Clarify the research purpose
Write the question the interview is intended to help address and why the participant’s account is relevant. An interview is not automatically the right method because someone is available to speak. Discuss the design with the supervisor and follow the applicable ethics and permission procedures before recruitment. Clarify whether the activity is research, an educational exercise or another form of conversation. Different arrangements may apply, and this guide does not grant permission to collect or publish information.
Use questions that allow an account
Draft prompts that invite description before asking for evaluation. Instead of assuming that a process failed, ask how it worked and what difficulties, if any, arose. Avoid putting several questions inside one long sentence. The participant should not have to guess which part to answer. Check that the vocabulary is understandable for the intended audience and that each prompt connects to the research purpose rather than your personal curiosity.
Plan neutral follow-up prompts
Prepare ways to ask for an example, clarify a term or understand a sequence. Do not use follow-up questions simply to steer a participant towards your preferred explanation. An account may contain uncertainty or contradiction; clarification should explore it respectfully. If a topic falls outside the agreed scope or the participant declines to answer, follow the approved arrangements. A detailed interview plan includes boundaries as well as a list of questions.
Agree how information will be handled
Use the project’s approved process for consent, recording, storage and access. Explain what is required through the appropriate participant information rather than making informal promises you cannot keep. Do not assume that permission to talk is permission to record, quote or identify someone. Keep personal or sensitive material within the authorised systems. If you are uncertain about an obligation, pause the activity and ask the responsible supervisor or institutional office.
Interpret the account within its limits
An interview gives an account from a particular person in a particular context. Explain what that account can contribute and what requires other evidence. Avoid presenting a participant’s interpretation as a verified fact about everyone involved. Keep the analysis connected to the research question and make the route from material to conclusion visible. Methodological choices about coding and interpretation require guidance appropriate to the project, not only a generic set of interview tips.
Rehearse without collecting research data
Use a fictional scenario with a willing practice partner where appropriate, keeping it clearly separate from the actual study. Test whether the questions are understandable, whether you interrupt and whether the follow-up prompts help clarify rather than lead. Record design problems in your private planning notes without collecting unnecessary personal information. Revise the schedule and discuss it with your supervisor before use. The useful outcome is a more responsible interview plan, not a claim that a short rehearsal validates the instrument or authorises the research.
