Assignment -
Requirement: You need to interview 3 people, and come up with 8-10 questions per person interviewed. It's fine if there's overlap, but make sure the questions are appropriate for each individual.
Conducting Interviews -
Whom to Interview - Make sure you choose people who are connected to the problem. The more they know, the more information you'll gain from the interview. Try to choose people who have different perspectives and different types of knowledge and experience -- students, professors, patients, bus drivers, managers, etc.
Setting Up the Interview - Before you conduct the interview, you need to contact the person to ask permission to ask them questions. Be as courteous and polite as possible -- you are far more likely to get someone to say "yes" if you seem friendly, respectful, and open to hearing what they have to say. Remember to tell them that this is for a school project, which also will make them more likely to agree.
In most cases, you will send an email first to ask for the interview. If you don't know their contact information, you can usually find it online. Be sure to use proper email etiquette.
Address: If you've never corresponded with the person before, best to be as formal as possible. If they have a title, such as Professor or Doctor, use this followed by their last name. If they don't have a title, refer to them as Ms. or Mr., followed by their last name.
Coming Up with Questions -
You will need to come up with 8-10 questions for each person you interview. You may not end up using all of them, but you need to come in as prepared as possible. Make sure the questions are relevant to the person's position or connection to the problem. Avoid questions that are accusatory -- you want to make people feel as comfortable as possible, so they'll be willing to answer. Be sure to make the questions specific, and likely to elicit a longer response. Avoid questions that lead to simple yes or no answers, or that contain your own personal bias.
This is also a chance to get suggestions for how best to solve the problem, so be sure to ask them for their ideas.
Bad Questions:
Why is the food you make so gross? (rude and accusatory, includes bias)
Why does your job suck so much? (rude and accusatory, includes bias)
Did you ride the bus today? (yes or no question -- doesn't encourage elaboration)
What do you think about UB? (too vague and broad)
Conducting the Interview -
If you conduct the interview over email, you'll have the responses already typed out and ready for you. However, if you conduct it in person or over the phone, you'll need to be sure to either record or take notes, so you can be sure to get accurate information and quotations for your proposal.
Most phones have recording software; if you're not familiar with it, a quick Google search will give you instructions on how to use it. However, you must ask permission before beginning a recording. If the person you're interviewing does not want to be recorded, don't record (it's illegal). If you are allowed to make the recording, listen back through afterwards and write down some of the most important ideas word for word, so you can use them as quotations later.
If you take notes, it's similar to taking notes for a class. Write down only what's most important -- don't try to get every single word down. If the person says something particularly useful, don't be afraid to ask them to repeat it, if you didn't get it down the first time. Be sure to get at least a few things word for word, so you can use it as a quotation in the future.
Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar