Senior Project Interview Information - Due March 7, 2012

SENIOR PROJECT INTERVIEW - DUE MARCH 7, 2012


As part of your Senior Project, you must interview someone who is connected to your essential question in some way. This can be someone who works within the profession that you're investigating, runs an organization that deals with your topic, or has been personally affected by your topic in some way (i.e., someone who has had cancer if your topic is the negative effects of cancer).

Interview requirements:

• Identify a person to interview
• Start with a list of people outside of your family you already know - neighbors, co-workers, supervisors, friends of the family. Professional organizations, organizational directories, and the Yellow Pages are good sources. You may contact an organization, school, or business directly and ask for the name of a person who would be willing to be interviewed.
• Arrange the interview.
• Once you have identified the person you wish to interview, you must contact them to set up an appointment. Make sure you clarify your purpose to the person you will be interviewing. You can make this contact:
• By telephone.
• By letter, followed by a telephone call
• In person
• By having someone who knows the person make the appointment for you.
• Prepare for the interview.
• Gather as much information as you can about this person before you conduct the interview. Prepare a list of questions that will help guide your research paper, as you will be using this as a source.
• Conduct the interview.
• Dress appropriately, arrive on time, and be polite and professional.
• Be prepared to spend a minimum of 20-30 minutes with your interviewee. Average 10-20 questions.
• Let the person know that you will be referencing this information in a documented paper and an oral presentation.
• If you hope to use a tape recorder, be sure to ask permission first.
• Take notes (even if you are taping).
• HAVE YOUR INTERVIEWEE PRINT AND SIGN THEIR NAME ON YOUR NOTES.
• Follow-up with the interviewee.
• Immediately following the interview, record the information gathered.
• Within a week, be sure to send a thank you note to the person you interviewed.
• POST YOUR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON YOUR BLOG, BUT ALSO TURN IN YOUR NOTES TO MS. GRANDCHAMP.

Sample Questions:

1. What does this topic mean to you?
2. How are you connected to this topic?
3. Do you have first-hand experience with the topic?
4. How long have you been connected with/affected by this topic?
5. Do you think this is a serious problem, or something that can be put off?
6. What are your thoughts on how to improve the problem?
7. What are your thoughts on the opposing views?