How to prepare for an interview?

In qualitative research, interviews are invaluable for gathering rich, detailed insights into participants' experiences, perceptions, and emotions. However, the success of these interviews relies heavily on thorough preparation, which ensures that the interview process is both effective and ethical. Without proper planning, researchers risk collecting shallow or irrelevant data, which can undermine the integrity of their study. This article explores the steps necessary to prepare qualitative research interviews, common errors to avoid, and why meticulous preparation is critical for obtaining valuable data.

Introduction

The importance of preparing for an interview in qualitative research cannot be overstated. Effective interview preparation facilitates smooth interviews, yielding high-quality data while respecting the participants' rights and comfort. A well-prepared interviewer develops thoughtful, open-ended interview questions directly linked to the research objectives, allowing for richer, more detailed responses. Preparation also allows the interviewer to anticipate potential challenges, such as logistical issues or sensitive topics, and address them proactively. In essence, thorough interview preparation is essential to ensure the ethical conduct of the research and the collection of meaningful, insightful data.

Preparation involves developing questions and becoming familiar with the participant's background and context. This helps build rapport and encourages participants to share openly during the interview. When participants trust the interviewer, they are more likely to provide honest, detailed responses, which enhances the quality of the data. It also helps the researcher to follow up on points of interest more effectively, as familiarity with the participant’s context enables deeper and more informed probing.

Well-prepared interviews minimize the risk of unproductive tangents. You’re less likely to ask leading questions or get sidetracked when you go into an interview with a clear strategy. It also prepares you for potential challenges, such as participants providing incomplete answers or hesitating to engage. Anticipating these issues allows you to have strategies in place to manage them, ensuring the interview remains productive.

In qualitative research, preparing for an interview is not just about drafting questions—it's about creating a conducive environment for meaningful conversation, ensuring the collection of rich, relevant data, and ultimately contributing to the overall rigour of the research.

How to prepare for an interview?

The success of an interview is based on the quality of the preparation and research conducted before the interview. Preparation will lead to the best questions which will lead to the best data collection possible. Here are some important reminders when preparing for an interview.

Understanding the research question

The foundation of any qualitative interview lies in a clear and well-defined research question. This question shapes the interview questions you explore with your participants and determines the data you will collect. For interview preparation, research is essential to develop a thorough understanding of the topic. Researchers must review existing literature and justify the need for their research to ensure the interview questions address unexplored areas and create meaningful discussions.

Questions should encourage participants to talk freely and in detail, so the interviewer can gather rich information. For example, an interviewer might ask participants to describe a specific experience rather than asking questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". By developing a clear interview guide, the interviewer can create questions that link directly to the research question while allowing for open-ended answers.

Developing an effective interview guide

An interview guide is a structured framework used in qualitative research to direct the conversation during interviews. It is an essential tool for maintaining focus while allowing for flexibility during the interview. The guide typically consists of a list of open-ended questions or key topics for exploring participants' experiences, opinions, and feelings related to the research topic.

The purpose of an interview guide is twofold. First, it ensures that all relevant topics are covered across different interviews, enhancing consistency. Second, it allows interviewers to probe further into participants’ responses, encouraging deeper insights that align with the research objectives. Although it provides structure, the guide is not rigid, allowing for deviations based on the natural flow of the conversation, ensuring richer data collection.

In qualitative research, interview guides are typically used in semi-structured or unstructured interviews. They are especially useful for creating a balance between guiding the discussion and giving the interviewee enough freedom to share detailed, meaningful information.

Pilot testing

Before conducting the actual interview, a pilot interview is an important step. It allows the interviewer to practice conducting the interview and test the flow of the interview guide. Through a review of the pilot interview, interviewers can identify unclear or irrelevant questions and make adjustments accordingly. This process also helps interviewers estimate the time required for each interview and ensures that the guide covers all relevant topics without overwhelming the participant.

Pilot testing also gives the researcher a chance to practice asking questions naturally, adjusting to the conversational flow that qualitative interviews often require. Pilot tests can be very helpful, significantly developing a researcher's knowledge and understanding of what to expect for the actual interview.

Preparing for ethical considerations

Ethical interview preparation is essential for ensuring that participants provide informed consent and are aware of their rights throughout the study. Ethical considerations are of paramount importance to protect participants’ privacy and emotional well-being. Participants must feel secure that their responses will be kept confidential, and the interviewer must anticipate any potentially sensitive topics that might arise.

Additionally, researchers should examine the emotional or psychological risks associated with certain topics and be prepared to offer support or referrals if needed. This ensures that the interview process remains respectful and professional while collecting useful research data.

Building rapport with participants

The interviewer's ability to build rapport with participants is a vital skill that greatly influences each interview. Establishing trust at the beginning of the interview helps participants feel at ease and encourages them to talk openly. By focusing on the person rather than just the data, interviewers can facilitate more natural conversations.

Strong communication skills are necessary to maintain the flow of conversation and keep the focus on the topic. During the interviewing process, the interviewer must practice active listening, demonstrate empathy, and avoid rushing participants through their responses.

Before the interview, researchers should familiarize themselves with the participants' backgrounds, where relevant, to understand their context. During the interview, the researcher should encourage open dialogue while maintaining a non-judgmental stance. This rapport enables participants to provide richer, more detailed responses, ultimately enhancing the quality of the data collected.

Anticipating logistical challenges

Careful attention to logistics is also part of effective interview preparation. Whether the interview is in-person or remote, the interviewer must ensure the setting is conducive to open and comfortable communication. For example, interviewers should choose a quiet location and test any necessary equipment beforehand.

Being well-prepared and anticipating potential issues, such as technical difficulties or external distractions, helps to foster an enjoyable interview and allows the interviewer to focus on obtaining valuable data.

Scheduling flexibility is also important, as participants' availability may vary. Researchers should be prepared to accommodate different time zones or personal schedules to facilitate participation. This attention to logistics helps create a smooth and uninterrupted interview experience.

How to create an interview guide?

Designing an interview guide in qualitative research is essential for structuring in-depth conversations that capture participants' nuanced experiences and reflections. Seidman (2006) emphasizes a flexible, participant-centered approach to guide development, which balances broad thematic direction with open-ended questions, facilitating a natural conversational flow. Below, we outline key considerations for constructing an interview guide that promotes meaningful engagement in qualitative studies:

1. Define the research question and objectives: Clarifying the research’s focus and the specific experiences under investigation provides the foundation for an effective interview guide (Seidman, 2006). By establishing a clear scope, researchers can ensure that the guide remains aligned with the core objectives of the study.

2. Create a framework that outlines the main concepts to study: structuring interview guides by organizing questions into overarching themes rather than prescribing fixed questions. The guide should accommodate a series of themes that broadly frame the participant’s narrative. In Seidman’s three-interview series model, these themes progress from a life history focus to current lived experience, and finally to reflection on meaning. Each theme allows the researcher to understand the participant’s experiences deeply and within the context of their personal narrative.

3. Design open-ended questions about each concept: The questions have to be in every-day language, not include jargon, and reflect on operational definitions of concepts to think about how questions could be crafted about that concept. The effectiveness of an interview guide lies in its capacity to elicit detailed and authentic responses. Seidman (2006) underscores the importance of open-ended questions, which invite participants to reconstruct their experiences rather than simply answer direct prompts. Questions should encourage narrative depth, for example: "Can you describe how you first became interested in your field?"
   "What does a typical day look like for you in your role?" These non-directive questions foster participant
   agency, enabling them to emphasize details personally significant to their experience.

4. Verify the order of questions: Questions need to go from broad to more specific, or more sensitive, challenging and direct. Make sure you have opening and closing questions.

5. Add prompts and probes to questions: While open-ended questions drive the interview, it is recommended to use specific prompts to deepen understanding when necessary. Prompts such as “Can you give an example?” or “What were your thoughts at that moment?” allow the interviewer to explore topics that emerge naturally from participants' responses, while still maintaining a non-intrusive approach.

6. Minimize directing the conversation: To capture the participant’s authentic experience, the guide should avoid leading or suggestive questions that may direct responses toward particular themes or values. Instead of prompting participants with, "Do you find your work rewarding?" researchers might ask, "How do you feel about your experience in this role?". This non-directive approach ensures that participants provide insights shaped by their unique perspectives rather than conforming to anticipated outcomes.

7. Allow for flexibility and adapt to participant responses: It is important to maintain flexibility in qualitative interviewing, allowing the guide to adapt according to the participant’s narrative. If a participant organically addresses certain themes, the researcher should adjust questions to avoid redundancy and follow the natural trajectory of the conversation. This flexibility is particularly beneficial in phenomenological approaches, where understanding participants’ lived experiences takes precedence over rigid adherence to a predefined question list.

8. Embrace silence as a tool for reflection: The guide should remind researchers to utilize silence and pauses strategically. According to Seidman (2006), allowing participants moments of reflection can often lead to deeper, more thoughtful insights. A well-designed guide includes prompts or notes encouraging the interviewer to embrace brief silences, providing space for participants to contemplate and expand upon their answers.

9. Pilot and revise the interview guide: It is important to check the wording of questions and revise for leading questions that may elicit social desirability bias and other errors.

By following these steps, you can create a well-structured interview guide that balances consistency with the flexibility to explore participant responses in depth. By focusing on open-ended questions and thematic progression, researchers can explore the depth and complexity of participants' lived experiences, fostering a qualitative study rich in insight and authenticity. This method not only respects participants' agency in the interview process but also aligns with qualitative research's broader goal of understanding the human experience from a contextually grounded perspective.

Common errors when preparing for an interview

While thorough preparation is key, there are several common errors that researchers may encounter during the interview preparation process.

Overloading the interview guide

One of the most frequent mistakes is creating an interview guide that is too long or packed with too many questions. This can overwhelm participants and limit the depth of their responses. A well-prepared interview guide focuses on key themes and leaves room for follow-up questions, allowing participants to explore their thoughts more fully.

Failing to account for ethical concerns

Ethical considerations are often underestimated during preparation. Researchers may overlook the need for informed consent or underestimate the emotional impact of certain topics. Ensuring that participants understand their rights and the purpose of the study, along with obtaining approval from IRBs or ethics committees, is essential for conducting ethical interviews.

Neglecting rapport-building

Some researchers may jump straight into the interview questions without establishing rapport with the participant. This can create an overly formal or uncomfortable environment where participants may hesitate to share personal insights. Taking time to build trust at the start of the interview leads to more meaningful and open conversations.

Ignoring logistical issues

Poor logistical planning can disrupt the flow of an interview. For instance, technical difficulties during remote interviews, background noise, or interruptions can affect the participant’s comfort and willingness to share. Overlooking these details can undermine the effectiveness of the interview.

Conclusion

Effective interview preparation in qualitative research requires a balance between understanding the research topic, designing thoughtful questions, and planning the logistical and ethical aspects of the process. Researchers can conduct interviews that yield rich, insightful data by avoiding common errors such as overloading the interview guide, leading participants, or neglecting rapport. Properly prepared interviews enhance the quality of the research and ensure a respectful and ethical experience for participants.

References

1. Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/social-research-methods-9780199689453
2. Gerson, K., & Damaske, S. (2020). The science and art of interviewing. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199324286.001.0001
3. Marecek, J., & Magnusson, E. (2015). Doing interview-based qualitative research: A learner’s guide. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107449893.005