An interview is an engaging conversation where you learn more about a person and their experiences. Social science interviews help us understand how people think, feel, and act. Today, you will become a researcher yourself!

To conduct an engaging interview, you must first choose a topic that you're interested in and about which you would like to learn more.

Examples

• How has life in our town changed in the last x years?
• What does friendship mean to different people?
• What dreams and goals do young people have today?

Now it is important to find the right person you want to interview.

Consider who the best point of contact for your topic might be. Possible options include:

• Family member (father, mother, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa…)
• Friend (from school, the sports club, the music school, the neighborhood…)
• Teacher (homeroom teacher or subject teacher, possibly a former elementary school teacher)
• Neighbor (from your building, from the same street)

To get exciting answers, you need good questions. Here are a few tips:

• Ask open-ended questions: Use what, how, and why questions that allow for more than just a "yes" or "no" answer.
• Plan follow-up questions: Think about how you can respond to possible answers to find out more.

Examples

• "What is the most important lesson you have learned in life?"
• "How has your opinion on the following important topic changed over time?"

Watch videos of journalists and talk show hosts and pay attention to how do they ask questions.

Discuss with your classmates:

• What questions did they ask?
• Which ones worked well?