example of interview essay paper

Write an A+ Interview Paper Using Our Tips and Examples

06 September, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

You will quickly find yourself with your back to the wall once your teacher assigns you an interview paper. Studying is often a headache by itself, and now you have to conduct interviews. Worse yet, you probably have no idea how you can do this. Luckily, we will tell you how to write an interview paper step by step in this comprehensive guide. So prepare your favorite drink and learn how to write a top-notch interview paper.

What is an Interview Paper?

An interview paper provides an expert opinion on a specific issue. In essence, it is an interview transcript inserted somewhere between the introduction and conclusion of an academic piece.

How long should it be? It depends on the topic and the length of your interview, but most papers are within the length of 2,000 – 5,000 words. What things should you consider before writing an interview paper in the first place? Let’s check them out below.

General Aspects of Writing an Interview Paper

Academic papers require you to provide arguments based on studies, research pieces, statistics, etc. But an interview paper is different – for this type of essay, you will develop assumptions around an expert’s opinion.

Let’s imagine your essay question reads the following: “Should we ban abortions?” If you write an interview paper, you should ask someone high-powered for their consideration. Let them be an executive director of the American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society.

You would reach them via email or phone or whatever communication channel you prefer and conduct an interview. Afterward, you would put all your findings on paper.

But in practice, writing an interview paper involves many more complexities and challenges, like planning, topic research , drafting, etc.

Let’s speak straight facts: nobody will reschedule their week to meet you because you need to do some homework. You’re one of the millions of students, and the local governor or a famous scientist won’t give you an interview nine times out of ten.

So you would want to target someone less busy, like professors from other faculties of your college or some researchers within your academic environment. Hunting a bigger fish is pointless unless you’re a well-established journalist working for a popular media channel. If you struggle to find someone within your college/university, you can contact people from your circle.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Interview Paper

 As you know, a typical paper consists of three parts:

• Introduction. This part includes background information, the hook, the thesis statement, and the transition.
• Body. It is the longest part of the paper consisting of several paragraphs. It should contain the actual interview.
• Conclusion. The final part summarizes the considerations and insights of your essay.

The question is: ‘where should you put an interview transcript and how do you do this?’

To answer this question, you need to come up with the interview papers format in the first place. There are several of them:

The narrative format implies that you can use either direct or indirect speech when referring to your interviewee. If you choose this path, you can stick to a 5-paragraph essay structure, retell the considerations of your interviewee, and cite their words here and there at your discretion.

You can also choose this format if you contact several people. Check what a narrative interview paper structure looks like when you reach out to several people:

• Introduction.
• Paragraph #1 – the first interviewee’s perspective.
• Paragraph #2 – the second interviewee’s opinion.
• Paragraph #3 – the third interviewee’s thoughts.
• Conclusion.

Alternatively, you can dedicate each paragraph to a particular idea of one person.

“Question and answer” will suit your needs perfectly if you interview one person. It is the simplest format used in online magazines, news reports, and other media. Your interview paper outline will look like this:

• Introduction
• Question #1 – Answer #1
• Question #2 – Answer #2
• Question #3 – Answer #3
• Question #4/5/6/etc. – Answer #4/5/6/etc.
• Interview analysis. You may include your thoughts on the subject matter.

Conversational

Conversational style is informal, and you can use either first-person or second-person narrative and follow a typical 5-paragraph paper structure. But writing interview papers in this lousy style might be perplexing, especially if you deal with this task for the first time.

We advise you to try the Q&A format because it’s the simplest one and takes the least time. Just imagine how much time your paper writing will take if you decide to interview three or five people.

How to Start an Interview Paper?

If you have no idea how to start an interview paper, choose the topic first. Selecting a topic for your interview paper is not a big deal, but you should keep in mind that you may not find appropriate interviewees for it.

Let’s imagine you want to explore whether the government should force people to get vaccines. This topic implies that you need to contact authorities. It might be a local lawyer, governor, or executive director of a local hospital. Well, the chances are these people will politely refuse to give an interview for your homework.

But if you choose to investigate how lockdown impacts intellectual workers, you can contact your friends or family members who work at home. In other words, it’s better to choose topics that reflect the experiences of ordinary people rather than the opinions of untouchable experts.

Asking people for their opinion about well-known facts like the Earth’s shape is a bad idea. You would want to choose high-profile debatable topics you can actually discuss.

Establish the Goal of Your Interview Essay

You have to establish the goal of your essay before researching the topic. For this, ask yourself: “What message should your interview essay deliver?” Sometimes, a topic of your choice might already explain the purpose of your essay.

Conduct Research

Interviewing someone implies that you should ask questions. But you will fail to do so if you know little to nothing about your topic. So read some case studies, news, articles, etc. Once you get the picture of your subject matter, you will come up with dozens of interview questions.

Get to Know Your Interviewee

A good interviewer always refers to the life and experience of their interviewee. If you’re lucky to work with someone you can read about on the Internet, find out as much information about them as possible. If your interviewee publishes any books, articles, or studies, you will better know them as well.

The more you know about the person, the more interview questions you can come up with. You can ask them whether the Internet tells their true story: “Is it true that you, Mr. Interviewee, support flat earthers?”

Draft Your Interview Questions

If you want a person to share their in-depth vision of the topic, you need to ask both open-ended and close-ended (“yes/no”) questions. However, you may struggle to prepare interview questions. Many students get stuck during this stage. To overcome this block, you need to learn some types of interview questions:

• Opinion – What do you think of this topic?
• Behavioral – What would you do in this situation?
• Experience and knowledge – What do you know about the subject?
• Background – How are you connected to the subject? What is your age, occupation, etc?
• Emotional – How do you feel about the subject?
• Sensory – What does the subject taste and feel like?

You can also think of the questions following the interviewee’s “yes” and “no” answers.

Tips for Conducting a Successful Interview

These four tips will help you conduct a productive interview on the first try:

1. Plan Your Meeting

Note that you want to interview a person in a quiet place so that nobody will distract you. This might be some cozy book store or a café. Or, you can arrange an online meeting. Make sure you have at least one hour for the interview.

2. Rehearse a bit

If you will conduct your first-ever interview, you want to practice with your friends/significant other/ family in the first place. This approach will help you identify what stage of your upcoming interview may challenge you the most.

3. Record Your Interview

You will forget about 50% of the information within an hour once you finish the interview. So don’t rely on your memory − bring a recorder instead. Why not take notes? You wouldn’t want to go red while asking your interviewee to repeat what they have just said or wait until you write down their answers.

4. Talk to Your Interviewee for a While Before You Begin

Speaking to someone you don’t know might be uncomfortable. You don’t have to attack them with your interview questions straightaway. Instead, you can exchange some casual phrases or discuss the weather. This will help you relieve stress and get comfortable with each other.

5. Explain Your Interview Protocol

It’s better to explain to your interviewee how you will conduct your interview. Tell them that you will use a recorder and introduce the discussion topic.

Interview Papers Format

In academic writing, you have to explain the purpose of your interview and introduce your interviewee in a specific “scholarly” format. The APA format interview paper has the following requirements:

• Use 12-point Times New Roman.
• Write a title page.
• Use double spacing.
• Introduce your interviewee and provide the background information – explain why this person is suitable for the interview. Mention their name and qualifications.
• Use direct quotes if you cite some facts provided by the interviewee.
• Use block quotes for citations longer than 40 words.

How to Write a Title Page?

The title of your paper must include your name, your institution, department, the course name and number, the teacher’s name, and the assignment date. The rules of writing the title page are the following:

• The title page must be numbered.
• Capitalize all major words in your title and make it bold.
• Place the title of the essay three or four lines down the top of the page.
• There must be one empty line before the student’s name.

Interview Papers Examples

If you’re searching for an interview essay example – check several samples below:

• A narrative interview essay .
• A Q&A interview format paper.
• An interview with a scientist.

Interview Papers Writing Tips

The following writing tips will help you deliver the first-class interview paper:

• Write the introduction at the end. Once you finish your essay, you will likely reconsider some ideas you had before you began. They will help you frame your interview essay with a captivating introduction and conclusion.
• Give yourself a break after finishing your final draft. This will help you look at your paper with a fresh pair of eyes once you start editing.
• Edit one type of error at a time. For example, you can reduce logical errors first and switch to grammatical mistakes afterward.
• Use an active voice. If active voice makes your sentence shorter, use it without hesitation.
• Check for any sample interview paper to decide on the interview questions. Perhaps, some pieces will spark your interest.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

An interview paper doesn’t seem that intimidating once you learn how to write it step by step. First, you have to choose the subject that allows you to interview ordinary people rather than hard-to-reach ones. Then, you need to research your topic, conduct an interview, and write a paper.

You can get an A+ for this assignment with enough effort and dedication. But a doable task doesn’t necessarily mean that you must do it by yourself. If you have plenty of other assignments to do, you can ask our essay writers to craft an exemplary interview paper for you. For this, you can place an order on our website, and we will do all the dirty work.

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How to Write an Interview Narrative Essay [Template and Example]

Andrew Eliot

Suppose that you have an assignment to research a topic, conduct an expert interview, and write an essay on your findings. One of the most difficult steps in this process is taking the interview transcript and turning it into a story. Whether you conduct an online or in-person interview, it’s likely that your notebook will be full of bullet points and scattered data. The question is: How can I weave this data together to tell the story of my interview?

Here’s the deal:

Many interview narrative essays can follow a simple template. This template helps fit the puzzle pieces together to tell a story in an interesting way. I will share an example of an interview narrative essay that I wrote in high school. And as always, show don’t tell.

Interview Narrative Essay

Paragraph one:.

Hook the reader using an interesting quote

“Someone was trying to die on me in the other room, which is not entirely good,” Dr. Stuart Harris remarks as he settles into a gray, padded chair behind his office desk and resumes our pending Skype call; the collar of his madras shirt slightly askew, and a stethoscope dangling from the front chest pocket of his white physician’s coat. “I had to keep that from happening, sorry for the quick break,” he apologizes in a baritone voice, “What can I help you with?”

Paragraph Two:

Introduction. Introduce the character and environment using details. Present why the interview is important (don’t explicitly say this though).

From looking at the wooden framed pictures of Himalayan mountains and the Nepalese wilderness on Harris’ desk, one might think him out of place. In the midst of the Emergency Department of Massachusetts General Hospital, an often hectic atmosphere replete with sophisticated technology, Dr. Harris directs the department’s Division of Wilderness Medicine and the Wilderness Medicine Fellowship Program. Practicing “limited medicine in austere conditions,” the division teaches doctors how to provide medical aid in remote environments, far from the “bells and whistles” of a common hospital. In conjunction, it conducts research on how to best provide critical care for patients in severe environments, such as high altitude. When questioned, “has wilderness tripping and being immersed in the backcountry had an influence on your life?” he chuckles, “Well I mean I’m the chief of a division of wilderness medicine at MGH, and that’s something that sure as hell didn’t exist when I came here. I’d say I am a walking billboard for how wilderness tripping can have a marked influence on an individual.”

Paragraph Three:

First evidence paragraph. Disrupt the story flow for a brief second. Let the reader take a breath. Describe your own surroundings. Then, explain the background and expertise of the person.

As tracks from Bob Dylan’s album, Desire, emerge from the kitchen of my house, where my father is preparing dinner, I lean closer to my MacBook. The connection falters and fixes on the image of his office, a small six by eight-foot room with off white colored walls. A bookshelf in the left corner houses wilderness medicine textbooks. When the video unfreezes, Harris’ face, his thick brown beard, touched with gray, focuses and his wire-framed glasses propped on the frame of his nose. A Virginia native, he has grown up with the outdoors as a centerpiece of his identity. In addition to going backcountry camping and mountaineering, Harris was an avid whitewater boater in college and led numerous whitewater trips. While an undergraduate, he spent ninety-five days enrolled in the National Outdoor Leadership School, and eventually became an instructor for the program. He has spent time at Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Denali, and has led trips for the Leadership School in both Wyoming and Alaska. At this period in his life, he spends his summers in the Maine wilderness, near the Allagash River and Mount Katahdin. Doctor Harris concludes, “Over the years I think I’ve gotten a pretty good, wide experience,” his beard and mustache twitching with each word. While embarking on and leading such an array of wilderness trips, the natural environment has seated itself as a mainstay of both his professional and personal life. In his soft southern drawl Harris confesses, the wilderness “is where ultimately I frankly feel most comfortable.”

Paragraph Four:

Second evidence paragraph. The next two paragraphs form the apex of the story arc. If the interview produces two main insights, then have two paragraphs. If there is only one main insight, it is fine to only have one paragraph here. Regardless, it is important to use the best, most insightful quotes in order to advance the essay’s So What?. Hint: Use powerful adjectives and verbs to describe the interviewee as they become more passionate about the conversation.

While Dr. Harris leans forward in his chair, taking up a greater portion of the eight by eleven screen of my computer, he discusses the tremendous benefits wilderness tripping can have on people, especially teenagers. He explains, “from the individual to the social dynamic between groups, it’s fascinating to see how people, especially when they’re pushed a little bit beyond their comfort levels, can be groomed for tremendous growth.” Through an individual lens, Harris notes maturation, learning, strengthening of self-confidence, and physical growth as some beneficial influences of being immersed in nature. Additionally, he attests that for teenagers especially, “getting outside is a counterbalance to everything else going on one’s life, in the world. It allows room for independent intellectual exercise, it allows space for one to be separate from social pressures, and it can be tremendously affirming.” With the enunciation of each word, Harris’ engagement and introspection heighten. It becomes evident that he is not simply relaying information from the wilderness textbooks from his bookshelf. Rather, each benefit has been genuinely derived from his personal experience as a wilderness tripper. Zooming out from an individual lens, Doctor Harris expresses an irony he has observed from social settings. Although two students may attend a class every day together for numerous years, there is a definite possibility that they may know practically nothing about one another. However, when immersed in the wilderness with some perceived or real danger for even a brief period of time, those same two students may come to understand one another far better than they had before. In response to the manifested paradox, Harris reflects, “You just learn to trust people in a way that there are not many occasions in our daily lives where there’s any clear correlate to that.” Furthermore, in a Mark Twain-esque manner, Doctor Harris expresses that when removed from the silliness we indulge on a daily basis in “quote-unquote civilized circumstances, one can break through some of the silly artificiality that we allow during our daily lives.” Because many trivial social constructs are rendered useless, being in the intimacy of the backcountry allows one to disregard many social labels, such as who is “popular” or not or who is “stylish” or not. As a result, wilderness tripping can allow individuals to foster relationships among members of different social groups or cliques.

Paragraph Five:

Third evidence paragraph. Use another hard-hitting piece of evidence and give it contextual descriptions, such as how the interviewee looks or sounds. Advance the main message, and prepare for the essay to close.

As Dylan’s renowned 1976 hit, Hurricane, begins to play from the other room, Doctor Harris inhales slowly and leans back in his chair. His weathered face conjures up images in my mind of other bearded philosophers of the natural world, such as John Muir or Henry David Thoreau. In addition to facial hair, my interviewee’s thoughts bear a striking resemblance to those of the sentiments of such thinkers. Inspired by the connection, I bring up a quote from Thoreau’s memoir Walden : “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” After being questioned, “What do you believe the wilderness has to teach us?” Doctor Harris succinctly responds, “It’s who we are.” Rephrased, this elegantly simple yet profound notion presents the relationship that nature and humans are not two separate entities, but, rather humans are nature. While many other sub lessons can be learned from the wilderness, Harris affirms that the overarching teaching of nature, while maybe obvious, is simply that humans and nature are not separate, but are one. He elucidates:

There is the idea that we go to the wilderness to see something different. The more I’ve thought about it, it’s just kind of ridiculous. The wilderness is who we are, and that’s where we evolved, and we are as much animal as a bobcat or any other animal, and how we maintain our homeostasis, our heart rate, our blood pressure, and everything. We’re all part of the same natural systems and we’re dependent on the same processes as all the other creatures are. We don’t think about that. So I think when we go outside into wilderness areas, I think we’re returning, and not in some tree-hugging way, to our roots.

In expressing this idea, Doctor Harris’ energy and intensity peak. His eyes open wider than before. His southern drawl becomes more pronounced, emphasizing vowels in words like “are” or “ridiculous.” Such a level of engagement has been reached in order to convey a quite simple principle. As he raises his eyebrows and gestures with his hands, Harris continues, “frankly all of the rest of the stuff that we’re doing in the front country, as we say, as opposed to the backcountry, is the artificial things.” Again, he introduces a simple notion, which lends itself to a profound understanding. Maintaining a parallel to the ideologies of Thoreau, here, Doctor Harris affirms that nature truly holds “the essential facts of life,” while human civilizations, or the front country, are arbitrarily convoluted with contrived constructs, systems, and orders. He concludes, “So in that regard, yes it's very true that getting outside gives us a way, a chance to front some of the questions that Thoreau posed, Muir posed, and a bunch of other people have postulated, that there’s something just central to our identities and our beings to experience by being outside.”

Paragraph Six:

The concluding paragraph. Like a triangle, begin at the top of the paragraph with a narrow-focused summary of the interviewee’s main message. Then, continuing the triangle analogy, expand outwards and downwards from that point. Deliver the broader context for why the interview matters. To end the essay, quote how the interviewee said goodbye. Close on a friendly note. Hint: If you can, try to reference something that you said in the introduction to produce a ‘full-circle’ effect in your essay.

A common theme, Harris notes, is identity. Whether one identifies as a wilderness tripper or not, as a whole, the human race is unequivocally bound to its fundamental connection with nature. No matter how far we stray from our roots and try to conceal its presence in our psyche, the wilderness will always remain in contact with us. Furthermore, Harris notes the ties between the American identity and the great outdoors through the historical doctrine “manifest destiny” and our nation’s movement West through the territories. While centuries of innovation and infrastructural change have altered our country, the historical significance of the wilderness has not been forgotten. It’s clear, that wilderness is not only vital to our identity as humans but is essential to our identity as Americans. On that conclusive thought, the sounds of my parents serving dishes emanate from the adjoining dining room, and our Skype call nears an end. Tranquil and amiable, Doctor Harris says, “take care my friend.” With that, I put my computer to sleep, the image of a stethoscope dangling from the pocket of his white doctor’s coat fades to black.

Thank you to Dr. Stuart Harris for taking the time to speak with me. To learn more about Harris and his work in wilderness medicine, check out a piece written in Harvard Magazine.

Written by Andrew Eliot

Interested in Earth Systems Sciences and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. Science Editor, Meetinghouse Literary Mag & GoPeer. [email protected]

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How to Write an Interview Essay

Last Updated: March 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Diane Stubbs . Diane Stubbs is a Secondary English Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching all high school grade levels and AP courses. She specializes in secondary education, classroom management, and educational technology. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education from Wesley College. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 463,460 times.

An interview essay is designed to give the reader a general impression of the interview subject and to present their thoughts on a select group of topics. It also offers the opportunity to develop deeper insights by analyzing the interviewee's responses within a larger context. Interview essays are a common school assignment, and provide useful skills for those interested in journalism, or just being good writers in general. There are several formats that fit into the category, but a good interview essay of whatever type can make the reader feel as though they were asking the questions.

Interviewing for an Essay

• If your essay is to be a factual piece, you'll want to interview someone who has expertise in the subject matter you'll be addressing. If your paper is about a science topic, you'll want to interview a scientist in that field. If your paper is about a period of history, you'll want to interview either a historian or someone who's lived through that period of history.
• If you plan to make your essay an opinion piece, you'll likely want to interview someone who has a strong opinion about the topic covered in your essay. Ideally, you want someone who can express opinions articulately, and who also has credentials in the area you plan to write about.
• If your piece will have a narrow perspective, you'll need to interview only one or two people. If your piece will present a general consensus, you'll need to interview more people, probably with varying expertise and credentials.

• When available, read works about and works written by your subject, both in print and online. At the same time, research the topic associated with your subject. The more you know about both, the more intelligent questions you can ask.
• Look for previous interviews your subject has given, as well. These will give you an idea of what questions the person has been asked before, so you can decide on appropriate subjects for your own questions, including questions that no one else has asked.
• Questions that require "yes" or "no" answers are good for gathering specific factual information; open-ended "how," "why," and "tell me about" questions are great for gathering additional background material not found in your research.
• Draw up a list of the questions you are prepared to ask. Have more questions ready than you will likely use, so that you can make adjustments as the interview takes place. (For instance, your subject may begin focusing on what you thought was a side topic, but turns out to be the key part of your interview.) Rank your questions in order of importance to make sure you ask your best ones, or list them all in the order you'd ask them and color-code the most important ones.

• Choose a quiet place with few distractions for your interview site. A library, restaurant, or campus location if you're doing this for a college writing class would be suitable.
• You may want to get the interviewee's consent to use their comments in your essay in writing, as well as permission to record those comments during the interview. By law, if you are recording an interview conducted over the phone, you must obtain written permission. [4] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
• It's helpful to have a backup interviewee in case the person you plan to interview can't make it.
• Be on time at the place you've agreed to meet for the interview.

• Using a recording device (with permission) is almost always advisable, as it permits you to save your note-taking for jotting down your insights on contexts, themes, how your subject approaches the questions, his/her comfort level, and so on.
• Be patient and respectful as you ask your questions and wait for responses. Give the interviewee time to reflect, and you will likely be rewarded with more insightful answers. A few deeper responses are usually better than many superficial ones.
• Immediately after the interview, write down your thoughts and impressions about the interview and interviewee. They may help you shape the essay.
• Always end the interview by thanking the person.

Writing the Essay

• Narrative format. This form allows paraphrasing of some information the interviewee says, along with direct quotes for the material you most want to emphasize. This is the most likely format for a class assignment, and offers the most opportunity to add context and analysis.
• Conversational format. This is a looser format than the formal writing style required for most essays. You can address the reader directly and use both first and second person. This format can be suitable for anything from class assignments to magazine articles.
• Question-and-answer format. This form presents your questions to the interviewee, followed by the interviewee's responses. (That is, the text looks something like this: (Your Name): How long have you been in the circus? (Interviewee's Name): About 35 years.) These are always direct quotes, although you may insert explanatory material in parentheses and substitutions, such as a person's name in place of a personal pronoun, in brackets. This format is best suited for essays with only a single interviewee or a closely related group, such as spouses or the core cast of a TV show.
• Informative format. This format usually interweaves the interview with research you've done on the subject, incorporating some of that research in the text to provide background and give it a little more color.

• Read over your interview notes and listen to any audio / video recordings you have. Utilizing both whenever available will allow you to thoroughly consider both the highlights of the interview and the most significant themes to emerge from it. These, in turn, will inform your outline of what information your essay will cover and how it will appear. [9] X Research source
• One possible outline could be an introduction that starts with an anecdote about the interviewee and then presents your thesis statement, several key points that support the main focus, and a conclusion that summarizes the information presented. Traditional school essays often utilize a five paragraph format (introduction, three supporting paragraphs, conclusion), and this can often work with interview essays as well.

• If, however, the purpose of your essay is to use your interviewee's comments to support a position or examine a larger theme, your thesis will probably be a statement of that position or theme, with the interview / interviewee placed within that context. For instance: "John Doe's mixed feelings of pride and betrayal reflect those shared by many Vietnam veterans still with us."
• Regardless of essay format, make your thesis clear and concise, and be sure that the remainder of your essay refers back to it. See How to Write a Thesis Statement for more advice.

• Interviews can sometimes produce a good deal of repetitive answers (even with high-quality questions), so you may need to trim repetitions and unnecessary elements from the body of your essay. Make sure that whatever material you do keep remains true to both the spirit of the interview and the overarching focus of your essay. [10] X Research source
• A handout from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina (available at http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/oral-history/ ) provides a wealth of valuable materials on interview essays. It includes, for instance, examples of how to utilize the same interview materials in a transcription (question-and-answer format), a presentation of individual experiences (quotations and paraphrases), and the placing of the interview / interviewee in a larger context (paraphrasing and quotations with ample explanation).

• Reading over the essay yourself is a good start, but it is always wise to have another set of eyes look it over as well. Another reader is likely to catch errors, repetitions, and unclear sections that you have glossed over. [12] X Research source
• Go back to your original interview notes, recordings, and transcripts, and make sure that your essay continues to reflect the actual interview. Layers of editing and revising can sometimes cause the essay to drift away from the original source and intent. You may even want to let the interviewee read it over to ensure that it captures their voice. [13] X Research source

• Any materials you used for research, information about the interviewee, or context for the essay itself should be referenced in the approved citation format for your essay.
• Make sure one more time that any direct quotations from your source are placed in quotation marks, and any paraphrasing is done without quotation marks. Don't put words in your subject's mouth, and respect the words that do emerge from it.

What Are The Dos And Don’ts Of a Journalistic Interview?

Expert Q&A

• After the interview, send the interviewee a written thank-you note expressing your appreciation for their time. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If the person you're interviewing is busy or elderly, you may want to plan for more than one interview session. Observe the interviewee for signs of impatience or fatigue. Conduct multiple, shorter sessions if necessary. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• If you plan to interview someone over the telephone, permission to record the conversation is required by law. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 3

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• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/oral-history/
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-paper
• ↑ http://www.whatkidscando.org/featurestories/2007/maine_students/tip_sheets/FIRST-PERSON%20ESSAYS%20TIP%20SHEET.pdf
• ↑ http://www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-writing/97515-how-to-write-an-interview-essay/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html

About This Article

To write an essay from an interview, you’ll first have to decide on the format the essay will take, as this will determine the structure and what you write. The most common form is the narrative format, in which you use direct quotes and paraphrase your subject to add context and detail, or you can write in a more conversational tone, or even in a directly transcribed question-and-answer form. Once you decide on format, plan an outline by forming a central thesis, which will be the central statement your essay is making. Add onto the outline by drafting supporting evidence directly from the interview and from other sources, like books, newspaper articles, other essays, anything else to support your point. Write and finish the essay by combining information from the interview and other sources with your own explanations and words. To learn about how to conduct the interview to get enough information to write about and how to finish the writing process, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Write An Interiew Paper: Ultimate Guide

While you’re in school and studying different subjects, it can be tricky to understand each assignment’s needs and depths, especially long-form research papers that might count for a large percentage of your total grade. Writing an interview paper can involve a lot of research, require a lot of time and effort to find and schedule interviews with the right people, and write an engaging and easy-to-read piece. So here’s your ultimate blueprint on how to write an interview paper!

What Is An Interview Paper?

How to write an interview paper, the step-by-step guide on writing an interview paper, how to start an interview paper, how to write a conclusion for an interview paper, how to format an interview paper, checklist of essentials for an impressive interview paper, topics for an interview paper.

An interview paper is an intriguing but complex assignment to write about a topic that incorporates interviews and perspectives of different people on the issue. These interviews are usually with people who are stakeholders in a problem or the general public that has been inevitably affected by a country’s policy or about a particular case that caused havoc. In addition, it can also be a descriptive piece elaborating on the personal experience or anecdote of one person.

It’s definitely a learned skill and requires a lot of effort into cultivating precise questions networking to find the best people to interview (they can range from being your family members who were involved in a particular issue or have stark opinions on your topic to policymakers and governors who contributed to either passing or striking a specific act), and finally putting it all together to communicate the varying perspectives effectively without bias.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview paper example :

With the recent upsurge in mental health and psychology, many experts in the field are celebrating the increased awareness but also worry about the dissipation of false information. Especially with social media, information is communicated from one part of the world to another within seconds. It can lead to the misuse of terms and psychological context, leading to severe harm and damage. Dr. Rosen Luis, a professor of abnormal psychology at the University of Georgia, elaborated upon the issue of false information being spread on social media in a personal interview conducted last year. “As social media penetrates the global world at a more rapid rate than anything else in the world, sensitive information like that regarding mental health can easily be misused or leveraged in incorrect circumstances due to the lack of supervision on growing platforms. Social media also creates unrealistic expectations about how a mental illness should look. There’s no one distinct way a disorder manifests in everybody and can lead to different lifestyle changes for different people.” (R. Luis, Phone Interview, Jun 22, 2021)

So you might be thinking about how to write a paper based on an interview and what are the different components of such a paper? Well, a lot goes into an article of this kind, so it’s essential to break it down into separate elements so you can tackle each with great effort and accuracy to cultivate a solid assignment and fetch a top grade!

If you have the freedom to choose your topic for the assignment, it is essential that you pick up a contentious concept that is the center of debate and leads to some civil discourse. An interview paper needs to be backed with air-tight research and credible interviews taken ethically and incorporate direct, in-depth questioning and sources.

Now you may be wondering how to include an interview in a research paper, mainly because interviews often look like scripts instead of concrete research material, so it’s important to note that while your discussions will be long-form and extensive, you’ll have to pick and choose responses from your different interviews to use as quotes or credible backing for your statements within the content of the paper.

If you have no desire to get all those knowledge or experience a long tiring writing process, you can use an opportunity to buy cheap dissertation online .

To make the writing process easier, you should be absolutely sure in what to do in each step. Here is a list of steps you need to take to get a perfect interview paper.

• Step 1 – Selecting the ideal topic for your paper : The topic you end up choosing for your interview paper can genuinely make or break your grade. It’s best not to look at generalized ideas or concepts that have been established as facts, as it’s unlikely that such topics will have a large-scale difference of opinion. Searching for a good case could begin with looking for issues that cause healthy discussion, differ within groups of different cultural, political, social, or economic backgrounds, and are essential conversations to have. It’s vital to ensure that the topic doesn’t cause a threat to someone’s rights, identity, or existence.
• Step 2 – Ideation and Research : Now that you’ve established your topic and a basic crux of your thesis statement, you can begin ideating the direction you want to take your paper. For instance, you choose capital punishment and its use to decrease long-term crime patterns in Singapore (known to have one of the highest percentages of the executed population via capital punishment), you’ll think about whether you want to talk about its history, grassroots change, crime statistics and also decide who all you’ll want to interview. A big part of writing an interview paper is finding people from diverse backgrounds with conflicting opinions to give your readers a 360-degree view on the issue.
• Step 3 – Crafting your interview questions : After having decided your topic and doing in-depth research about the same, it’s time to curate a set of interview questions that are brief, to-the-point, and extract the information you require for your assignment. Crafting good open-ended questions is a learned skill and will improve with the number of interviews you prep for. Ensure that all your questions are about the topic, fact-checked, and easy to understand for the interviewee.
• Step 4 – Taking the interviews : Once the interview blueprint is ready, you’ve to schedule and conduct interviews with the people you’re choosing to talk to (it is preferred that you conduct interviews in-person, so it is as personal and direct as possible). Be sure to ask your questions clearly and record the interviewee’s responses using a recording device so you can precisely transcribe the answers afterward. It’s crucial that your interviewee feels comfortable talking to you about the topic, especially if it is something very sensitive and personal. Good interview ethics also involve letting your respondent know they can communicate if they want something they spoke about to be scratched out of the interview.If you’re planning on using published interviews, you can skip the third and fourth steps and pick up essential quotes from the already published interviews. Remember to cite the quotes in the correct format so that you don’t get into any unnecessary plagiarism issues.
• Step 5 – Creating an outline : With regards to the obtained interview responses, you’ll create a very detailed skeleton for the interview paper, so you know precisely which idea goes where. This will help you when you finally get down to writing the actual essay, as you’ll be able to keep track of your different ideas, quotes, and sources and establish an engaging flow. You can also spend some time writing transitionary sentences that you’ll use when you move from one paragraph to the next.
• Step 6 – Writing the paper : Now that you’re done with all the back-end research, interviewing, and outlining, you’ve to sit down and fill in the gaps to produce a stellar essay. You have all the elements you need to decrease your distractions, be charged up, and just write it out. Contrary to popular belief, writing is actually a learned skill. Even if you don’t believe you’re as good with words as others, learning a few tips and tricks can easily elevate your writing to a notch above. Using precise and appropriate vocabulary, leveraging analogies, metaphors, and other language elements to convey your ideas, and having perfect grammar and syntax are some of the ways you can better your writing.

The basics of any paper are a thesis statement, introduction, body, and conclusion. You would’ve formulated your thesis statement while ideating the direction you wanted to take your paper in, and through the outline, you’ve hopefully followed the one-idea, one paragraph to give rise to a well-constructed body. Here’s some guidance on the two components that determine the first impression and last impression your reader has of the paper:

The introduction of your interview paper is the first thing that the reader looks at, so it’s crucial to hook the reader to keep them engaged to follow through with reading the paper. You can include:

Your thesis statement Intriguing data about your topic A quote from one of your interviewees Citing any information that’s been in the news with regards to your topic

The purpose of a catchy introduction is to connect the idea at hand to the reader’s life and intrigue them enough to learn more about the issue.

For example , if you’re writing on the capital punishment topic, beginning with an alarming statistic to depict the dire need to start a serious conversation about its effectiveness or ineffectiveness could hook the reader very well:

“ Juxtaposing the modern ideals of reformation and change, over 400 individuals have been giving the death penalty in Singapore since 1991″

Like any research paper, a firm conclusion is a must in a well-written interview paper. Since your paper will deal with some contrasting ideas, summarizing all the perspectives while shedding more light on the thesis statement will hook your reader to think about the information and views brought up in your essay long after they finish reading. Though this is one of the many assignments you’ve to write for school, interview papers dealing with conflicting real-life issues also contribute to social change via beginning civil discourse and fact-oriented discussion on important causes.

• Step 7 – Citing the sources : It’s vital that after you finish the contents of your essay, you spend time formatting your interview paper in the correct format and cite all of your sources in the needed manner (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.). It’ll help provide credibility to your arguments, show that you delved into air-tight research for your topic, and protect you from any coincidental issues in plagiarism checkers.
• Step 8 – Revision : It’s believed that looking at your paper, especially one you’ve spent hours on, with a fresh set of eyes, gives you a better perspective on things to change and helps you spot any missed grammar and style errors. You can finish your draft, take a nap, get back to the assignment and make the changes, read it aloud to make any mistakes more noticeable, or even ask a friend to have a read-through.

It’s essential that you know the interview paper format to be able to present a well-written, researched, and formatted assignment for an excellent grade. So here are some steps on how to write an interview paper in APA format –

If you’re citing a personal interview that you conducted in the course of writing the piece, here’s the format to follow:

Include the name of the interviewee and their qualifications, job description, and experience Mention the purpose of involving them in your research paper Incorporate a couple of quotes from their interview Cite the interview in the correct APA format

For, e.g., – (Interviewee first name initial & last name, interview format, date of interview)

If you’re citing an already published interview of someone in the field, the way you format the quotes in the paper and the bibliography should follow the format of the document in which you found the interview. Say you found an interview of a renowned politician in a social science journal that followed the MLA format; you must follow the same and cite the social science journal as your source.

To have peace of mind that you’ve done everything you needed for the perfect interview paper, here’s a short checklist you can quickly run through before submitting your assignment

Included all interviewees point’s of view Remained neutral while elaborating on others’ opinions even if you have a solid personal perspective on the subject Followed the one-idea, one-paragraph rule and included well-written transitory sentences Utilized precise and high-level vocabulary and sentence structure Proofread the essay to rid it of any grammar or syntax inconsistencies Used the correct format to cite sources within the paper and in the bibliography

• What role do you think your genetics play in your character compared to your upbringing?
• Are beauty standards unrealistic?
• Is social media connecting or disconnecting people?
• Should abortion be a topic of policy?
• Should age-old prisons be reconstructed to fit modern ideas of reformation and change?
• Do nursing homes contribute to the well-being of the older generation?
• Should marijuana be legalized?
• Should the same humanitarian and crime laws apply in times of war?
• Should gun rights be ubiquitous?
• Is capital punishment leading to grassroots change?
• Should society be capitalist, socialist, or an amalgamation of both?
• Should cloning be legal?
• Is the concept of marriage as idolized as it used to be?
• Is choosing to be child-free selfish?
• Should the rich pay more tax?
• Are our immigration policies outdated in a globalized world?
• Should celebrities be more accountable for their actions than the average person?
• Are companies doing enough to contribute to climate change effects?
• Should holistic therapies be considered certified medical treatments?
• Should upbringing be gendered?
• Is having kids in a time of such turmoil ethical?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• How should racism or homophobia be combated on an individual level?
• College degrees and their relevance in the digital age
• Going vegan v/s consuming meat: What’s better for the climate?
• How important is your religion to you?
• Are money and happiness correlated?
• How much does early-child development affect one’s mental health into adulthood?
• Is stealing ever okay?
• Are arranged marriages still as popular?

Not Interested in Writing Paper by Yourself?

Getting started with an interview paper can feel intimidating, mainly since it entails so much work – in-depth research on the topic and the history of debate behind it, setting up and curating tailored interviews with people relevant to the topic, and so much more. While you juggle several courses and assignments and other extracurricular work at high school or college, it can be challenging to submit well-written papers that will put you at the top of your class.

Impressing your professor isn’t an easy task. Still, you can do it by hiring expert help that will assist you with your writing assignments and produce work that the accomplished writers will curate as per your needs, that too at highly affordable rates!

You’ll be able to buy and order a custom interview paper that will be ideated and written by thesis writing service for a cheap cost. It’s an efficient and cost-effective way to stay on top of your work, learn from experts in the field, and wow your teachers with a well-written interview paper!

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How to Write an Interview Paper in APA Format

Sometimes writing a specific paper type proves challenging to many students. Couple that with a particular formatting and referencing style, and it becomes more hectic. However, if you know the basics of the paper and the formatting style, it is an easy task.

One of the papers that may appear complex to write is an interview paper. An interview paper follows an interview format and provides a forum for discussion using questions and answers. Despite it sounding unmanageable, writing an interview paper in APA format is relatively easy if you know the following basics.

But if you have never written one, this guide will show you how to write a professional-quality interview paper in APA format.

Here is how to write an interview paper in APA format.

What is an Interview Paper

The interview paper is an essay you write discussing various views on a topic using data gathered through interviews. This paper is an excellent way to develop your analytical, research, and writing skills.

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The purpose of an interview paper is to provide you with practice in organizing, conducting, and writing about topics using primary data. Similarly, it helps readers to understand a specific topic from a primary data perspective.

Also see: Is APA format the same as ASA format? 

Additionally, an interview paper provides information about a particular topic or event that has been documented in other sources but needs further explanation or analysis. This can be done by interviewing participants and analyzing their responses.

What Is the APA format

APA is a writing, formatting, and referencing style paper developed by the American Psychological Association. It is commonly used in business, education, and social sciences papers such as economics and sociology.

The format makes it easy for readers to navigate your paper and present you as a professional in academics. APA-formatted pieces have four major sections, the title, abstract, body, and references.

The general guidelines for formatting any paper are;

• Running head. This is the title found at the top of every page
• The article is double spaced
• Every margin on either side is 1 inch
• This style recommends 11-point Arial or Calibri or 12-point Times New Roman

After completing your interview, it is time to write your paper. Generally, the steps involved in developing an interview paper are

• Explaining the interview. Provide valid and solid reasons for the need for the interview and why you cannot source the information from secondary sources
• Presenting your source. Explain your source’s background and capabilities and why they are the perfect option for the interview
• Presenting the question. Show your readers the question posed to the interviewee and their reactions
• Write exact quotes. Use quotation marks to present your interviewee’s same words, especially if they are figures and explicit data. Ideally, do not summarize important facts your interviewee gives you
• Cite appropriately. Use in-text referencing closed in brackets whenever you quote your interview in APA.

If you were recording the interviews, start by transcribing them and analyzing the data. However, you can write your paper directly while listening to the audio or video. But transcription is the best route to help you better understand the information.

Here are the tips and guidelines on how to write an interview paper in APA format.

Set up your typing document

This is the first step in how to write an interview paper in APA. However, other individuals may prefer to do it after they finish typing. Nevertheless, starting with this step saves you trouble and cases of forgetfulness.

The step involves setting your blank word document on double spacing, 12-point New Times Romans or 11-point Arial or Calibri. Additionally, on the setup menu, select a 1-inch margin on all sides. After this setup, select the header section and set the running head and page numbers.

Creating the title page

This is the first page of your paper that readers see when they open it up, so it’s essential to ensure everything is formatted correctly. APA format requires the title page’s content to be center aligned. The tile is written 3 or 4 lines from the top in bold. If your interview paper has a subtitle, write it below the main title, and remember to put a colon after it.

Other information included is written on their separate lines and are

• Your first and last name
• School name
• Course name and number
• Instructor’s name
• Assignment’s due date

Write the main body

The body is the meat of your interview paper and includes every information you receive during the interview. This part also carries the bulk of the article, including the introduction, interview questions and answers, and conclusion.

To write it in APA format center and bold the title. On the following line, indent and start writing the body.

Explaining the interview’s purpose

This is part of the body and, more specifically, the introduction. In this part, you explain the reason for the interview and its relation to your thesis. In other words, it is the justification for the interview.

Next, explain why you chose this particular subject to be interviewed. If possible, give a few examples of how their experiences or life would be different than yours.

Introducing sources and question topic

It is also found in the introduction. Its purpose is to introduce the interviewee and the topics discussed. The best way to write it is to give the interview’s background and qualifications. This gives more credence to your paper.

Presenting the questions and quotations

Each paragraph in the body should carry a specific question. It is recommended to start the section with the question to give the quotation and answer context. The best way is to write the question as a direct or indirect quotation followed by the responses.

The response is also written as a direct or indirect quote. However, if it exceeds 40 words, place it as a single block and indent half an inch.

Cite the quotations

In every response, remember to include in-text citations. This is a mandatory rule, even if you are interviewing a single individual.

The rules for APA intext citations are

• The interviewee’s first initial and last name
• The phrase ‘personal communication.’
• Month, date, and year of the interview

The punctuation is used after the closing parenthesis citation, except in block quotations, where punctuation comes before the in-text citation.

Writing the conclusion

The conclusion summarizes your body paragraphs’ main points and reiterates your purpose for conducting the interview. You may also want to recommend further research based on what you learned during your interviews. A conclusion will tie together all of these elements, so you must spend some time crafting a strong one that leaves readers satisfied and interested in learning more about your topic.

Typically, the conclusion is the closing part of your body. This section is one or two paragraphs and shows how the responses agree or disagree with your thesis statement. Additionally, this part discusses how and why the interview strengthens or weakens your thesis.

In addition, it must be concise yet comprehensive. Here, you need to summarize and synthesize all the information you have presented in your paper. You may also reflect on what you have learned from the interviewee.

Some tips on how to write an interview paper conclusion include

• Go back and read your introduction to ensure it is clear and concise.
• Write a conclusion summarizing your paper’s main points in a sentence or two.
• Ensure you include all the major points from your body paragraphs (or at least the most important ones).
• Use transitions and connectives like “therefore” and “for example” to help readers understand how everything fits together.
• Don’t end with a boring summary. Instead, end with a strong statement that makes the reader think about what they have just read and perhaps even change their view on something.

Writing the abstract

Having written the main body, the abstract is the next section to write. An abstract is a general summary of your paper, so writing it after the body is recommended. It is also a brief overview of your interview paper’s main points and arguments.

In most cases, it is a 250-word paragraph highlighting the thesis, the reason for the interview, and the impact of the responses.

The best way to write the abstract is to take excerpts from the paper that include the thesis, introduction, and conclusion. Each sentence should address a different aspect of the topic. For example, if you are writing about the impact of social media on teenagers, one paragraph some sentence will address how often they use social media each day, while another might discuss their reasons for using social media so frequently.

Writing the reference page

Writing a reference page is an integral part of any interview paper. It’s where you share the sources you interviewed to write your essay with your readers. Essentially, it is the last page of your paper and has all your sources used in the article.

The reference page should start with the word “References” and be double-spaced. The margins should be one inch on all sides.

Proofread and edit the paper

Now that you’ve done all the hard work, it’s time for a final check to ensure everything is perfect.

Proofread the paper. Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. Grammarly is a helpful tool for checking your writing for grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure mistakes.

Additionally, edit the paper while checking sentence structure and if one point flows smoothly to the next. If possible, have someone else read and check it. This is because they may catch something you didn’t notice. After all, they aren’t familiar with what was said during an interview

Proofreading also involves checking the formatting aspects. To ensure your paper is well-formatted, check these aspects.

• The title page has all information
• The first paragraph is indented
• All pages have a running title
• In-text citations have been used
• There is a reference section
• Each in-text citation is referenced

Additionally, use a word processor to format the paper. While some people still prefer typing things out by hand on paper, a computer will make things easier and ensure all the formatting is correct and consistent throughout your interview paper.

Generally, there are many things to remember when writing an interview paper in APA format. You must keep the formatting correct and consistent from start to finish. Also, remember that using the right style and form will ensure your paper receives a higher grade than if you ignore APA guidelines.

By following these basic instructions, you’ll be able to successfully write an interview paper that follows APA’s format and impresses your instructor. Ideally, write your essay as you would any other but remember to follow the APA rules and to proofread and edit your piece to look professional and avoid errors.

How to Write an Interview Essay: Complete Guide

College and high school teachers often assign interview papers to test their learners’ planning, paraphrasing, and critical thinking skills. So, besides drafting a well-substantiated and information-packed piece, students must also organize and conduct an interviewing process.

Hence, this assignment is far from straightforward. Quite the contrary, it requires substantial pre-work before the actual meeting. Moreover, the task further complicates if you include several subjects or elaborate on a compelling theme.

What if you can’t meet an ideal candidate to elaborate on your topic? How to pose questions that reveal valuable information and present your findings on paper? How to write an interview essay introduction with attention-grabbing ideas that bring up current dilemmas or resolve an issue? There are so many trilemmas spinning around your head.

Fortunately, there’s no need to feel intimated or discouraged. This article will help you grasp the basics of an interview paper and how to write an outstanding piece. It will also discuss the steps involved in the writing process and give a few helpful tips that ensure your final product passes with flying colors.

What Is an Interview Essay?

An interview paper is an academic written piece that presents the insight the interviewer gained while interviewing one or several people. It aims to expose different perspectives on a particular topic once the writer gathers relevant data through research. Typically, the essence of the paper will rest upon your findings from the interviews.

The presented viewpoints will depend on the respondent. So, for example, if your paper interview focuses on social media, you might consider talking to an influencer. Conversely, if you’re elaborating on a burning social issue, you may want to speak to a local authority. Or set up a meeting with a scientist if you’re exploring natural sciences.

The interview paper must help the reader understand a concept backed by relevant statements. Unlike definition essay writing , where you paraphrase and cite trusted sources like scholarly books, the interview paper will stem from authoritative individuals in the respective field.

Finally, you can reap a lot of benefits from drafting interview essays. More specifically, those interested in becoming broadcast journalists, newspaper reporters, or editors will learn to pose thought-provoking questions. Similarly, HR managers will polish their screening ability and hire excellent candidates. Even prospective detectives and inspectors can gain from writing an interview essay. They will formulate a variety of engaging questions to get honest and accurate answers.

Outline and Typical Structure of an Interview Paper

Most essays follow the template of a basic 5-paragraph paper. Yet, the length can vary according to your subject and data availability. A standard interview essay from a custom writing service can range from 2,000 to 5,000 words or up to ten pages. Individual works are usually shorter.

The interview essay format will have an introduction, body segments (perspectives grouped under different subheadings), and a summary. Here’s an overview of what to put in each part.

Introduction . The writer needs to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and urgency to stimulate the audience to keep reading. It should also provide background information about the theme and the interviewee. Furthermore, the initial part can list statistics or what society thinks about the respective topic. Finally, your intro must contain a thesis that transitions into the main section.

Body . This part will present the pillars on which you conceptualized your research. If you get stuck while drafting the body, you might hire an online service to write an essay for you and incorporate the gathered data. They will isolate the main points and help you frame the perfect timeline of events.

Moreover, the body should reflect important facts, life periods, and considerations of your interviewees. For instance, you might split your paper into infancy, adolescence, university, marriage, and golden years. Or you might divide your segments according to different discussion questions.

Conclusion . Use the ending part to summarize the interviewee’s thoughts and your insights into the matter. You might also compare the available data to the facts collected during the meeting and verify their validity. The bottom line must leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Steps for Writing a Successful Interview

Below is a detailed description of the paper composition journey. Consider each step carefully and be consistent in your approach.

Define the Paper’s Objective

Writing an interview paper urges you to establish the overall purpose. You will have to specify the message you plan to deliver. For example, if you want to verify a public opinion, you’ll have to question several subjects. Alternatively, proving a natural phenomenon will require a conversation with an expert in the field.

Explore the Subject

Find and prepare printed and virtual materials related to your research. Previous interviews and works by the interviewee are also vital. Unlike rebuttal essays , your primary goal is to gather details supporting your claims. Therefore, brainstorm any note you found based on your predefined criteria.

Pick an Interview Format

Your sample form will depend on the specific theme. Most students decide to buy a literature essay online due to their lack of formatting skills. Here are the various formats you can choose when presenting your findings.

This format implies using direct or indirect speech to analyze the storyline. Consider retelling the considerations of the interviewee and citing the original wording. The narrative format is also advisable if you talk to a few interviewees. The structure should contain an intro, a body (each paragraph can describe a particular idea of a single person), and a summary.

Question-and-answer essays are ideal when interviewing one person. Most magazines and news reports prefer this type because it is the simplest. Your interview paper will have an intro, different parts for each question and answer, an analysis with your perspective, and a summary.

Informative

Also known as conversational or personal, these papers are informal and take first or second-person narration flow. However, writing in a dialogue form might be confusing and perplexing for an untrained eye.

Formulate the Questions

Make a thorough list of all the aspects you want to discuss and cover in the interview paper. Ask close-ended (yes/no) and open-ended questions that require in-depth responses. If you struggle with your questionnaire, consider the following suggestions:

• Share your core values
• What would you change in the world if you had a superpower for a day?
• How did your childhood impact your personality?
• What is the recipe for success?
• What is the best aspect of your job?
• How do you overcome your deepest fears?
• Define happiness with examples
• What object do you hold most dear and why?
• What is the most significant challenge in our society?
• How do you imagine the world’s future?

Get in Touch with the Respondent

Make an effort to contact your interviewee/s and be professional when arranging the meeting. You might need to use several communication channels to reach your target person. Focus on scheduling a time that works for everyone involved in the project.

Facilitate the Interview

Choose a peaceful and quiet place without any distractions. Always arrive on time for the meeting. Alternatively, consider setting it up in an online format, if finding a physical location isn’t viable. Most importantly, allow the speakers enough time to share their thoughts and maintain an impartial attitude to avoid miscommunication.

Interview Essay Writing Tips

Here’s some additional advice for writers taking the first steps toward interview writing.

Stick to Your Teacher’s Instructions

Your professor will probably mention the paper structure. For instance, if you receive a classification essay writing guidelines , don’t experiment with other formats. Moreover, rehearse the face-to-face meeting with a family member to avoid possible deadens. Here, you might come up with a follow-up question that clarifies some vague points.

Quote and Paraphrase Your Sources

Organize all the details on the background, education, and achievements before interviewing itself. When referring to the topics discussed, cite them properly and give credit. Also, explain the protocol to the respondent and the purpose of the research.

Consider Recording the Interview

The longer the meeting, the more details you’ll forget once you finish it. Avoid over-relying on your memory, and bring a recorder. Taking notes is also essential. However, don’t record unless the respondent gives prior approval.

Mind These Formatting Rules

Use a font size of 12 in Times New Roman with double spacing. Don’t forget to write a title page, too. When including citations longer than 40 words, use block quotes.

Edit and Proofread

Don’t expect the first draft to be the best. Reduce grammar mistakes and typos by polishing your initial wording. The final version must be logical, easy to read, and plagiarism-free.

Bottom Line

As intimidating as the interview paper might seem at the onset, these guidelines will help you stay focused and organized. Above all, pick an important topic with questions that affect ordinary people. This way, you can set up and develop the interviews more quickly. Undoubtedly, an A+ grade takes dedication and perseverance to research and write your paper.

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Home ➔ How to Write an Essay ➔ Interview Essay

Interview Essay Guide

An interview essay is a written composition that presents the insights, experiences, and viewpoints of an individual obtained through a structured conversation or interview. This type of essay goes beyond merely summarizing the interviewee’s responses; it integrates narrative storytelling with analytical components to provide a comprehensive perspective on the subject matter.

An interview essay offers a unique platform to capture insights, personal experiences, and expert knowledge directly from the source. Here’s what makes it special:

• Personal Connection: Establishes a personal link between the interviewee and the reader.
• Diverse Perspectives: Showcases varied viewpoints on a subject or issue.
• Depth of Insight: Provides in-depth understanding often missing in third-party accounts.
• Authentic Voice: Captures the authentic voice and experiences of the interviewee.

Overview of the Process

Creating an engaging and informative interview essay involves several key steps:

• Identify Interviewee: Selecting a person who has relevant knowledge or experience.
• Research: Gathering background information to formulate meaningful questions.
• Question Design: Crafting questions that elicit detailed and thoughtful responses.
• Setting: Choosing a comfortable environment conducive to conversation.
• Technique: Employing active listening and strategic questioning.
• Recording: Ensuring accurate capture of the interviewee’s words.
• Transcription: Converting the spoken word into written form.
• Analysis: Identifying key themes and notable quotes.
• Organization: Structuring the essay for maximum impact.
• Introduction : Presenting the interviewee and framing the topic.
• Body: Weaving together narrative and analysis, enriched with direct quotes.
• Conclusion : Reflecting on the insights gained and their broader implications.
• Proofreading: Correcting grammatical and spelling errors.
• Refining: Enhancing clarity, flow, and coherence of the essay.

This process results in an essay that not only conveys valuable information but also provides a window into the personal experiences and perspectives of the interviewee, making it a powerful tool in both journalistic and academic contexts.

Preparation Stage for an Interview Essay

The preparation stage is crucial for laying the groundwork for a successful interview essay. This phase involves thoughtful planning and consideration in several key areas:

Choosing the Interviewee

When selecting an interviewee for your essay, it’s essential to consider several factors to ensure that your interview is informative and engaging. Here’s a more detailed look at the key aspects to consider:

• Expertise or Experience: Look for individuals who have direct experience or specialized knowledge in the topic you’re exploring. This ensures that their insights are grounded in personal experience or professional expertise.
• Contribution to Topic: Consider how the potential interviewee’s background or experiences can contribute unique perspectives or deepen the understanding of your topic.
• Current Relevance: Preferably choose someone whose experience or expertise is currently relevant or topical, as this can add immediacy and interest to your essay.

Accessibility

• Availability: Confirm that the potential interviewee can participate within your timeframe. Scheduling conflicts or unavailability can delay or change your essay plans.
• Willingness to Participate: Ensure that the interviewee is available and willing to share their experiences and thoughts openly. An enthusiastic participant often provides more in-depth and engaging responses.
• Communication Ease: Consider the ease of communication with the interviewee, especially if dealing with different time zones, languages, or cultural backgrounds.
• Varied Perspectives: Seek out interviewees who can offer different perspectives from your own or from what is commonly represented in discussions about your topic. This diversity can add depth and breadth to your essay.
• Underrepresented Voices: Actively look for voices often underrepresented in your topic’s discourse. Including these perspectives can provide a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of the subject matter.
• Cultural and Background Diversity: Consider choosing interviewees from different cultural backgrounds, professions, or life experiences. This diversity can bring a richer and more varied range of insights to your essay.

By carefully considering these factors when choosing your interviewee, you can ensure that your interview essay is informative and relevant and rich in perspective and depth, offering readers a well-rounded and insightful exploration of your chosen topic.

Researching the Interview Subject

Conducting thorough research before the interview is crucial for crafting meaningful questions and understanding the context of the interviewee’s responses. Here’s a more detailed approach to researching your interview subject:

Background Information

• Professional Background: Investigate the interviewee’s career path, including their current position, past roles, and any notable achievements in their field. This information can provide context to their responses and highlight their expertise.
• Educational History: Look into their educational background, including any relevant degrees, certifications, or training pertinent to the interview topic.
• Publications or Contributions: If applicable, review any publications, articles, or projects the interviewee has worked on. This can give you insights into their areas of interest and expertise.
• Personal Story: Where relevant, learn about the interviewee’s personal journey, including life experiences that may have shaped their perspectives. This can add a more human dimension to your essay.

Subject Matter

• Current Trends and Debates: Understand the current trends, debates, and recent developments related to the interview topic. This helps in formulating timely and relevant questions.
• Historical Context: Explore the historical background of the topic to provide a more comprehensive understanding during the interview.
• Relevant News and Events: Stay informed about any recent news or events related to the interview subject or the interviewee’s field of expertise.

Purpose Alignment

• Align with Essay Objectives: Ensure that your research aligns with the overall objectives and angle of your essay. Focus on gathering information that supports or enriches your essay’s intended narrative or argument.
• Identify Gaps in Existing Literature: Look for areas within the topic that haven’t been extensively covered in existing literature. This can guide you to explore new angles or under-discussed issues during the interview.
• Relevance to Audience: Consider what aspects of the interviewee’s background and the subject matter will be most relevant and engaging to your target audience. Tailoring your research to your audience’s interests can make the essay more impactful.

By thoroughly researching both the interviewee’s background and the broader context of the subject matter, you ensure that your interview essay is well-informed, relevant, and engaging, providing your readers with a comprehensive and insightful look into the topic.

Formulating Interview Questions

The right set of questions is pivotal for eliciting insightful and meaningful responses during the interview. Here’s a more detailed approach to formulating effective interview questions:

Open-Ended Questions

• Encourage Exploration: Design questions that encourage the interviewee to elaborate on their thoughts and experiences. For example, “Can you describe a significant challenge you faced in your career and how you overcame it?”
• Avoid Yes/No Responses: Frame questions to avoid simple yes or no answers. Instead, aim for questions that require a narrative or explanation.
• Personal Insights: Ask questions that allow the interviewee to reflect on their personal journey or opinions, such as, “What motivated you to pursue this field?”

Focused Questions

• Direct Relevance: Ensure each question is directly tied to the main subject of your essay. If the topic is specific, your questions should align closely with it.
• Specificity: Avoid overly broad questions. Instead, ask about specific events, decisions, or opinions for more detailed insights.
• Objective Clarity: Each question should have a clear objective and contribute to the overall narrative or goal of the interview.

Follow-Up Questions

• Depth and Detail: Prepare to ask follow-up questions that delve deeper into topics uncovered during the interview. For instance, “You mentioned a turning point in your career. Could you tell me more about that?”
• Responsive Inquiries: Base your follow-up questions on the interviewee’s responses to encourage a more natural and engaging conversation.
• Clarification: Use follow-up questions to clarify or expand upon interesting points, ensuring you fully understand the interviewee’s perspective.

Ethical Sensitivity

• Respect Boundaries: Be mindful of personal or sensitive topics. If the conversation veers into potentially uncomfortable territory, be prepared to steer it back respectfully.
• Informed Consent: Ensure the interviewee knows they can decline to answer any question.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Be aware of cultural differences that might affect how questions are perceived and adjust your approach accordingly.

By thoughtfully formulating your interview questions, you can create a conducive environment for a rich and informative dialogue. This preparation helps in capturing the depth and nuances of the interviewee’s experiences and perspectives, making your interview essay more engaging and insightful.

Preparing for Different Interview Formats

Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are fundamental in conducting interviews, especially when the information is intended for publication in an essay. Respecting the interviewee’s rights and maintaining integrity throughout the process is essential.

• Informed Consent: Clearly inform the interviewee about the purpose of the interview, how the information will be used, and where it will be published.
• Written Agreement: Ideally, obtain written consent, especially if the interview will be recorded or sensitive topics will be discussed. This helps to avoid any misunderstandings about the use of the interviewee’s information.
• Recording Consent: Explicitly ask for written permission to record the interview, whether audio or video. Explain how the recording will be used and stored.
• Withdrawal Option: Ensure the interviewee knows they have the right to withdraw consent at any point, even after the completed interview.
• Confidential Information: Agree in advance on what information is off the record or confidential. Respect these boundaries in your essay.
• Anonymity Option: Offer the option of anonymity, mainly if sensitive topics are discussed or if requested by the interviewee.
• Data Protection: Follow data protection laws and regulations, especially when handling personal information or using the interview publicly.
• Faithful Representation: Commit to accurately representing the interviewee’s words and sentiments in your essay. Avoid taking statements out of context or altering their meaning.
• Review by Interviewee: Consider allowing the interviewee to review the sections where their quotes or information are used. This can ensure accuracy and build trust.
• Transparency in Editing: Be transparent about any edits made to the interviewee’s responses for clarity or brevity. Ensure that these edits do not distort the meaning.

Adhering to these ethical considerations not only ensures the integrity of the interview process but also builds trust and respect between the interviewer and the interviewee. This approach leads to more honest and open conversations, ultimately enriching the quality of the interview essay.

Conducting the Interview

The success of an interview essay largely hinges on how effectively the interview itself is conducted. This stage requires a blend of interpersonal skills, strategic questioning, and attentive listening.

Strategies for Asking Questions

• Start Broad, Then Narrow Down: Before moving to more specific topics, begin with general questions.
• Encourage Storytelling: Ask questions inviting interviewees to share experiences or anecdotes.
• Avoid Leading Questions: Frame questions neutrally to elicit unbiased responses.
• Be Adaptive: Be prepared to deviate from your prepared questions based on the conversation flow.

Techniques for Active Listening and Follow-Up Questions

• Show Engagement: Nodding and affirmative responses indicate active listening.
• Clarify and Confirm: Ask follow-up questions for clarification or to delve deeper into a topic.
• Paraphrase Responses: Occasionally restate critical points to ensure understanding.
• Avoid Interruptions: Let the interviewee complete their thoughts before asking new questions.

Note-Taking and Recording Methods

• Choose Your Method: Decide between taking handwritten interview notes, typing, or audio recording.
• Be Discreet: Ensure your note-taking doesn’t disrupt the interview flow.
• Audio Recording: If recording, check equipment beforehand and obtain consent.
• Key Points: Focus on capturing the essence of responses rather than verbatim notes.

Conducting the interview with these considerations in mind ensures a productive and respectful dialogue. This approach not only garners detailed and thoughtful responses but also builds a rapport that can add depth and authenticity to your interview essay.

Organizing Interview Information

After conducting the interview, the next critical step is to organize the gathered information effectively. This process involves transcribing the conversation, identifying key themes, and selecting impactful quotes and anecdotes.

Transcribing the Interview

• Accuracy: Transcribe the interview as accurately as possible, preserving the interviewee’s words and expressions.
• Format: Decide whether to transcribe verbatim or to paraphrase for clarity and brevity.
• Tools: If available, utilize transcription software or services to expedite the process.
• Review: Go through the transcription multiple times to ensure completeness and accuracy.

Identifying Key Themes and Insights

• Read Thoroughly: Read the transcription several times to fully understand the content.
• Highlight Key Points: Mark significant statements, insights, and recurring themes.
• Categorize Information: Group similar ideas together to form coherent sections or themes.
• Relevance to Essay Goals: Align themes and insights with the purpose and objectives of your essay.

Selecting Quotes and Anecdotes for Inclusion

• Impactful Quotes: Choose quotes that effectively convey the interviewee’s perspective or personality.
• Narrative Value: Select anecdotes that add depth or provide illustrative examples relevant to the topic.
• Balance: Ensure a good mix of quotes and anecdotes throughout the essay for variety and interest.
• Context: Provide sufficient background information for each quote or anecdote to make sense to the reader.

When you begin writing the essay, organizing the interview information methodically allows for a clearer and more structured approach. This process ensures that the interview’s most significant and relevant parts are highlighted, providing a solid foundation for the essay’s narrative.

How to Write an Interview Essay

Writing the interview essay involves several key steps, from choosing the right format to blending narrative and analysis. Your preparation and organization come together in this stage to create a compelling and informative piece.

Choose Your Essay Format

The format of your interview essay is pivotal in determining how your content is structured and conveyed to the reader. Here’s an expanded look at the three primary formats:

Narrative Format

• Storytelling Approach: This format weaves the interviewee’s experiences and perspectives into a narrative, engaging the reader emotionally and intellectually.
• Chronological Flow: Often, the narrative follows a chronological order, but it can also be structured around a central event or a pivotal moment in the interviewee’s life.
• Descriptive and Engaging: Rich in descriptive details, this format allows the writer to explore the interviewee’s emotions, settings, and background, offering a deep dive into their personal journey.
• Ideal Use: Best suited for essays that aim to provide an in-depth look at an individual’s life, experiences, or viewpoints, such as personal profiles or biographical pieces.

Question-and-Answer Format

• Direct Dialogue: This format closely mimics the actual conversation, presenting the questions and answers as they occurred. It maintains the interview’s original tone and flow.
• Clarity and Authenticity: The question-and-answer structure is straightforward, allowing readers to clearly see the interviewer’s inquiries and the interviewee’s responses.
• Minimal Narration: The writer’s voice is typically less prominent, with the focus being on the interviewee’s responses.
• Ideal Use: This format works well for interviews with technical or highly specialized content or when the interviewee’s words carry significant weight and authority.

Thematic Format

• Theme-Centered: Rather than following the chronological order of the interview or a strict Q&A format, this approach organizes the essay around key themes or topics that emerge from the interview.
• Depth of Analysis: It allows for an in-depth exploration of each theme, providing a comprehensive view of the subject matter.
• Non-Linear Structure: The writer can rearrange the content to focus on the most relevant or compelling themes, regardless of their order in the original interview.
• Ideal Use: Particularly effective for complex topics that benefit from a nuanced exploration, such as academic research, exploratory journalism, or issues with multiple viewpoints.

Outline the Essay

Creating a well-structured outline is a crucial step in writing your interview essay. It helps to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of information. Here’s a more detailed approach to outlining the three main parts of the essay:

Introduction

• Introducing the Interviewee: Begin by presenting your interviewee. Include their name, relevant professional titles or roles, and why they are a significant figure for your essay topic .
• Background Information: Provide essential background information about the interviewee. This might include their professional achievements, personal history, or unique experiences relevant to the interview topic.
• Purpose of the Interview: Clarify the purpose of the interview. Explain what prompted the interview and what you aim to explore or uncover through it.
• Thesis Statement : End the introduction with a thesis statement or a primary question the interview will address. This gives the reader a clear idea of what to expect from the essay.
• Organizing by Themes or Topics: Divide the body into sections, each focusing on different aspects or themes that emerged from the interview. In a thematic or narrative format, these sections might cover various topics or stories. In a Q&A format, they might be organized around specific questions and answers.
• Supporting Details: For each section, include supporting details from the interview, such as direct quotes, anecdotes, or specific insights provided by the interviewee.
• Analysis and Interpretation: Add your analysis or interpretation of the interviewee’s responses. Discuss how their insights contribute to the overall topic or your understanding of the subject matter.
• Transitions: Ensure each section flows smoothly into the next. Use transitional phrases to maintain a coherent narrative or argument throughout the essay.
• Summarizing Key Points: Recap the main themes or insights discussed in the essay. This summary should reflect back on the thesis statement or primary question posed in the introduction.
• Reflecting on Insights Gained: Reflect on what you learned from the interview. Discuss how the interviewee’s perspectives have contributed to a deeper understanding of the topic.
• Broader Implications: If applicable, comment on the broader implications of the interview. This might include how the insights gained relate to larger societal, cultural, or professional issues.
• Closing Thoughts: Conclude with final thoughts or a closing statement that leaves the reader with something to ponder or consider further.

A well-crafted outline not only helps in organizing the essay effectively but also ensures that all key elements from the interview are highlighted and woven into a cohesive narrative or argument.

Blend Narrative and Analysis

Blending narrative and analysis in an interview essay is an art. It involves weaving the interviewee’s personal stories with your own interpretative insights, creating an informative and engaging piece. Here’s a deeper look into how to achieve this balance:

Personal Voice

• Storytelling: Integrate the interviewee’s personal stories and experiences as a fundamental part of the essay. Use direct quotes and vivid descriptions to bring these stories to life.
• First-Person Perspective: Consider using the first person, especially in a narrative format, to create a more intimate and personal tone. Share your own reflections or reactions to the interviewee’s stories where appropriate.
• Character Depth: Portray the interviewee as a full-fledged character. Include details about their personality, emotions, and background to make them relatable and real to the reader.
• Relatability: Aim to connect the interviewee’s experiences to universal themes or broader human experiences. This approach helps the reader to empathize with and understand the interviewee on a deeper level.

Analytical Insights

• Interpretative Lens: Provide your own analysis or interpretation of what the interviewee says. This could involve drawing connections to broader themes, offering critique, or providing context that the interviewee might not have explicitly stated.
• Balanced Viewpoint: While offering your perspectives, ensure they complement and do not overshadow the interviewee’s voice. The analysis should enrich the reader’s understanding rather than detract from the original narrative.
• Supporting Research: Use additional research or references to support your analysis. This can lend credibility to your interpretations and provide a more rounded view of the topic.
• Critical Thinking: Apply critical thinking to analyze the interviewee’s responses. Question underlying assumptions, identify biases, and explore the implications of their viewpoints.
• Seamless Transitions: Craft transitions that seamlessly blend narrative and analysis. Use transitional phrases or questions that naturally lead from a story to an analytical point or vice versa.
• Pacing: Balance the pacing between narrative and analysis. Avoid long sections of uninterrupted analysis that might detach the reader from the personal aspect of the essay.
• Coherence: Ensure that the analysis is always relevant to the preceding narrative. Each analytical point should clearly relate to the story or quote that it follows.
• Reflective Conclusion: In the conclusion of each section or the essay as a whole, reflect back on the analysis and narrative, summarizing how they interconnect and what they collectively reveal about the interviewee or the topic.

Blending narrative and analysis effectively requires a thoughtful approach where both elements complement each other, creating a rich, multi-dimensional view of the interview subject. This approach not only makes the essay more engaging but also deepens the reader’s understanding of the topic.

Incorporate Direct Quotes and Paraphrase

In an interview essay, effectively using direct quotes and paraphrasing is key to maintaining the authenticity of the interviewee’s voice while ensuring the essay’s clarity and conciseness. Here’s a more detailed look at how to approach this:

Direct Quotes

• Impactful Statements: Utilize direct quotes for particularly powerful, insightful, or unique statements. These quotes should capture the essence of the interviewee’s perspective or personality.
• Preserving Voice: When using direct quotes, it’s crucial to preserve the interviewee’s original speech patterns and expressions. This helps in maintaining the authenticity of their voice.
• Contextualization: Provide context for each quote to ensure the reader understands its relevance. Briefly introduce the scenario or question that led to the quoted response.
• Emphasis on Key Points: Use direct quotes to emphasize points critical to your essay’s thesis or main argument. These quotes can serve as evidence or examples to support your narrative.

Paraphrasing

• Simplifying Complex Responses: When the interviewee provides complex or lengthy answers, paraphrasing can make these ideas more accessible to the reader. It allows you to condense and clarify the original response.
• Maintaining Original Meaning: While paraphrasing, be careful to accurately convey the interviewee’s intended message. The goal is to simplify the language, not to alter the meaning.
• Integration with Your Analysis: Paraphrased content can be smoothly integrated with your own analysis or commentary, creating a cohesive narrative flow.
• Avoiding Misrepresentation: Regularly compare your paraphrased sentences with the original statements to ensure that you’re not misrepresenting the interviewee’s views.

Attribution

• Crediting the Interviewee: Always attribute both quotes and paraphrased ideas to the interviewee. This can be done in the narrative (e.g., “As Jane Doe noted…”) or through citations, depending on the format of your essay.
• Clear Distinction: Make it clear to the reader what is a direct quote and what is paraphrased material. This distinction is crucial for transparency and credibility.
• Consistency in Attribution: Apply a consistent style for attributing quotes and ideas throughout your essay. This consistency aids in readability and helps maintain the flow of the essay.

Incorporating direct quotes and paraphrasing effectively enhances the authenticity of your interview essay and makes it more engaging and accessible to the reader. This balance between the interviewee’s voice and your narrative is key to creating a compelling and credible essay.

Provide Context and Background Information

In an interview essay, contextualizing the content is crucial for readers to fully grasp the significance of the interviewee’s responses. Detailed background information enriches the narrative, making it more informative and engaging. Here’s an expanded look at how to integrate this context:

Set the Scene

• Introduction of Setting: Begin by describing the setting of the interview, if it’s relevant to the content or mood of the conversation. For example, if the interview was conducted in a significant location, mention it.
• Timeframe: Mention the period during which the interview took place, especially if it’s relevant to the discussion or if the conversation references current events.
• Initial Interaction: Briefly describe the initial interaction with the interviewee to give the reader a sense of the interview’s tone and the relationship between you and the interviewee.

Relevant Details

• Interviewee’s Background: Provide an overview of the interviewee’s professional and personal background, focusing on aspects relevant to the essay’s topic. This might include their career trajectory, significant achievements, or personal experiences that shape their perspective.
• Context for Responses: When the interviewee references specific projects, events, or experiences, offer additional information to help the reader understand the relevance and significance of these references.
• Visual Aids: If applicable, use visual aids like photographs or diagrams to provide a richer background and enhance the reader’s understanding, particularly in digital formats.

Linking to Broader Themes

• Connecting to Larger Issues: Draw connections between the interviewee’s experiences or viewpoints and broader societal, historical, or cultural themes. This helps to situate the interview in a larger context.
• Reflecting Current Events: If the interview touches on current events or trends, provide a brief overview to give readers a clearer understanding of the interviewee’s responses in the current landscape.
• Universal Themes: Highlight any universal themes or experiences discussed in the interview. This can make the essay more relatable and compelling to a broader audience.

By providing rich context and background information, you set the stage for the interviewee’s responses and enrich the reader’s understanding of the overall narrative. This additional information layer helps create a more immersive and informative reading experience.

Writing the essay is a process of weaving together the voices of the interviewer and interviewee to create an engaging and insightful narrative. In this phase, you bring to life the interviewee’s experiences and perspectives contextualized within a well-structured and coherent essay.

Styling and Formatting

In the styling and formatting phase of an interview essay, attention to detail is crucial. This step ensures that the essay reads well and meets the necessary academic or publication standards.

Adhering to Academic or Publication Style Guides

• Choose Appropriate Style Guide: Determine which style guide is relevant for your context (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
• Consistency: Apply the chosen style guide consistently throughout the essay.
• Formatting Rules: Pay attention to specific formatting rules such as margins, font size, and headings.

Balancing Narrative Flow with Factual Accuracy

• Narrative Structure: Maintain a compelling narrative flow that engages the reader.
• Factual Integrity: Ensure all factual statements are accurate and verifiable.
• Tone and Voice: Balance the essay’s tone between academic rigor and storytelling.

Citing Sources and Interview Material

• Citations for Interview Material: Follow the specific format for citing interviews as per the chosen style guide.
• Secondary Sources: Properly cite all secondary sources and supplemental materials used for background information or analysis.
• In-Text Citations: Include in-text citations where necessary, particularly when quoting or paraphrasing the interviewee.
• Reference List or Bibliography: Compile a complete list of references or bibliography at the end of the essay.

Proper styling and formatting enhance the essay’s readability and demonstrate professionalism and respect for academic standards. This phase is essential for lending credibility to your work and ensuring it is taken seriously by your intended audience.

Bottom Line

Final thoughts on the value and impact of interview essays.

• Unique Insight: Interview essays provide a unique window into personal experiences and expert perspectives.
• Storytelling Power: They combine the art of storytelling with factual reporting, making them compelling and informative.
• Cultural Relevance: These essays can contribute to cultural and social discourse by highlighting diverse voices.

Encouragement for Continuous Learning and Improvement

• Skill Development: Embrace each interview as an opportunity to refine your interviewing and writing skills.
• Feedback and Reflection: Seek feedback and reflect on your process for continuous improvement.
• Lifelong Learning: View each interview essay as a step in the journey of lifelong learning and professional growth.

By adhering to these guidelines and embracing the process, you can create interview essays that are informative and engaging but also respectful and ethical, contributing valuable insights to your chosen field or audience.

Read for more insights

• “Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences” by Irving Seidman. This book provides an in-depth exploration of the interviewing process in qualitative research, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to understand or conduct interviews for essays or academic research.
• “The SAGE Handbook of Interview Research: The Complexity of the Craft,” edited by Jaber F. Gubrium, James A. Holstein, Amir B. Marvasti, and Karyn D. McKinney. This handbook is a comprehensive resource that delves into various aspects of interview research, including techniques, challenges, and ethical considerations.
• “Doing Interviews” by Steinar Kvale and Svend Brinkmann. Part of the ‘Qualitative Research Kit,’ this book offers a practical guide to conducting interviews, presenting the theoretical background and practical aspects of interviewing.
• “Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data” by Herbert J. Rubin and Irene S. Rubin. This book emphasizes the art of listening in interviews. It offers practical advice for conducting qualitative interviews, making it a useful resource for anyone interested in using interviews as a data source.
• “Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes” by Robert M. Emerson, Rachel I. Fretz, and Linda L. Shaw. While primarily focused on ethnographic research, this book provides valuable insights into effectively documenting and writing about interviews and observations, which can be highly relevant for crafting interview essays.

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How Do You Write an Interview Paper: 8 Best Practices

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You know what an interview is and what writing an essay constitutes. But does that make writing an interview paper a cakewalk? Not quite.

Considering all the planning and pre-work this assignment requires, it can prove to be an exhausting and intimidating experience for students.

But hey, that’s what we’re here for.

In this article, we will tell you how to write an interview paper and do a good job at it.

What is an Interview Paper

An interview paper is an academic essay that focuses on providing different viewpoints or perspectives on a particular subject or topic by interviewing one or more people and gathering enough knowledge and research to write a stellar paper.

The most important difference is that, unlike other essay writing assignments where your references and sources are scholarly books and reading materials, interview essays build up on your sources being people who are authentic and authoritative in their field.

How Do You Write an Interview Paper that Stands Out

Wondering how to get started? Here are eight best practices to help you write an interview paper that gets you the grades you desire.

Plan your time beforehand

It may feel overwhelming and daunting to do so much before conducting your interview for you to start writing your interview paper, but it’s always better to be prepared and plan your time accordingly than to leave it for the last minute and work on it as it comes.

To do this efficiently:

• prepare your interview questions;
• practice your interviewing techniques;
• know and research about the person who you’ve requested for an interview;
• plan your time and agenda;
• be ready for a few follow-up questions.

Keep in mind that if you plan on doing an hour or a 2-hour long interview, make time slots as per the number of questions you need to ask and give your interviewee enough time to answer all your questions.

Identify the purpose of the paper

The primary purpose of the paper will determine your subject, and the topics that the paper will cover, introduce new concepts, and resonate with your readers.

Suppose your paper is about an opinionated statement. In that case, it is advisable to get an interview from an authoritative figure who is related to and has enough knowledge to give valuable insights on the subject matter.

On the other hand, if your paper is about a public view or subject, it is important to gather the viewpoints of multiple people to understand different perspectives on one central issue.

Finally, if your paper is on a medical, health, or scientific topic, it is best practice to take your interview someone who has expert knowledge in these fields.

Research the subject matter

For you to write on a specific subject matter and conduct an interview with someone based on their expertise, you need to first thoroughly research the subject topic, delve into the history and background of the topic to understand it better, and write an effective and quality paper on it.

To make the research process easier you can:

• Look for and listen to older interviews on topics that are related or similar. This will give you an idea of what kind of questions were asked by the interviewer before so that you can figure out a list of appropriate questions for yourself to ask your interviewee and add in some new questions which have never been asked before.
• Read a lot of books, articles, research papers, and other works that are associated with your subject, both online and in print. This will not only build your knowledge about the topic but also instigate in asking your interviewee crucial, intelligent, and engaging questions.

Create a list and prepare your questions

When you're preparing to conduct an interview for your paper, list down all the questions that you would want to ask your interviewee. These questions will mostly come up during your research and brainstorming.

Brainstorm and ask yourself several ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to include in the interview, to make it easier to gather factual information.

Asking open-ended ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions to your interviewee will focus on understanding in-depth explanations and help you find additional background information that was not found during the initial research.

Asking quality questions is a very critical part of writing a great interview paper, and if your research is thorough, coming up with interesting and powerful questions will be no problem.

It is recommended to have more questions on your list than you are prepared to ask during the interview. Rank your selected questions based on how much information you can gather from them and how important they are. Finally, ask your interviewee the best questions from this list based on the interaction or the situation.

Here’s an interesting video by Kirstine on asking good qualitative interview questions

Conduct a face-to-face interview

Once you have all your questions ready and are prepared to conduct the interview, it is time for you to contact and invite your resource person. Always keep in mind to interview someone who is an authority on the subject matter that you’re writing your interview paper on.

When inviting, explain to them who you are, and tell them the reasons why you chose them for the interview. Keep an alternate or a backup resource person in case the first interviewee refuses to give an interview or can’t make it.

Choose a peaceful and quiet place as the interview site, with absolutely no distractions. Reach this site well before time to prepare and be ready to take the interview. If you’re unable to meet in person, do it over a video conferencing call.

Conducting a face-to-face interview is more effective as it makes it more personal and minimizes miscommunication.

Ask for consent before recording and take notes

If it’s an in-person conversation, or a telephone or video interview, it is always good practice to ask your interviewee for consent or a written agreement before recording the meeting, videotaping the interview, and using their words or their image for your paper.

Even if you are recording the interview, always take notes of all the valuable insights that your interviewee is giving about your paper’s topic, as this will not only speed up the writing process but also help you highlight important points during the discussion.

Recording your interview can also help in avoiding misunderstandings and misinterpretations and make it easier to understand your interviewee’s context.

After you thank your interviewee for their time and thoughts, note down your impressions of the interview, to properly articulate and know what to use and write in your interview paper.

Create an outline and format your paper

Now that you have all the information you need to craft an excellent interview paper. The next crucial step for you is to create an outline for your paper to bring structure and create a flow between each paragraph and, eventually, throughout your paper.

Your interview paper should have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion . Your introductory paragraph should contain information and be phrased in such a way that it grabs the attention of your readers, making them want to read further.

Respect the interviewee’s opinions and thoughts and clearly state the ideas that were your own and the ones that were from your resource person.

Decide what format you would like your interview paper to be in:

• Narrative Format : This will be formatted and written in the form of a story. Here you can write from your point of view or the point of view of your interviewee. This is the most common format used in colleges and gives you scope to add context and analysis.
• Personal or Conversational Format : This format is presented in the form of dialogues. Here, the tone is informal, and you can address the readers directly by writing in the first or second person.
• Question & Answer Format : This places the questions you asked your interviewee and the responses they gave to it right next to it. These are mostly always direct quotes and can be used when interviewing a single person or a group of people who are closely related.

Cite your paper well

If you have used additional resources or supplementary materials in the body paragraphs of your interview paper, cite your sources. Even if they were just for research purposes or gathering background information about your interviewee, it is very important to specify your sources and cite them properly.

Make sure that any direct quote that has been used in your paper has quotation marks to avoid unintentional plagiarism .

Mastering the art of how you write an interview paper is no easy feat. It is time-consuming and takes practice to be good at it.

Consider keeping our effective and simple best practices to elevate your writing and interviewing skills, helping you score well in this assignment.

Our team of expert interview paper writers can help you put together a high-scoring interview paper written from scratch. From planning and research to drafting, editing, and proofreading, our writers are equipped to help you every step of the way.

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Student Interview Essay Example (Tips for a Successful Interview)

A student interview essay is a type of academic assignment where students are required to conduct an interview with someone and then write an essay based on the insights gained from the interview. This type of essay allows students to delve into a particular topic or subject by gathering firsthand information from someone with expertise or experience in that area.

Student interview essays can be a valuable tool for learning, as they provide an opportunity for students to engage with real-life experiences and perspectives. By conducting an interview and writing an essay, students can develop critical thinking skills, improve their writing abilities, and gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

How to Conduct a Successful Interview

Conducting a successful interview is crucial for obtaining the information needed to write a compelling essay. Here are some tips to help you conduct a successful interview:

• Do your research: Before conducting the interview, research the topic or subject matter extensively. This will help you ask informed and relevant questions.
• Prepare a list of questions: Create a list of questions that will guide the interview and cover all the important aspects of the topic. Make sure to include open-ended questions that encourage the interviewee to provide detailed responses.
• Choose an appropriate setting: Select a quiet and comfortable location for the interview to ensure that both you and the interviewee can focus and communicate effectively.
• Be professional and respectful: Treat the interviewee with respect and professionalism. Maintain proper etiquette throughout the interview and actively listen to their responses.
• Take accurate notes: Take detailed notes during the interview to capture the interviewee’s responses accurately. This will help you when writing the essay later.

The Structure of a Student Interview Essay

A student interview essay typically follows a similar structure to other types of essays. It should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Here is a breakdown of each section:

1. Introduction

The introduction should provide background information about the interviewee and the topic being discussed. It should also include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.

2. Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should present the information gathered from the interview in a logical and organized manner. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point or topic related to the interview.

• Example: Provide a specific example or anecdote from the interview that supports the main argument or point being discussed.
• Analysis: Analyze the information provided by the interviewee and discuss its significance or relevance to the topic.
• Supporting evidence: Use additional research or examples to support the points made in the interview.

3. Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize the main points discussed in the essay and restate the thesis statement in a concise manner. It should also provide a closing thought or reflection on the insights gained from the interview.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Student Interview Essay

When writing a student interview essay, there are some common mistakes that you should avoid to ensure the quality and effectiveness of your essay:

• Lack of preparation: Failing to adequately prepare for the interview can result in a lack of focus and relevant questions.
• Biased or leading questions: Avoid asking questions that steer the interviewee towards a specific answer or express your own biases.
• Failure to actively listen: Actively listen to the interviewee’s responses and engage in the conversation. This will help you gather more meaningful information.
• Inaccurate or incomplete notes: Take accurate and detailed notes during the interview to ensure the information is properly represented in your essay.

Top Interview Tips for Students

Preparing for an interview can be nerve-wracking, especially for students who are new to the process. Here are some top interview tips to help you succeed:

• Research the company or organization: Familiarize yourself with the company’s mission, values, and recent news. This will demonstrate your interest and preparation during the interview.
• Practice common interview questions: Prepare answers to common interview questions such as “Tell me about yourself” or “Why are you interested in this position?” Practicing your responses will help you feel more confident during the actual interview.
• Dress appropriately: Dress professionally and appropriately for the interview. This will show that you take the opportunity seriously and respect the interviewer’s time.
• Arrive early: Aim to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early for the interview. This will give you time to compose yourself and gather your thoughts before the interview starts.
• Ask insightful questions: Prepare a list of thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer. This demonstrates your interest in the position and your desire to learn more about the company or organization.
• Follow up with a thank-you note: After the interview, send a thank-you note or email to the interviewer to express your gratitude for the opportunity. This small gesture can leave a positive impression.

A student interview essay can be a valuable learning experience that allows you to gather firsthand information and develop critical thinking skills. By following the tips and guidelines provided in this article, you can conduct a successful interview and write an engaging essay that showcases your understanding of the subject matter. Remember to be well-prepared, professional, and respectful during the interview process, and avoid common mistakes that can diminish the quality of your essay. Good luck with your student interview essay!

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Sample Papers

This page contains sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample papers show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a paper to an instructor for a course assignment. You can download the Word files to use as templates and edit them as needed for the purposes of your own papers.

Most guidelines in the Publication Manual apply to both professional manuscripts and student papers. However, there are specific guidelines for professional papers versus student papers, including professional and student title page formats. All authors should check with the person or entity to whom they are submitting their paper (e.g., publisher or instructor) for guidelines that are different from or in addition to those specified by APA Style.

Sample papers from the Publication Manual

The following two sample papers were published in annotated form in the Publication Manual and are reproduced here as PDFs for your ease of use. The annotations draw attention to content and formatting and provide the relevant sections of the Publication Manual (7th ed.) to consult for more information.

• Student sample paper with annotations (PDF, 5MB)
• Professional sample paper with annotations (PDF, 2.7MB)

We also offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format with the annotations as comments to the text.

• Student sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 42KB)
• Professional sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 103KB)

Finally, we offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format without the annotations.

• Student sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 36KB)
• Professional sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 96KB)

Sample professional paper templates by paper type

These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different professional paper types. Professional papers can contain many different elements depending on the nature of the work. Authors seeking publication should refer to the journal’s instructions for authors or manuscript submission guidelines for specific requirements and/or sections to include.

• Literature review professional paper template (DOCX, 47KB)
• Mixed methods professional paper template (DOCX, 68KB)
• Qualitative professional paper template (DOCX, 72KB)
• Quantitative professional paper template (DOCX, 77KB)
• Review professional paper template (DOCX, 112KB)

Sample papers are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 2 and the Concise Guide Chapter 1

Related handouts

• Heading Levels Template: Student Paper (PDF, 257KB)
• Heading Levels Template: Professional Paper (PDF, 213KB)

Other instructional aids

• Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS)
• APA Style Tutorials and Webinars
• Handouts and Guides
• Paper Format

View all instructional aids

Sample student paper templates by paper type

These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different student paper types. Students may write the same types of papers as professional authors (e.g., quantitative studies, literature reviews) or other types of papers for course assignments (e.g., reaction or response papers, discussion posts), dissertations, and theses.

APA does not set formal requirements for the nature or contents of an APA Style student paper. Students should follow the guidelines and requirements of their instructor, department, and/or institution when writing papers. For instance, an abstract and keywords are not required for APA Style student papers, although an instructor may request them in student papers that are longer or more complex. Specific questions about a paper being written for a course assignment should be directed to the instructor or institution assigning the paper.

• Discussion post student paper template (DOCX, 31KB)
• Literature review student paper template (DOCX, 37KB)
• Quantitative study student paper template (DOCX, 53KB)

Sample papers in real life

Although published articles differ in format from manuscripts submitted for publication or student papers (e.g., different line spacing, font, margins, and column format), articles published in APA journals provide excellent demonstrations of APA Style in action.

APA journals began publishing papers in seventh edition APA Style in 2020. Professional authors should check the author submission guidelines for the journal to which they want to submit their paper for any journal-specific style requirements.

Credits for sample professional paper templates

Quantitative professional paper template: Adapted from “Fake News, Fast and Slow: Deliberation Reduces Belief in False (but Not True) News Headlines,” by B. Bago, D. G. Rand, and G. Pennycook, 2020, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 149 (8), pp. 1608–1613 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000729 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Qualitative professional paper template: Adapted from “‘My Smartphone Is an Extension of Myself’: A Holistic Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Using a Smartphone,” by L. J. Harkin and D. Kuss, 2020, Psychology of Popular Media , 10 (1), pp. 28–38 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000278 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Mixed methods professional paper template: Adapted from “‘I Am a Change Agent’: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Students’ Social Justice Value Orientation in an Undergraduate Community Psychology Course,” by D. X. Henderson, A. T. Majors, and M. Wright, 2019,  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 7 (1), 68–80. ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000171 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.

Literature review professional paper template: Adapted from “Rethinking Emotions in the Context of Infants’ Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Interest and Positive Emotions,” by S. I. Hammond and J. K. Drummond, 2019, Developmental Psychology , 55 (9), pp. 1882–1888 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000685 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.

Review professional paper template: Adapted from “Joining the Conversation: Teaching Students to Think and Communicate Like Scholars,” by E. L. Parks, 2022, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 8 (1), pp. 70–78 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000193 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Credits for sample student paper templates

These papers came from real students who gave their permission to have them edited and posted by APA.

Using an interview in a research paper

Consultant contributor: Viviane Ugalde

Using an interview can be an effective primary source for some papers and research projects. Finding an expert in the field or some other person who has knowledge of your topic can allow for you to gather unique information not available elsewhere.

There are four steps to using an interview as a source for your research.

• Know where and how to start.
• Know how to write a good question.
• Know how to conduct an interview.
• Know how to incorporate the interview into your document or project.

Step one: Where to start

First, you should determine your goals and ask yourself these questions:

• Who are the local experts on topic?
• How can I contact these people?
• Does anyone know them to help me setup the interviews?
• Are their phone numbers in the phone book or can I find them on the Internet?

Once you answer these questions and pick your interviewee, get their basic information such as their name, title, and other general details. If you reach out and your interview does not participate, don’t be discouraged. Keep looking for other interview contacts.

Step two: How to write a good question

When you have confirmed an interview, it is not time to come up with questions.

• Learning as much as you can about the person before the interview can help you create questions specific to your interview subject.
• Doing research about your interviewee’s past experience in your topic, or any texts that they have written would be great background research.

When you start to think of questions, write down more questions than you think you’ll need, and prioritize them as you go. Any good questions will answer the 5W and H questions. Asking Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How questions that you need answered for your paper, will help you form a question to ask your interviewee.

When writing a good question, try thinking of something that will help your argument.

• Is your interviewee an advocate for you position?
• Are they in any programs that are related to your research?
• How much experience do they have?

From broad questions like these, you can begin to narrow down to more specific and open-ended questions.

Step three: The interview

If at all possible, arrange to conduct the interview at the subject’s workplace. It will make them more comfortable, and you can write about their surroundings.

• Begin the interview with some small talk in order to give both of you the chance to get comfortable with one another
• Develop rapport that will make the interview easier for both of you.
• Ask open-ended questions
• Keep the conversation moving
• Stay on topic
• The more silence in the room, the more honest the answer.
• If an interesting subject comes up that is related to your research, ask a follow-up or an additional question about it.
• Ask if you can stay in contact with your interview subject in case there are any additional questions you have.

Step four: Incorporating the interview

When picking the material out of your interview, remember that people rarely speak perfectly. There will be many slang words and pauses that you can take out, as long as it does not change the meaning of the material you are using.

As you introduce your interview in the paper, start with a transition such as “according to” or other attributions. You should also be specific to the type of interview you are working with. This way, you will build a stronger ethos in your paper .

The body of your essay should clearly set up the quote or paraphrase you use from the interview responses,. Be careful not to stick a quote from the interview into the body of your essay because it sounds good. When deciding what to quote in your paper, think about what dialogue from the interview would add the most color to your interview. Quotes that illustrate what your interviewer sounded like, or what their personality is are always the best quotes to choose from.

Once you have done that, proofread your essay. Make sure the quotes you used don’t make up the majority of your paper. The interview quotes are supposed to support your argument; you are not supposed to support the interview.

For example, let’s say that you are arguing that free education is better than not. For your argument, you interview a local politician who is on your side of the argument. Rather than using a large quote that explains the stance of both sides, and why the politician chose this side, your quote is there to support the information you’ve already given. Whatever the politician says should prove what you argue, and not give new information.

Step five: Examples of citing your interviews 

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2018.

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2018).

Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication, November 3, 2018).

Reference list

Daly, C. & Leighton W. (2017). Interviewing a Source: Tips. Journalists Resource.

Driscoll, D. (2018 ). Interviewing. Purdue University

Hayden, K. (2012). How to Conduct an Interview to Write a Paper . Bright Hub Education, Bright Hub Inc.

Hose, C. (2017). How to Incorporate Interviews into Essays. Leaf Group Education.

Magnesi, J. (2017). How to Interview Someone for an Article or Research Paper. Career Trend, Leaf group Media.

Essay Papers Writing Online

10 essential tips for crafting an effective interview essay.

Unlock the magic of storytelling by capturing the essence of human experiences through the power of interviews. Going beyond just words on a page, an interview essay transforms a simple conversation into a captivating narrative that engages readers on a deep and emotional level. By delving into the intricacies of someone’s thoughts, experiences, and insights, an interview essay brings a unique perspective to the table, allowing readers to immerse themselves in a world of diverse voices and compelling narratives.

With the interview essay, you have the opportunity to weave a rich tapestry of perspectives, uncovering hidden gems of wisdom that often go unnoticed in everyday life. As you engage in thoughtful conversations with individuals from different walks of life, you unravel unique stories that have the power to educate, inspire, and enlighten readers. Through the artful use of quotes, anecdotes, and vivid descriptions, an interview essay breathes life into the pages, creating an intimate connection between the reader and the interview subject.

Mastering the art of the interview essay requires not only strong interviewing skills but also empathy, curiosity, and the ability to connect with people on a deeper level. By listening intently and asking thought-provoking questions, you can encourage interviewees to open up, share their experiences, and provide insights that transcend the surface level. With each interview, you embark on a journey of discovery, peeling back the layers of someone’s life and inviting readers to join you on this transformative expedition.

Choosing the Right Interviewee

When embarking on the journey of conducting an interview, the first and crucial step is selecting the right interviewee. This step requires careful consideration and evaluation to ensure a successful and meaningful interview. The interviewee plays a pivotal role in shaping the tone and direction of the interview, bringing unique perspectives, experiences, and insights to the conversation.

One important aspect to consider when choosing an interviewee is their expertise and knowledge in the subject matter. Look for individuals who possess deep understanding and experience in the area of interest. This will contribute to the richness and authenticity of the interview, allowing for in-depth discussions and a deeper exploration of the topic.

Another factor to consider is the interviewee’s articulation and communication skills. A great interviewee should be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively. Look for individuals who have the ability to convey their thoughts in a coherent and concise manner, as it will enhance the overall quality of the interview.

Furthermore, it is valuable to select an interviewee who is open-minded and willing to share their perspectives openly. This fosters an environment of trust and encourages candid discussions during the interview. Seek interviewees who are comfortable expressing their opinions and are receptive to exploring different viewpoints.

Additionally, it is essential to consider the interviewee’s availability and willingness to participate in the interview. Ensure that the individual is committed and available for the agreed-upon interview date and time. This will ensure a smooth and hassle-free process, allowing for ample preparations and scheduling.

Overall, selecting the right interviewee is a vital step in the interview process. By considering factors such as expertise, communication skills, openness, and availability, you can ensure that your interview is engaging, informative, and insightful.

Preparing a List of Questions

When it comes to conducting an interview, one of the most important steps is preparing a thoughtful and engaging list of questions. A well-crafted set of questions can not only help you gather the necessary information for your interview essay, but it can also create a dynamic and engaging conversation with your interviewee.

To begin, it’s important to consider the purpose of your interview and what you hope to learn from your interviewee. Whether you are writing a profile on a notable individual or exploring a specific topic, your questions should be targeted and focused. Think about the key information you want to gather and structure your questions accordingly.

When crafting your questions, it’s also important to strike a balance between open-ended and specific inquiries. Open-ended questions allow your interviewee to share their thoughts and experiences in more depth, while specific questions can help guide the conversation and ensure you obtain the information you need.

Additionally, it’s helpful to consider the interviewee’s background and expertise when formulating your questions. Tailoring your questions to their unique perspective and experiences can help elicit more thoughtful and insightful responses. Doing some preliminary research on your interviewee can provide valuable context and inform the types of questions you ask.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to be flexible and adapt your questions in the moment. Interviewing is a dynamic process, and sometimes the best insights and stories come from unexpected avenues of conversation. Allow the interview to unfold naturally and be prepared to adjust your questions based on the flow of the dialogue.

Remember, the goal of preparation is not to rigidly stick to a script, but rather to have a well-thought-out framework that can guide the conversation and help you achieve your objectives as an interviewer.

Conducting the Interview

When it comes to the process of gathering information for your interview essay, the stage of conducting the interview is crucial. This is the moment when you will have the opportunity to engage with your interviewee and extract valuable insights to create a compelling narrative. The effectiveness of your interview will greatly depend on your preparation, approach, and ability to establish trust and rapport with the person you are interviewing.

Preparation: Before conducting the interview, it is essential to thoroughly research and familiarize yourself with the topic and the person you will be interviewing. This will not only help you ask informed and relevant questions but also show your interviewee that you are genuinely interested and invested in the conversation. Take the time to identify key areas you want to explore, as well as any specific questions you may have.

Approach: When you actually sit down with your interviewee, it is important to approach the interview with a professional yet friendly demeanor. Introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the interview, highlighting the value it will bring. Make sure to actively listen, allowing the conversation to flow naturally. Use open-ended questions to encourage your interviewee to share their thoughts and experiences in depth. Additionally, keep in mind that body language and non-verbal cues play a significant role in building rapport, so strive to maintain eye contact and exhibit attentive body language.

Establishing Trust and Rapport: To create a comfortable and trusting environment, it is crucial to show genuine interest, empathy, and respect for your interviewee’s perspectives and experiences. Actively listening and responding empathetically will help build rapport and allow your interviewee to open up and share their insights more freely. It is also essential to be mindful of any sensitive topics or boundaries that your interviewee may have and to approach them with sensitivity and tact.

By carefully preparing for the interview, approaching it with professionalism and empathy, and focusing on building trust and rapport, you will set the stage for a successful and insightful conversation that will serve as a foundation for your interview essay.

Transcribing and Organizing the Material

One of the essential steps in creating a well-rounded interview essay is the transcription and organization of the material gathered during the interview process. After conducting the interview, the next crucial task is to transcribe the recorded audio or written notes into a readable format.

Transcribing the interview material involves carefully listening to the audio recording or reviewing the written notes and converting them into a written document. This process requires keen attention to detail and accuracy to ensure that the interviewee’s words are accurately represented in the final essay.

Once the material is transcribed, it is essential to organize it in a logical and coherent manner. This involves identifying the main ideas and key points discussed during the interview and arranging them in a structured outline. By organizing the material, it becomes easier to identify the flow of thoughts, highlight important quotes, and create a cohesive narrative for the essay.

In addition to structuring the material, it is also crucial to categorize the information based on relevant themes or topics. This helps in creating a comprehensive and well-structured essay that covers all aspects of the interview. By organizing the material into distinct sections, it becomes easier to focus on specific areas and present the information in a clear and concise manner.

Overall, transcribing and organizing the material is a crucial step in the process of writing an interview essay. It ensures that the information gathered during the interview is accurately represented and presented in a well-structured manner. By giving careful attention to detail and organizing the material effectively, the essay can effectively convey the interviewee’s thoughts and experiences to the reader.

Crafting the Essay

Creating a well-crafted essay is the essential next step after conducting a successful interview. This part of the process involves carefully structuring your thoughts and findings, and presenting them in a clear and engaging manner.

One effective way to approach the crafting of your essay is to make use of a table. This table can act as a visual tool to help you organize and outline the key points and themes that emerged from your interview. By visually mapping out these elements, you can ensure that your essay has a logical flow and a coherent structure.

In addition to using a table, it is important to consider the tone and style of your essay. While it should be professional and objective, it is also important to infuse it with your own unique voice and perspective. This will help to make your essay more engaging and personal, allowing the reader to connect with the subject and the insights you gained from the interview.

When crafting your essay, it is also important to consider the target audience. Who will be reading your essay and what do they hope to gain from it? Tailoring your language and content to suit the needs and expectations of your audience will help to ensure that your essay is effective in conveying the key messages and ideas you want to communicate.

Finally, don’t forget to proofread and edit your essay before submitting it. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, as well as the overall clarity and organization of your writing. Taking the time to refine and polish your essay will greatly enhance its impact and make it more enjoyable for the reader.

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You may use a sample interview paper to expand your knowledge base about business, psychological, and research interviews.

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You can find thousands of essay samples on interviews and other different subjects.

Writing academic papers about interviews is common among business and medical students. Sometimes, you might face challenges due to poor writing skills or pressing deadlines. When that happens, you can always use inspiring samples for guidance. Our database contains expertly crafted papers to unlock your inspiration. Read to learn how to benefit from Grademiners samples and use them in your own projects.

Interview Essays Examples

Every media personality, political party, and state agency in the United States of America wants to know what the public thinks. They employ interviews as a view-gathering tool. Students writing interview articles explore how businesses harness it to communicate with their target audience.

It also exposes them to practical data-gathering skills they will need while plying their trade. This subject teaches how to be a good interviewee because some workers in formal employment answer questions from the media. Scholars also learn to capture non-verbal body language during corporate communication and journalism.

Some students face various difficulties when writing about interviews. For instance, they might lack the confidence to express their thoughts freely.

Interview Essay Sample

Our database is all you need to sharpen your essay skills. We created this free online library to help students find everything they require for their writing assignments. This databank contains various interview essay examples to fire you up for future papers on this subject. Below are three exciting ways you can use this platform to compose killer essays on this topic and many others.

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A wise person once said, “tell me, and I will forget; show me, and I will remember for life.” This saying demonstrates the power of showing a person a good example. Our expert essay samples inspire you to write better articles, as you may use any example of an interview paper to compose a winning assignment and fetch high grades. Thus, we give you these models to save the time you would have wasted reinventing the wheel.

Learn excellent topic choice and structure

Any student who values their readers will seek the best way to present valuable information on a given title. You need to give your readers an easy time reading your papers, so they should possess a coherent and logical flow. You can learn from how our writing experts structure their thoughts. Our papers also contain various topics you can use to develop your own assignments.

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Interview Paper Examples to Jumpstart Your Writing

A free interview paper sample from our database can unlock your writing potential. But if your search doesn’t land you the inspiration you need for your assignment, don’t despair. We have a professional team of writers ready to assist you. Feel free to talk to us today about all your essay needs.

• Advertising
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Peer Interview Essay

Peer interview essay generator.

A variety of people, when they hear the word peers, would associate it with the people they have either studied with or worked with in the past. You may have heard of peer interview essay a lot of times as it is part of a requirement when you plan to be accepted. Think of it like a needs assessment . It could also be associated with the people they currently work with or who know them well enough. When we think of peer interviews we know that the interviewer would be asking us and some other people that we know or have worked or studied with more about us. In a way, a peer interview essay is mostly done by someone who has already worked there and would be conducting the interview to analyze and assess if you are perfect for the job. To get to know about this, check out 5+ peer interview essay examples.

5+ Peer Interview Essay Examples

1. peer groups interview essay.

2. Sample Peer Interview Essay

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4. Peer Student Interview Essay

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5. Editable Peer Interview Essay

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6. Peer Interview Essay Example

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What Is a Peer Interview Essay?

A peer interview essay is a kind of documented writing that states the assessment, the analysis, the evaluation, and everything that has been recorded by the interviewer to the interviewee. The peer interview essay consists of the interview summary details about the interviewee that the manager or the hiring company needs to know about the candidate. In addition to that, apart from the hiring manager and the human resources who usually interview potential candidates, they would ask an employee of their own to interview the candidate and see for themselves if the candidate can get along well with their own peers. This kind of interview works well for professional levels but may also work for students who are applying for a university or school of their choosing. The same procedure applies.

How to Write a Peer Interview Essay

A variety of people tend to ask about what a peer interview essay may look like. It is simply a type of summarized interview detailed essay that a student or an employee may write about in order to record a glimpse of who you are as a person. With that, you would need to understand the following steps in order to get into writing it .

1. Start with Generic to Specific Questions

Just as any interview often begins, it always begins with a simple greeting and off to the generic to specific questions . Your questions have to be in tune with what your hiring managers are giving the task for. This would mean that you are either going to be making your own questions or they would be handing you out a series of questions you are going to be asking the candidate,  peer-to-peer questions, in order for you to be able to analyze and evaluate if the candidate who may be a potential peer or colleague to you would fit well with the company.

2. Add the Details of the Candidate

Be descriptive with your essay . Add the details you can about the candidate. Anything that is relevant to the interview and about the candidate should be written along in your essay. This means that any educational relevance is similar whether you are interviewing a student who is applying for a university or a job candidate at a professional level.

3. Specify the Strong and Weak Points

The main point of the peer interview essay is to write about the candidate. This would also mean that you must specify the strong and weak points that you would need. In order for you to do that, use keywords that would be easy for you to explain in your essay as it is difficult to get it word by word during the interview. Specify the good points and the bad points in the essay, but avoid making too much of the good or too much of the bad. Balance both points.

4. Be Consistent with Your Writing

Consistency should also be a part of your essay writing. Your essay is going to be read by your hiring manager. It is a way for them to compare notes with you. In order for your point to be taken seriously and across the table, you must at least be consistent with what you are planning on saying. Being too vague would make it more difficult for your manager to understand what you wanted them to understand.

5. Proofread Your Essay

Of course, once you are done writing your peer interview essay, you must also remember to proofread everything just to make sure and to double-check if you have no visible mistakes in your essay.

What is a peer interview essay?

A peer interview essay is a recorded document of the interview with a potential applicant for either school or a professional level. The essay helps analyze if the applicant is a fit for the school or the job position they are applying for.

What is expected in a peer interview essay?

The details of what happened during the interview, the positive and negative feedback from the peer who did the interview, the analysis of the entire interview, and the evaluation.

Why is it important to have a peer interview?

The peer interview is necessary for some companies because in order for them to see how the applicant would react to having an interview with their own peers. A variety of people often see that an applicant is polite and confident when being interviewed by the hiring manager which is expected. In order for them to see the true personality of an applicant, they would ask one of their peers to do an interview, to see if the applicant would react the same way or in a different way.

It goes without saying, having a peer interview essay is essential when you want to get some feedback from a different source. Peer interviews are necessary when you want to know the applicant in a different light. Since applicants react to different types or levels of people, it is always good to see a different view if you plan to accept a potential applicant, either at a student level or a professional level.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write about the insights gained from a peer interview on study habits for your Peer Interview Essay.

Discuss the impact of extracurricular activities on a peer's life as revealed in your Peer Interview Essay.

Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The interviewee has been a supervisor in a hospital with a 300-bed capacity for 12 years. The location of the hospital was not indicated to protect the professional’s privacy. She works in the Infusion Department and oversees the performance review of all department workers. The concept of performance management guided the interview – it is a tool for managers to structure how employees’ work is evaluated (Schleicher et al., 2019). Performance reviews have to include specific goals and standards, and the concept provides methods to grade, appraise, and discuss performance quality with workers.

The interviewee’s description of the department’s management system reveals several approaches. The supervisor describes four ways of assessment, the first being self-evaluation. It is stated that all employees complete a survey about their performance annually, answering questions using an online platform. Self-assessment is the basis for additional training, skills review, quality of care, and more. The interviewee notes that supervisors do not always agree with the nurses’ answers but provide feedback based on the survey results. Self-reviews can be effective for developing professionals’ ability to appraise their own skills and reflect on their weaknesses and strengths (Schleicher et al., 2019). At the same time, the department’s managers provide a balanced response to surveys by appraising them and communicating with nurses (Schleicher et al., 2019). As a result, the system is practical for evaluating care quality and supporting an open dialogue between employees and supervisors.

Another step that increases effectiveness is including a peer review in the process. As a result, managers engage all professionals and enhance their communication and leadership strategies during the assessment. Additionally, peer reviews are used after a staff member goes through training to see whether the program was effective and has led to new skill acquisition. This initiative is particularly interesting as it may increase employees’ commitment to personal growth and develop a sense of group responsibility (Heinen et al., 2019). The interviewee talked about case-based training during nursing skills fairs, which happen four times per year. The fairs’ duration and content are not discussed, but the lack of regular programs lowers the system’s effectiveness in helping nurses grow professionally.

The focus on self and peer review is among the factors contributing to the chosen management approach’s strengths. The limited role of supervisors contributes to employees’ autonomy and supports their internal motivation to improve (Awan et al., 2020). Furthermore, it creates a culture where talking about issues and personal achievements is viewed positively, allowing workers to explore their performance on their own. At the same time, the interviewee notes that not all staff members are comfortable with peer review due to the fear of speaking up. Such anxiety may lead to inadequate feedback and unfair reviews (Awan et al., 2020). The supervisors may not be aware of problems that employees are hesitant to report, which can increase patient health and care quality risks.

The evaluation of the performance management system at the selected department reveals two issues that require addressing. The first is the lack of training for workers to work on their weaknesses, as identified during an evaluation. Nursing skills fairs take place too rarely to assist nurses in professional development adequately. The hospital should consider creating a program to help nurses complete online or offline training based on their performance reviews. More learning opportunities can teach nurses about communication, leadership, and professional skills (Kerr et al., 2020). Second, the issue of inadequate peer reviews can be solved by using a structured survey or questionnaire and allowing peers to provide feedback without the supervisor’s presence.

Awan, S. H., Habib, N., Shoaib Akhtar, C., & Naveed, S. (2020). Effectiveness of performance management system for employee performance through engagement . SAGE Open , 10 (4), 1-15. Web.

Heinen, M., van Oostveen, C., Peters, J., Vermeulen, H., & Huis, A. (2019). An integrative review of leadership competencies and attributes in advanced nursing practice . Journal of Advanced Nursing , 75 (11), 2378-2392. Web.

Kerr, D., Ostaszkiewicz, J., Dunning, T., & Martin, P. (2020). The effectiveness of training interventions on nurses’ communication skills: A systematic review . Nurse Education Today , 89 , 104405. Web.

Schleicher, D. J., Baumann, H. M., Sullivan, D. W., & Yim, J. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of performance management: A 30-year integrative conceptual review . Journal of Applied Psychology , 104 (7), 851-887. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2024, June 22). Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection. https://ivypanda.com/essays/interview-with-hospital-supervisor-reflection/

"Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection." IvyPanda , 22 June 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/interview-with-hospital-supervisor-reflection/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection'. 22 June.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection." June 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/interview-with-hospital-supervisor-reflection/.

1. IvyPanda . "Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection." June 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/interview-with-hospital-supervisor-reflection/.

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IvyPanda . "Interview with Hospital Supervisor: Reflection." June 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/interview-with-hospital-supervisor-reflection/.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Technology in Education — The Role of Technology in Education

The Role of Technology in Education

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The Mystery of the Lost Roanoke Colony

This essay about the Roanoke Colony explores the enduring mystery of its disappearance in 1587. Led by John White, the settlement aimed to establish England’s presence in the New World but vanished without a trace within three years. Theories abound regarding the fate of the colonists, ranging from integration with native tribes to tragic ends due to hardships or conflicts. Despite extensive archaeological efforts and historical analysis, definitive answers remain elusive. The story of Roanoke reflects the complexities and uncertainties of early colonial ventures, serving as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by settlers in unfamiliar and often hostile environments.

How it works

In the annals of American history, few mysteries have captivated scholars and enthusiasts alike as much as the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony. Nestled along the coast of what is now North Carolina, this early English settlement holds a unique place in the narrative of exploration and colonization during the Elizabethan era.

Established in 1587 under the leadership of John White, the Roanoke Colony was intended to be England’s foothold in the New World. Its settlers, numbering around 115 men, women, and children, were tasked with establishing a permanent presence and forging alliances with the native populations, particularly the Croatan tribe.

However, within three years, the colony vanished without a trace, leaving behind a cryptic message carved into a post: “Croatoan.”

The disappearance of the Roanoke Colony has spurred numerous theories and speculations over the centuries. One prevailing hypothesis suggests that the colonists may have integrated into neighboring native communities, such as the Croatoans or other tribes in the region. This theory is supported by historical accounts and subsequent interactions between European settlers and Native Americans, where descendants with European features were reported among certain tribes.

Another plausible scenario revolves around the hardships faced by the settlers themselves. The initial years at Roanoke were marked by food shortages, strained relations with native groups, and the challenges of surviving in an unfamiliar environment. It is conceivable that the colonists dispersed in search of better living conditions or attempted to return to England aboard passing ships, only to be lost at sea or perish due to the harsh conditions.

The absence of conclusive evidence and the enigmatic nature of the “Croatoan” inscription have fueled more exotic hypotheses as well. Some speculate that the colony fell victim to violence from rival native groups or was absorbed into a more distant tribe, effectively erasing their European identity over generations. Others suggest that the colonists may have met a tragic end at the hands of disease, starvation, or internal conflicts, leaving behind no physical remnants to tell their story.

Despite numerous archaeological excavations and ongoing research efforts, the fate of the Roanoke Colony remains shrouded in mystery. Recent advancements in technology have enabled scholars to revisit the site and analyze historical documents with greater precision, yet the answers remain elusive. The enduring allure of Roanoke lies not only in its historical significance but also in its role as a testament to the complexities and uncertainties of early colonial endeavors.

In conclusion, the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony stands as a poignant reminder of the challenges and ambiguities that defined the age of exploration. While historians continue to piece together fragments of evidence and unravel the mystery surrounding this lost settlement, the story of Roanoke endures as a testament to the resilience and curiosity of the human spirit in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

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