Once you've identified an expert on your subject, contact him or her to see if and when an interview is possible. Prepare interview questions ahead of time. The most effective interview questions are open-ended; that is, they ask for more than a yes or a no answer.

Before the interview

• make an appointment with the person you want to interview

• investigate your topic and learn about your source

•prepare four or five basic questions

During the interview

• ask informational questions (who, what, where, when, why and how)

• listen carefully

•ask follow-up questions

• take accurate notes and use a tape recorder (ask permission to record the person)

After the interview

• write a detailed account from your notes

• contact your source to clarify points or to doublecheck facts

On to the next section... Electronic Searching

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Last modified: October, 2003 by Steinke, Ague, Feuerhelm, Maxwell, and Warburg