 Welcome to Conducting Interviews, part of the Research and Assessment Cycle Toolkit offered by the Association of Research Libraries and made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. This presentation is part of a module that focuses on collecting data, evidence, input, or other information for library assessment projects. It describes interview methods for library assessment projects, including interview types, preparation, and question strategies. We hope the content is useful to library practitioners seeking to conduct library assessment projects. At the close of the presentation, you will find a link to the feedback form. Please let us know what elements were useful to you. After library assessment professionals determine what they need to know or want to learn as a result of an assessment undertaking and have considered the wide range of choices of assessment methods that will allow them to gain that knowledge or understanding, the process of developing one or more methods is at hand. Should library assessment practitioners select interviews as an approach to a particular assessment or project or need, it's important to think through interviews as a general method, various types of interviews, necessary preparation for a successful interview process, as well as guiding principles for interview questions and scheduling. Interviews are generally considered a qualitative research approach and typically involve one-on-one conversations with individuals. In academic library contexts, individuals might include library users, those who do not yet use or engage with libraries, representatives of various library or institutional communities, stakeholders, or even library colleagues. Often lasting about an hour, interviews are considered a time-intensive assessment option, particularly when one considers the number of interviewees to be accommodated, the preparation involved, the processing of transcripts or recordings, and subsequent analysis. Even when a small number of interviewees are included, the time involved can exceed initial expectations. Some of the benefits of this approach include the opportunity to hear directly from interviewees and gather their experiences and stories. Interviews, depending on how structured they are, can also offer a chance to follow up on questions or seek clarifications or further detail, an option that is not always possible with other assessment methods. The one-on-one nature of the interview can sidestep group dynamic issues as well that might exist in other formats, like focus groups. Having said that, interviews can also have drawbacks. In addition to the time-intensive nature of the approach, interviewees might not always be accurate or candid in their responses, and interviewers can potentially lead interviewees to the responses they hope to hear. Interviews are a very flexible format for library assessment. They can vary in structure and in format. Let's take a look at a few common types. Interviews used for library assessment range from structured to unstructured. They can also be designed as standardized, narrative, or panel formats. Structured interviews are often used in situations where multiple interviewers might be used, and so an attempt to reduce the variation from interviewer to interviewer is important, or when there are other reasons to keep the interviews as much the same as possible. Structured interviews follow a preset script in which questions are set, the prompts are scripted, and even the follow-up questions are determined in advance. Semi-structured interviews provide a bit more freedom for the interviewer to adjust the interview conversation. Broad prompts may be decided upon, but the interviewer is free to rephrase or explain questions, or even add in or omit questions from the script. This format allows for some flexibility, but it also requires interviewers or notetakers to record what questions were asked, changed, or skipped. Unstructured interviews are more conversational and may be designed, from a starting point, to flow with the interviewee's responses. This requires both the interviewer and the notetaker to have more skill in responding and recording in the moment. While all assessment methods benefit from piloting, an unstructured interview is especially primed for a pilot. Practicing a free flow of responses to moving conversational content is more difficult than adhering to a strict set of questions. Therefore, practice is even more essential for anticipating what to do when the unanticipated occurs. There are also a range of different types of interviews. Three of these include standardized interviews, narrative interviews, and panel interviews. Standardized interviews are almost not interviews in the way we typically conceive them. They are more akin to a verbally conveyed checklist. Interviewees select from fixed choices in responding to questions. Open responses are not encouraged and sometimes not even allowed, depending on the design of a particular standardized interview. Narrative interviews encourage the interviewee to tell their story of their experiences. The interviewer seeks to prompt and keep the story being told on track. Because of the variation among stories and the fact that the interviewee is driving so much of the content, narrative interviews can be hard to analyze. Panel interviews are designed to engage the same interviewees over a period of time. While the same interviewees are expected to participate more than once, they could opt out at any point, at which time they might be replaced by other participants, though there may be implications with regard to lack of continuity in those cases. The intent is to observe how views or experiences might change over time for individual interviewees or interviewees as representatives of groups. Interviews as an assessment method require preparation involving interviewers, recorders or note takers, interviewees, and technology or facilities. To ensure a positive interviewee experience and best results in terms of eliciting useful input, interviewees should be trained in interview techniques and provided with ample opportunities to practice. Interviewees should put interviewees at ease and ensure the interview process is comfortable and not subject to interviewer bias. Interviewers should not ask leading questions or influence interview responses through their verbal or written language, affect, or body language. It may help in many situations to use an interviewer that is not perceived as or actually representative of the issue, topic, service, resource, or space being explored in the interview. This may encourage interviewees to be more candid in their responses. Ideally, an interviewer will be accompanied by a recorder or note taker so the interviewer can focus on the task of conveying questions and following up according to the interview design. Recording an interview might take the form of note taking, audio, or video recording. This will typically involve signed consent and individual library assessment practitioners will want to follow library, institutional, local, and IRB related practices in this area. Note takers will likely want to begin with skeleton notes, pre-structured materials, checklists, or forms that are designed to align with the intended interview structure with plenty of room to make note of departures from any script designed in advance. Using recording or note taking allows the interviewer to focus on the interviewee, enables the capture of cues including those that are non-verbal, and so on. Recordings can be used to transcribe responses verbatim or validate notes taken in the session. Recordings also allow others to view the exchange and consider multiple interpretations beyond the interviewers alone. Checklists that a library assessment practitioner may prepare in advance of an interview-based assessment will likely include preparing recruiting and consent processes according to requirements and best practices. Ensuring the spaces used for the interview, either virtual or physical, are safe and accessible. Instructing interviewees on any materials or preparation they need to be aware of prior to the interview. Asking interviewees about any accommodations that will facilitate their participation. Ensuring scripts, questions, prompts, note taking materials, recording technology, and so on is ready to go. Piloting questions in advance using participants that are like those that will be interviewed during the coming sessions. Preparing interviewers, note takers, recorders, and any other study-side personnel. Investigating any costs like transcription that might be helpful for analysis and eventual reporting. While cultural competence is necessary in all library assessment interactions, the personal nature of interviews makes cultural competence especially salient. Library assessment practitioners should reflect on their interview plan and procedures to check for the following. Are the issues under examination relevant to interviewees? Are interviewees reflective of the diversity you seek to include? Is the same diversity and inclusion evident in your study team as well? Does your planned interview communication style suit the situation and relationships you anticipate occurring through the interview process? Have you been completely transparent with your interviewees? Have you built in plans for reciprocity, empowerment, and benefits for interviewees? In preparing to use interviews as an assessment method, a few more suggested practices for interview questions and schedules are worth reflecting on. General recommendations for structuring interview questions include starting with straightforward questions to build the interviewees' confidence and comfort level. Ensuring that questions are concise, concrete, and focused rather than meandering or multi-part. Avoiding jargon and structuring questions in an order that is logical but not leading. In terms of the overall interview process, generally one should begin with confirmation of consent and the purpose of the interview. Interviewers should share a clear timeline and instructions as well as any parameters for the interview. After the interview questions are conveyed and answered, interviewers should review the conversation briefly, provide information about ways the interviewee can follow up, and demonstrate appreciation for the interviewee's time and engagement. After the close of the interview, recordings should be checked, notes reviewed, and summaries composed, and then analysis can begin. Thank you for viewing this presentation on collecting data, evidence, input, or other information for library assessment projects. Please use the link provided to complete a feedback form on the usefulness of this information for your purposes.