Editing Interview

{{short description|Structured series of questions and answers}}
{{Other uses|Interview (disambiguation)}}
{{Research}}

[[File:Sara Prigan (41497467772).jpg|thumb|A musician interviewed in a radio studio]]
[[File:Job interview.jpg|thumb|A woman interviewing for a job]]
[[File:10944 Ειρήνη και Άννα Βασιλείου.jpg|thumb|Athletes interviewed after a race]]
[[File:Street interview (2329143109).jpg|thumb|[[Street interview]] with a member of the public]]
An '''interview''' is a structured [[conversation]] where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.<ref name=twsMerriam>Merriam Webster Dictionary, [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interview Interview], Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016</ref> In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation between an ''interviewer'' and an ''interviewee''.  The interviewer asks questions to which the interviewee responds, usually providing information.  That information may be used or provided to other audiences immediately or later.  This feature is common to many types of interviews – a job interview or interview with a witness to an event may have no other audience present at the time, but the answers will be later provided to others in the employment or investigative process. An interview may also transfer information in both directions.

Interviews usually take place face-to-face, in person, but the parties may instead be separated geographically, as in [[videoconferencing]] or [[telephone interview]]s.  Interviews almost always involve a spoken conversation between two or more parties, but can also happen between two persons who type their questions and answers. 

Interviews can be unstructured, freewheeling, and open-ended conversations without a predetermined plan or prearranged questions.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3OdBAAAAIAAJ&q=Non-directive+counselling+as+an+effective+technique|title=Frontier Thinking in Guidance|last1=Rogers|first1=Carl R.|date=1945|publisher=Science research associates|location=University of California|pages=105–112|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref> One form of unstructured interview is a focused interview in which the interviewer consciously and consistently guides the conversation so that the interviewee's responses do not stray from the main research topic or idea.<ref name="Jamshed 87–88">{{Cite journal|last=Jamshed|first=Shazia|date=September 2014|title=Qualitative research method-interviewing and observation|journal=Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacy|volume=5|issue=4|pages=87–88|doi=10.4103/0976-0105.141942|issn=0976-0105|pmc=4194943|pmid=25316987 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Interviews can also be highly [[structured interview|structured]] conversations in which specific questions occur in a specified order.<ref>[http://www.sagepub.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book226668 Kvale & Brinkman. 2008. InterViews, 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE.] {{ISBN|978-0-7619-2542-2}}</ref>  They can follow diverse formats; for example, in a [[ladder interview]], a respondent's answers typically guide subsequent interviews, with the object being to explore a respondent's [[subconscious]] [[Motivation|motives]].<ref>2009, Uxmatters, [http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/07/laddering-a-research-interview-technique-for-uncovering-core-values.php Laddering: A research interview technique for uncovering core values]</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=15 Tips on How to Nail a Face-to-Face Interview |url=https://blog.pluralsight.com/15-tips-on-how-to-nail-a-face-to-face-interview |website=blog.pluralsight.com |access-date=2015-11-05 |archive-date=2015-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011095130/http://blog.pluralsight.com/15-tips-on-how-to-nail-a-face-to-face-interview |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Typically the interviewer has some way of recording the information that is gleaned from the interviewee, often by keeping notes with a pencil and paper, or with a [[Digital video recorder|video]] or [[Sound recording and reproduction|audio]] recorder.

The traditionally two-person interview format, sometimes called a one-on-one interview, permits direct questions and follow-ups, which enables an interviewer to better gauge the accuracy and relevance of responses.  It is a flexible arrangement in the sense that subsequent questions can be tailored to clarify earlier answers.  Further, it eliminates possible distortion due to other parties being present. Interviews have taken on an even more significant role, offering opportunities to showcase not just expertise, but adaptability and strategic thinking.

== Contexts ==
[[File:US Navy 110321-N-YM440-018 Rear Adm. Arthur J. Johnson, commander of Naval Safety Center, conducts a radio interview with Paul Gallo on Super Talk.jpg|thumb|A radio interview]]
Interviews can happen in a wide variety of contexts:
* '''Employment'''. A [[job interview]] is a formal consultation for evaluating the qualifications of the interviewee for a specific position.<ref name="Dipboye et al">Dipboye, R. L., Macan, T., & Shahani-Denning, C. (2012). The selection interview from the interviewer and applicant perspectives: Can't have one without the other. In N. Schmitt (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of personnel assessment and selection (pp. 323–352). New York City: Oxford University.</ref><ref name="Chron">{{cite web|url=http://work.chron.com/value-importance-job-interview-1660.html |title=The Value or Importance of a Job Interview |publisher=[[Houston Chronicle]] |access-date=2014-01-17}}</ref>  One type of job interview is a [[case interview]] in which the applicant is presented with a question or task or challenge, and asked to resolve the situation.<ref>Maggie Lu, ''The Harvard Business School Guide to Careers in Management Consulting'', 2002, page 21, {{ISBN|978-1-57851-581-3}}</ref>  Candidates may be treated to a [[mock interview]] as a training exercise to prepare the respondent to handle questions in the subsequent 'real' interview.  A series of interviews may be arranged, with the first interview sometimes being a short ''screening interview'', followed by more in-depth interviews, usually by company personnel who can ultimately hire the applicant.  Technology has enabled new possibilities for interviewing; for example, [[video telephony]] has enabled interviewing applicants from afar, which is becoming increasingly popular.
* '''Psychology'''. Psychologists use a variety of interviewing methods and techniques to try to understand and help their patients. In a [[psychiatric interview]], a psychiatrist or psychologist or nurse asks a battery of questions to complete what is called a [[psychiatric assessment]]. Sometimes two people are interviewed by an interviewer, with one format being called [[couple interview]]s.<ref name="P-G-2015">{{cite journal|last1=Polak|first1=L|last2=Green|first2=J|year=2015|title=Using Joint Interviews to Add Analytic Value|url=https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/using-joint-interviews-to-add-analytic-value(dfe3fe1b-df7e-43f9-b6a1-6ed14f8300f1).html|journal=[[Qualitative Health Research]]|volume=26|issue=12|pages=1638–48|doi=10.1177/1049732315580103|pmid=25850721|s2cid=4442342}}</ref> Criminologists and detectives sometimes use [[cognitive interview]]s on eyewitnesses and victims to try to ascertain what can be recalled specifically from a crime scene, hopefully before the specific memories begin to fade in the mind.<ref name="Memon, Cronin, Eaves, Bull">Memon, A., Cronin, O., Eaves, R., Bull, R. (1995). An empirical test of mnemonic components of the cognitive interview. In G. Davies, S. Lloyd-Bostock, M. McMurran, C. Wilson (Eds.), Psychology, Law, and Criminal Justice (pp. 135–145). Berlin: Walter de Gruyer.</ref><ref>Rand Corporation. (1975) The criminal investigation process (Vol. 1–3). Rand Corporation Technical Report R-1776-DOJ, R-1777-DOJ, Santa Monica, CA</ref>
* '''Marketing and Academic'''. In [[marketing research]] and [[academic research]], interviews are used in a wide variety of ways as a method to do extensive personality tests. [[Interview (research)|Interviews]] are the most used form of data collection in [[qualitative research]].<ref name="Jamshed 87–88" /> Interviews are used in marketing research as a tool that a firm may utilize to gain an understanding of how consumers think, or as a tool in the form of [[Cognitive pretesting|cognitive interviewing]] (or cognitive pretesting) for improving questionnaire design.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Willis |first=Gordon |title=Cognitive interviewing: A tool for improving questionnaire design |publisher=Sage |year=2005 |isbn=9780761928041 |pages=146}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Park |first1=Hyunjoo |last2=Sha |first2=M. Mandy |date=2014-11-02 |title=Investigating validity and effectiveness of cognitive interviewing as a pretesting method for non-English questionnaires: Findings from Korean cognitive interviews |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645579.2013.823002 |journal=International Journal of Social Research Methodology |language=en |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=643–658 |doi=10.1080/13645579.2013.823002 |s2cid=144039294 |issn=1364-5579|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Consumer research firms sometimes use [[computer-assisted telephone interviewing]] to randomly dial phone numbers to conduct highly structured telephone interviews, with scripted questions and responses entered directly into the computer.<ref name="uslabor">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/bls/glossary.htm|title=BLS Information |date=February 28, 2008|work=Glossary|publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Division of Information Services |access-date=2009-05-05}}</ref>
* '''Journalism and other media'''. Typically, reporters covering a story in [[journalism]] conduct [[Interview (journalism)|interviews]] over the phone and in person to gain information for subsequent publication. Reporters also interview government officials and political candidates for broadcast.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQusAgAAQBAJ&q=news+interview+invented&pg=PA1|title=Interviewing for Radio|last=Beaman|first=Jim|date=2011-04-14|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-85007-3|language=en}}</ref> In a [[talk show]], a radio or television host interviews one or more people, with the topic usually chosen by the host, sometimes for [[entertainment]], sometimes for informational purposes.  Such interviews are often recorded.
* '''Other situations'''. Sometimes college representatives or alumni conduct [[college interview]]s with prospective students as a way of assessing a student's suitability while offering the student a chance to learn more about a college.<ref name="twsBostonGlobe4" /> Some services specialize in coaching people for interviews.<ref name="twsBostonGlobe4">{{cite web 
| author= Sanjay Salomon 
| date= January 30, 2015
| publisher= Boston Globe
| url= http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/2015/01/30/can-failure-resume-help-you-succeed/uTBdq9A7LfXXF7vVOlG9oM/story.html
| title= Can a Failure Resume Help You Succeed?
| access-date= January 31, 2016
}}
</ref> Embassy officials may conduct interviews with applicants for student visas before approving their visa applications. Interviewing in legal contexts is often called [[interrogation]]. [[Debriefing]] is another kind of interview.

== Interviewer bias ==
{{Discrimination sidebar}}
The relationship between the interviewer and interviewee in research settings can have both positive and negative consequences.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Watson, Lucas|title=Qualitative research design : an interactive approach|year=2018|isbn=978-1-68469-560-7|location=New Orleans|oclc=1124999541}}</ref> Their relationship can bring deeper understanding of the information being collected, however this creates a risk that the interviewer will be unable to be unbiased in their collection and interpretation of information.<ref name=":0" /> 1 in 3 candidates experiences bias in an interview.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Fatima |date=May 12, 2025 |title=Job Interview Statistics - Career Pro |url=https://careerpro.ae/interview-statistics/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 15, 2025 |website=Career Pro}}</ref> Bias or [[discrimination]] can be created from the interviewer's perception of the interviewee, or the interviewee's perception of the interviewer.<ref name=":0" /> Additionally,  a researcher can bring biases to the table based on the researcher's mental state, their preparedness for conducting the research, and the researcher conducting inappropriate interviews.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chenail|first=Ronald|date=2011-01-01|title=Interviewing the Investigator: Strategies for Addressing Instrumentation and Researcher Bias Concerns in Qualitative Research|url=https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol16/iss1/16|journal=The Qualitative Report|volume=16|issue=1|pages=255–262|issn=1052-0147}}</ref> Interviewers can use various practices known in [[qualitative research]] to mitigate interviewer bias. These practices include [[subjectivity]], [[Objectivity (science)|objectivity]], and [[Reflexivity (social theory)|reflexivity]]. Each of these practices allows the interviewer, or researcher, the opportunity to use their bias to enhance their work by gaining a deeper understanding of the problem they are studying.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Roulston|first1=Kathryn|last2=Shelton|first2=Stephanie Anne|date=2015-02-17|title=Reconceptualizing Bias in Teaching Qualitative Research Methods|journal=Qualitative Inquiry|language=en-US|volume=21|issue=4|pages=332–342|doi=10.1177/1077800414563803|s2cid=143839439|issn=1077-8004}}</ref>

==Blind interview==
In a blind interview, the identity of the interviewee is concealed to reduce interviewer bias. Blind interviews are sometimes used in the software industry and are standard in [[blind audition|blind auditions]]. Blind interviews have been shown in some cases to increase the hiring of minorities and women.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Claire Cain |title=Is Blind Hiring the Best Hiring? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/is-blind-hiring-the-best-hiring.html |website=The New York Times |date=25 February 2016}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Repertory grid]] interview
*In research
** [[Computer assisted telephone interviewing]]
** [[Interview (research)]]
** [[Knowledge transfer]]
** [[Online interview]]
** [[Mall intercept]] interview
** [[Qualitative research]] interview
** [[Structured interview]]
** [[Unstructured interview]]
** [[Interviewer effect]]
*In journalism and media
** [[Interview (journalism)]]
** [[Talk show]]
** [[Vox populi]] or vox pop
*In other contexts
** [[College interview]]
** [[Reference interview]], between a librarian and a library user

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Survey methodology]]
[[Category:Interviews| ]]