- Return Project #1 papers
- Handout: Samuel T. Williamson (1949),
"How to Write Like a Social Scientist"
- For Lab:
- open your UMD e-mail account
- save attachment called "2002s-Your_Name-comp.p1"
to your desktop (or to your removable disk)
- open attachment from the desktop (or to your removable disk)
- use WordPerfect to open the attachment
- if successful, compare the version of "2002s-Your_Name-comp.p1"
with the hardcopy received in class (in your folder)
- send an e-mail describing the details of success
/ failure to troufs@d.umn.edu
- repeat a. - e. using Microsoft Word
- compare your work with Williamson's
essay (above)
- open Netscape or Internet Explorer (if not already open)
- open CD-ROM Handbook
- Review of assigned readings and Handbook
assignments
- Ch. 40 "Becoming a Researcher"
- §40b "Scheduling a research project" (p.
439 text)
- Ch. 41 "Conducting Research"
- "Useful Lists and Guidelines"
- p. 1 "Web guides and search
engines"
- p. 2 "Tips for
conducting observation" (pp. 471-472 text)
- p. 3 "Planning
an interview" (p. 473 text)
- p. 4 "Designing
a questionnaire" (pp. 474-475 text)
- In-class review of designing and editing interview schedules,
including peer review
(What is the difference between a "questionnaire"
and an "interview schedule"?)
- Work on your interview schedule
- When you're finished with this session send the file to yourself
as an e-mail attachment.
- Conduct your interview and write
up a draft for next class. Conduct the interview according to your
plan:
- Arrive promptly.
- Introduce yourself and review the purpose of the interview.
- Ask for permission to tape the interview. If the interviewer
agrees, put the tape recorder off to the side, where you can see
it, but where it is not directly between the two of you.
- As best you can, ask the questions from memory. Don't read
them! If you need to refer to the interview schedule occasionally,
tell the interviewee something like, "Let me check the questions
to make certain that. . . ."
- Listen carefully. Don't interrupt! Keep in mind that
you primarily want to hear what the interviewee has to say. Ask
follow-up questions: "You mentioned that you. . . . Could you
tell me more about that. . . . ?" (cf., Interview
tips from Day 07.)
- Keep the interview focused on the main issues. If you need
to, help the interviewee get back on the main topic if s/he strays
too far from the topic. You might try something like:
- "Before, you mentioned. . . ."
- "You were saying. . . ."
- "Can you tell me more about. . . . ?"
- At the end of the interview ask if you can phone or come back
to clear up any questions that occur when you are writing up the
interview.
- At the end of the interview ask the interviewee to sign a release
of information form.. Tell interviewee that the final report might
be put on file in the Composition Department office at UMD, and/or
the Northeast Minnesota Historical Center.
- Ask for samples of writing done on the job that you might take
with you after the interview.
- Do not forget to thank the interviewee.
- As soon as possible after the interview, preferably within
thirty minutes of the interview, go somewhere close by to debrief.
- This is especially important if you did not tape the interview.
In writing your post-interview notes, describe all aspects
of the interview.
- Make a list of things that are incomplete or not clear.
- Call the interviewee to get these things clarified or augmented.
- Write a draft of your interview, including relevant items from
your debriefing notes.
- Begin to prepare an in-depth article on the interview suitable
for a training publication in your field, or, if you prefer, begin
to write a formal report to your boss.
- If you are writing your report for a training publication,
your audience is someone like you--a person new to the field
who is eager to know how to succeed and how skills in reading,
writing, listening, and speaking will contribute to success
in the field.
- What do you think they need to know?
- Your report must be well-thought-out and carefully organized,
and the final text must also be free of spelling, grammar, and
punctuation and formatting errors. All reports must be word-processed.
- What are the most important things the interviewpee said? Rank
these.
- How are these important things related? Explain.
- How will you make these points in your report?
- Be sure to clarify when you are interpreting or analyzing rather
than simply reportingor describing.
- To encourage the audience to read the interview, what information
about the interview and the interviewee will you give as an introduction?
- How will you end your report?
- Write a thank you note to the interviewee. Handwrite
the note and specifically refer to one or more points of the interview.
- Bring all of your drafts to the next class.
|