any page of the newspaper and you're likely to see people giving quotes left and right. The reason why? Having an interviewee who knows a lot about the subject being reported on makes the information more credible. A good interview can also lend an element of human interest to any topic.

So to show your teacher that your own research is rich in factual, relevant information, consider interviewing someone for your paper (but remember that an interview will not stand on its own in a paper without other sources). Here are tips for becoming a stellar interviewer:

Finding the right person First thing's first: the interview won't mean much if the person you're interviewing doesn't know much about the main topic of your research paper. If you're doing a report on horses, don't interview Dad just because he went to the Kentucky Derby once. You'd be much better off looking up riding stables in the phone book and calling a person who grooms horses all day. Some sources you may want to consider besides the phone book:
	Your friends. Depending on where their parents work, you could ask a buddy if it would be okay if you interviewed his dad or one of his dad's co-workers.
	Your extended family. If Grandma's up for it, she could describe her childhood or paint an oral picture of the decade you're researching.
	Your neighbors. The family next door used to live in Spain — perhaps they'd be willing to tell you all about paella, bullfights, and the Real Madrid football team!
	The park ranger, the grocery store owner, the chef in your favorite restaurant, the coach of your school's basketball team…anyone can be a potential interviewee. Just ask yourself who would be best suited to answer questions about your topic!
Timing is everything Now that you have a well-informed person who can give you loads of information that can't necessarily be found in books, you have to set up the actual interview. Things to keep in mind:
	Do it when it's convenient for your interviewee. Let's say you've asked Uncle Jacob for an interview (he's was a senator for 12 years and you're doing a paper on politics), but you live in Colorado and he lives in Washington D.C. Arrange a phone interview that works for his time zone rather than yours. After all, he's taking time out of his busy schedule to help you out!
	Always let the interviewee know approximately how long the interview will take. This can be as easy as calling up and saying, "Hello, Ms. Brown. Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed about training for running the marathon. I just wanted to let you know that I have about 10 questions for you, so it shouldn't take more than a half hour of your time when we do the interview next Tuesday."
	Prepare ahead of time. Setting up the interview should happen when you've begun your research, but way before you've started writing your paper. Give yourself plenty of time to gather the facts you need — both from written and interview sources — so you can blend them together in a well-organized research report.
Any questions? Always come up with the questions you want to ask your interviewee ahead of time. Avoid "yes" and "no" questions and stick to making inquiries that are open-ended. This ultimately allows your interviewee to let loose more details. So think up questions that will guide your interviewee, but don't restrict him. Exhibit A: What to ask when you're doing a report on gymnastics You: "Erica, winning the state junior gymnastic competition must have been exciting. In preparing for the competition, how did recent Olympic gymnasts and great gymnasts in past history inspire you?" Erica: "Well, winning comes with a lot of determination, hard work, and commitment. I've always admired Nadia Comaneci ever since I saw tapes of her perfect 10 performances at the 1976 Olympics. I also love Mary Lou Retton. She proved that a winning attitude and believing in yourself could put you in place to win gold. I tried to combine those values with the modern style of performance that we saw at this year's Olympics, and that's how I think I won. Exhibit B: What NOT to ask when you're doing a report on gymnastics You: "Do you look to any other gymnastics for inspiration?" Erica: "Yes." You: "Who?" Erica: "Mary Lou Retton and Nadia Comaneci." Obviously, Exhibit A will give you more information, and more importantly, more interesting information that can really add to your report. Taking notes during the interview How can you write down everything your interviewee says, word for word? There are two popular methods: Use a tape recorder as backup, so when you're writing you can fill in the blanks later. Be sure to let your interviewee know that you'll be recording the conversation. Write down the snippets that you think are most important, and when your interviewee finishes, ask him to repeat or clarify what he meant so you can get every word down. Both have drawbacks. A tape recorder can break or the recording may be of poor quality. Or there may be so many interesting things said that you forget to ask about all of them at the end of the interview. But don't fret. Check out some strategies for great note taking. Remember, you can always request your interviewee's phone number or e-mail address to follow up with more questions. Chances are, if you ask politely, he will be more than willing to help you out. Don't forget a thank you note! Regardless of whether you ask for your interviewee's phone or e-mail information, always ask for a mailing address so you can write a thank you note after the interview is complete. It doesn't have to more than a short, sweet message, but showing your appreciation is appropriate and welcome!

Thanks for reading!
Sincerely, Cara Pitterman

Learn more in Expand Your Research Vocabulary