Conduct your field research.

Printed Page 91

To learn more about conducting observations and making interviews, see Chapter 24.

To write an effective profile, you must conduct field research—interviews and observations—to collect detailed, firsthand information about your subject. The following activities will help you plan and carry out your field research.

Many writers begin with observations to get the lay of the land and identify people to interview, but you can start with interviews. You may even be able to make observations and conduct interviews during the same visit. Regardless of how you start your field research, come prepared: Dress appropriately, and bring preliminary questions and equipment for taking notes (be sure to ask permission before recording or filming).

Ways In

How Can I Manage My Time?

One of the best strategies for scheduling your time so that everything gets done by your deadline is backward planning.

  1. Buy or make a calendar (in print or online).
  2. Write the date the project is due and any other interim due dates (such as the date that your first draft is due) on the calendar. (Some writers like to give themselves a personal due date—the day before the official due date—so they have some wiggle room.)
  3. Move backward through the calendar, writing in due dates for other parts of the project:
    • Interview and observation write-ups completed (organize your scribbled and abbreviated notes into logical categories, add reflections or additional thoughts, and type your notes in complete sentences)
    • All field research completed
    • Follow-up observations or interviews completed
    • Initial interviews and observations conducted (leave at least a week for this process)
    • Interviews and observations scheduled (leave at least several days for this process)
Printed Page 92
image

Ways In

How Do I Set Up and Prepare for Interviews and Observations?

Printed Page 93
  1. Make a list of people you would like to interview or places you would like to observe. Include a number of possibilities in case your first choice doesn’t work out.
  2. Write out your intentions and goals, so you can explain them clearly to others.
  3. Call or e-mail for an appointment with your interview subject, or make arrangements to visit the site. Explain who you are and what you are doing. Student research projects are often embraced, but be prepared for your request to be rejected.

    Note: Be sure to arrange your interview or site visit as soon as possible. The most common error students report making on this assignment is waiting too long to make that first call. Be aware, too, that the people and places you contact may not respond immediately (or at all); be sure to follow up if you have not gotten an answer to your request within a few days.

  4. Make notes about what you expect to learn before you write interview questions, interview your subject, or visit your site. Writing a paragraph or two responding to the following questions might help:
Interview Observation
  • How would I define or describe the subject?
  • How would I define or describe my subject?What typically takes place at this location?
  • What is the subject’s purpose or function?
  • Who will I likely observe?
  • Who or what seems to be associated with it?
  • Why will my readers be interested in this location or the people who frequent it?
  • Why do I assume it will be interesting to me and to my readers?
  • How will my presence affect those I am observing?
  • What do I hope to learn about it?
  • What do I expect to learn about my subject?
  1. Write some interview questions in advance, or ask yourself some questions to help you determine how best to conduct the observation.
Interview Observation
Ask for stories:
  • Tell me how you got into .
  • Tell me about something that surprised, pleased, frustrated you .
Give subjects a chance to correct misconceptions, including your own:
  • What myths about would you most like to bust?
Ask for their thoughts about the subject’s past and future:
  • How has changed over the years, and where do you think it’s going?
 Should I observe from different vantage points or from the same location?Should I visit the location at different times of day or days of the week, or would it be better to visit at the same time every day?Should I focus on specific people, or should I identify roles and focus on people as they adopt those roles?
  1. Conduct some preliminary research on your subject or related subjects if possible, and revise your questions or plans accordingly.
Printed Page 94
Printed Page 95

How Do I Conduct Interviews?

How Do I Conduct Observations?
Take notes Take notes
  • Clearly distinguish quotations from paraphrases/summaries by inserting quotation marks where needed.
  • Make an audio recording of what people say, if allowed, but also take notes. If you’re worried about keeping pace with a pen, politely ask interviewees to speak slowly, repeat themselves, or confirm your quotations. (Interviewees often fear being misquoted and will usually appreciate your being careful.)
  • In addition to writing down what your subject says, describe the interviewee’s tone, gestures, and mannerisms.
  • To generate anecdotes, ask how the interviewee first got involved; if there was a key event worth noting; what most concerns the interviewee; what has been the biggest influence, for good or ill.
  • To elicit process narratives, ask how something works; what happens if it breaks; whether it was always done the same way; how it has changed; how it could be improved.
  • To classify, compare, or contrast, ask what kind of thing it is; how it’s like and unlike others of its kind; how it compares to what it was like in the past.
  • To help you with your perspective, ask why the subject is important, how it contributes to the community, or how it could be improved. Ask who would disagree with these perspectives.
  • Finally, ask for the interviewee’s preferences for handling follow-up questions you might have later.
  • Note your surroundings, using all of your senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch.
  • Describe the place from multiple vantage points, noting furnishings, decor, and so on, and sketch the layout.
  • Describe people’s appearance, dress, gestures, and actions.
  • Make a record of interesting overheard conversation.
  • Note your reactions and ideas, especially in relation to your preconceptions. What surprises you?
  • If you can get permission, look closely over the shoulders of people who are centrally involved.
Consider your perspective
  • If you are new to the subject and would like to have a participant-observer role, ask permission to take part in a small way for a limited time.
  • If you are an insider, find a new angle so that you learn something new. (For example, if you’re on the football team, focus on the cheerleaders or the people who maintain the field.)
Collect artifacts, or take videos or photos
  • Collect any brochures or other written material you might be able to use, either to prepare for interviews or to include in your essay.
  • Consider taking photographs or videos, if allowed. Try a pan shot scanning the scene from side to side or a tracking shot indicating what you see as you enter or tour the place.
Reflect on the interview Reflect on your observations
Review your notes for five minutes after the interview. Focus on first impressions. Mark promising material, such as
  • anything that calls into question your or your readers’ likely preconceptions;
  • sensory details that could paint a vivid portrait of the place, people, and activity;
  • quotable phrases that could help you capture the tone or mood of the subject;
  • questions you still need answered.
 Take five minutes right after your visit to think about what you observed, and write a few sentences about your impressions of the subject:
  • The most interesting aspect of the subject is because .
  • Although my visit confirmed that , I was surprised to learn that .
  • My dominant impression of the subject is .
Write up your interview Write up your observations
Write a few paragraphs, deciding what to quote, summarize, paraphrase, or omit. Describe the person’s tone of voice, gestures, and appearance, as well as details you noticed about the place. You may use some of this material later in your draft. If your interviewee said you could follow up to check facts, e-mail or call with requests for clarification or questions. Write a few paragraphs reporting on your visit. This write-up may produce language you can use in your draft. It will also help you think about how to describe your subject, what dominant impression you want to create, and the perspective your profile should take.

Consider another interview

Consider a follow-up observation
You might also arrange to talk to another person who has different kinds of information to share. Consider a follow-up visit, possibly combined with an interview. Examine other aspects of the place or activity, and try to answer questions you still have. Does the impression you had on the first visit still hold?