How do you interview someone for an essay?

Answer 1

Interviewing someone simply means asking them questions in order to learn more about them. You can ask any questions you wish, even if you think you already know the answer.

Here are some tips that professional journalists use:

• Interview the person in a quiet location where you can both concentrate on what you are saying.
• Plan ahead. Have some idea of what sort of essay or paper you will write - is this a "Getting to Know You" interview or a "I Was There" interview? Will you be looking for specific information about something the person is good at, or will you be asking the more typical beginning interview questions like "What is your favorite color?" or "Where do you live?"
  
• Have your questions written out ahead of time - if you know that the person is particularly good at something, for example, be sure you include some questions about that thing! Don't waste time trying to think of questions at the last minute.
• Let the person finish! Don't be in such a hurry to finish your question list that you interrupt the person when they're still talking. After they reply, wait a little bit to be sure they're not just pausing to think about something else.
• Ask open-ended questions like "What do you think about ___?" or "How would you handle this situation?" instead of questions that they can answer in just one or two words.
• Rephrase questions if you think the person didn't understand, or if you would really like a longer or more involved answer. Don't be afraid to sneak the same question in further along in a slightly different form.
• Get some emotion. Ask questions that will have emotional meaning for the subject. "Why do you care about ___?" or "What does ___ mean to you?" are good starters to get the emotions flowing.
• Tell them what you want. If you're looking for some particular thing - their viewpoint on a situation, a snappy quote for the paper, or a timeline of some event - just be blunt and say what you want them to do! Most people like feeling that they are helping you write.
• Thank them! A professional writer is always polite, and they have just spent a portion of their time helping you with your assignment.
  

Answer 2

When interviewing someone for an essay, prepare a list of questions that are relevant to the topic of your essay. Be sure to listen actively, take notes, and ask follow-up questions to gather detailed information. After the interview, transcribe your notes accurately and obtain any necessary clarifications from the interviewee.