• Interviews: Things to Consider

    Interviews are highly flexible and can provide rich insight into individual users’ perspectives on a space. Be sure to consider the following when planning interviews.

    • It is helpful to have a list of themes and questions to structure the conversation. Develop an interview script or guide which can be used to provide consistency between interviews and enable multiple researchers to conduct the interviews. Test out your interview questions in one or more pilot interviews.
    • You may wish to consult with campus assessment experts to discuss the design of your study and how to interpret results.
    • Think about the population segments you wish to include in the interviews and how you might recruit participants. It can be helpful to recruit interviewees at different locations at your institution. Pre-screen potential interviewees for core traits that match with the population you wish to study (ex. academic level, major, prefers to study in X location, lots of group work, etc.). Keep a list of potential interviewees for future projects even if they do not meet the criteria for your current project. Talk with your the institutional unit that oversees campus population data. They may be able to share email addresses and demographic data for particular population groups.
    • Recruiting participants and scheduling interviews can take more time than you expect, so plan ahead. Students will typically need an incentive for participation. Faculty will often agree to an interview without incentive.
    • Since interviews are typically one-on-one, allot time to hold a number of interviews in order to learn from as many participants as possible. Plan on 15-20 interviews per population segment you wish to study.
    • Arrange to have the interview in a space that will be convenient, quiet, and comfortable for the interviewee. You may want to hold an interview in a participant’s office or in a quiet area near where he or she works or hangs out on campus.
    • It’s important that the interviewer develop a rapport with the interviewee in order for him or her to open up and talk freely. You may want the interviewer to be a staff member who does not work directly in your organization (ex. non-library staff interviewer for projects about library spaces) in order to help the interviewee feel comfortable with providing criticism.
    • Remember that the interview is a conversation. Let the interview questions structure the conversation, but adapt them to the discussion as needed.
    • Record the interview in order to capture the conversation. Videotaped interviews provide an even richer dimension to the data. If you are unable to record the interview, take notes and immediately record them in a more permanent form once you’ve finished the interview.
    • As soon as possible after completing the interview, take time to document important ideas and findings that stood out. These notes can be helpful even before more in-depth analysis of the interview data.
    • IRB approval is necessary when working with human subjects. Work with your institution to apply for the appropriate IRB exemptions and/or approval before working with any participants.