essay about person who was interviewed

How to Write an Interview Summary (Full Guide + with Templates)

What is an Interview Summary?

An interview summary is a brief recap of the key points from an interview. It highlights the main takeaways and key information obtained during the interview.

The purpose of an interview summary is to provide a condensed overview of what was discussed. It allows the interviewer to easily reference back to the main points that were covered, without having to re-listen to an entire interview recording or re-read pages of notes.

An effective interview summary should:

• Concisely summarize the key discussion points
• Highlight the main takeaways and pieces of information learned
• Include brief context around why the interview occurred
• Identify next steps or follow-ups needed post-interview
• Be written clearly and coherently for the intended audience
• Omit unnecessary details and tangents
• Be 1-2 pages in length or less

The summary aims to capture the essence of the conversation in a short synopsis. It extracts the vital nuggets of information so readers understand what transpired without needing the full transcript.

Before the Interview

Before conducting an interview, it's important to thoroughly research the interviewee and their company. This will help you craft thoughtful questions and have insightful discussions during the interview.

Some tips for preparing before an interview:

• Research the interviewee's background, career history, accomplishments, etc. Review their LinkedIn profile or bio to get a sense of their expertise.
• Research the company they work for, including the products/services offered, company culture, recent news, etc. Understand the company's goals and challenges.
• Prepare a list of interview questions that are specific and relevant. Avoid generic questions that could apply to anyone. Tailor questions based on your research.
• Organize your questions so they flow well during the conversation. Start with an icebreaker, then move to career history and accomplishments, then discuss current role and goals, and wrap up with vision for the industry.
• Bring a notepad and pen to take thorough notes. Consider bringing a recorder as backup, if allowed.
• Bring copies of the interviewee's bio/resume, your questions, and any other relevant documents.
• Arrive early to set up any equipment and settle in. Test your recorder.

Thorough preparation and research sets the stage for an engaging, focused interview that provides unique insights. The interview will be more productive if you've done your homework beforehand.

During the Interview

Taking detailed notes during the interview is crucial for writing an accurate and comprehensive summary later. Come prepared with a notebook, laptop, or recording device to capture important points.

• Take detailed notes on the key points the interviewee makes, including facts, figures, examples, and direct quotes. Focus on writing down the substantive information rather than trying to transcribe everything verbatim.
• Ask follow-up questions to get clarification or probe for more details when needed. Taking notes isn't very useful if you don't understand something the interviewee said. Follow up right then to ensure you fully grasp their points.
• Record the interview if possible. An audio or video recording allows you to revisit the interview later and fill in any gaps in your notes. Be sure to get permission from the interviewee first. Let them know it's only for your own reference when writing the summary.

The interview itself is the most important part of the process for gathering the details needed to write a strong summary. Take thorough notes, ask good questions, and record the discussion if able. Having comprehensive documentation of what was said will make summarizing the key points much easier.

After the Interview

Review your notes soon after the interview while it's still fresh in your mind. Highlight the key points made and topics discussed. If you recorded the interview, transcribe the audio recording or take additional notes.

Focus on summarizing the main themes and takeaways rather than trying to capture everything verbatim. Look for insights about the interviewee's background, personality, skills, experience, goals, and fit for the role.

Identify any follow-up items you need to research or verify. Review any questions that need clarification. Make note of any red flags or concerns.

Ensure you understand the key points the interviewee communicated and that you can support them with your notes. Organize your notes into a logical structure in preparation for writing the summary.

Writing the Summary

When writing the interview summary, it's important to follow a logical structure to convey the key takeaways in a clear and concise way. Here are some tips:

• Organize the summary chronologically, following the flow of the interview. Start by briefly recapping when and where the interview took place, who was present, and the purpose of the interview.
• Focus on highlighting the key points and main themes that emerged from the interview. Don't try to include every single detail discussed. Instead, synthesize the most important insights, opinions, and pieces of information.
• Use subheadings to organize the summary by topic or theme. This helps cluster related information together for easy digestion.
• Use concise language and tight writing. Avoid verbosity. Summarize points succinctly instead of using long blocks of text.
• However, do ensure you include sufficient detail and context so the summary makes sense to someone who wasn't present at the interview. The right balance of brevity and detail is key.
• Only include relevant details. Don't pad the summary with tangential points or fluff. Every sentence should serve the purpose of conveying a key takeaway.
• Close the summary by briefly recapping the main conclusions from the interview and any planned next steps, if applicable.
• Keep the summary 1-2 pages maximum. Anything longer than that is too detailed for an interview recap.

Summary Structure

The summary should be structured with an introductory paragraph, a main body, and a conclusion.

Intro Paragraph

The introductory paragraph should provide some background information to set the context. This includes details like:

• Who conducted the interview
• Who was interviewed
• The date and location of the interview
• The purpose of the interview

Keep this section brief, as the focus should be on the key points covered in the interview.

The main body covers the key points and highlights from the interview. Organize this section thematically rather than chronologically. Group related topics and points together under headings to make it easy to follow.

Be concise and only include the most essential information - not every single thing discussed. Use paraphrasing rather than direct quotes to summarize the key points concisely.

The conclusion should summarize the main takeaways and highlights from the interview. Briefly recap the key points covered in the main body to reinforce the core information.

Keep this section short and avoid introducing any new information here. The conclusion should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the interview's purpose and the topics covered.

When writing an interview summary, focus on using clear, concise language to convey the key points. Avoid flowery or overly complex wording. The goal is to summarize the interview clearly and efficiently.

Relevant quotes from the interviewee can help bring their perspectives to life. Choose impactful quotes that get to the essence of what was said. But don't rely too heavily on quotes; paraphrase the key points in your own words as well.

Stick to the facts and objectives from the interview. Do not insert your own opinions or commentary. Report objectively on what was said, focusing on the most relevant and noteworthy information. Avoid speculation or subjective assessments.

By honing a clear, concise writing style that spotlights the interview details, you'll create a focused summary readers can quickly grasp. Remove any extraneous details that don't directly support the purpose of the summary. Every word should move the summary forward.

Things to Avoid

When writing an interview summary, it's important to avoid including your own personal opinions or bias. The goal is to objectively summarize the interview, not insert commentary. Stick to just the facts.

Additionally, be cautious with using jargon or technical terms, especially if they were used by the interviewee. Not all readers will be familiar with insider language, so it's best to rephrase responses in a way that's broadly understandable.

Finally, avoid including long blocks of transcribed text from the interview. The purpose of a summary is to distill and condense the key points into a readable format. Quote sparingly, if at all. Instead, paraphrase responses in your own words.

The summary should flow as a piece of writing unto itself, not simply a collection of verbatim quotes. Maintain objectivity, use accessible language, and condense effectively.

Editing Your Summary

After you've written your initial draft, it's important to take the time to edit your interview summary. This will help ensure it is clear, concise, and accurate.

When editing, focus on the following:

• Check for clarity - Make sure your summary flows logically and is easy for the reader to follow. Break up any lengthy paragraphs into shorter ones. Read it aloud to check for clarity.
• Check for brevity - Summaries should be concise, so look for any repetitive or unnecessary information that can be removed or condensed.
• Check for accuracy - Double check any key points, facts, or figures mentioned to ensure they are correct. Verify spelling of names.
• Have someone else review it - Get a second pair of eyes on your summary to provide feedback. They may catch things you missed.
• Format document consistently - Use consistent formatting like bolding interviewee names, indenting quotes, line spacing, etc. Format any lists or headers uniformly.
• Check for typos/grammar errors - Do a final sweep for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Reading backwards can help spot typos.

Putting in the time to properly edit your interview summary will help make it polished and professional. The editing process helps refine your work into a clear, accurate recounting of the key discussion points.

Sample Interview Summaries (Format #1)

Here are two example interview summaries, one shorter and one longer, to illustrate what effective summaries might look like:

Shorter Example

I interviewed Jane Doe, a product manager at Acme Software Company, to learn about her career path and experiences. Jane has worked in product management for 7 years. She started as an associate product manager after completing her MBA, and worked her way up to senior product manager. Jane finds product management rewarding because she enjoys collaborating cross-functionally, gathering customer insights, and shaping product strategy. One challenge she faces is prioritizing features with limited development resources. Jane's advice for aspiring product managers is to seek opportunities to demonstrate analytical skills and leadership potential.

Longer Example

On March 15, I interviewed Alex Johnson, a 10-year veteran at Smith & Jones Consulting Firm. Alex started as a business analyst before being promoted to senior consultant 2 years ago. He specializes in digital transformation projects across industries.

Alex enjoys consulting because he can work on diverse projects and help clients solve complex problems. He says every project brings new learning opportunities. However, traveling 4 days per week can be tiring. The most rewarding project Alex worked on was a 2-year digital transformation engagement for a large retailer. The project had a rocky start as the client team was initially resistant to change. However, Alex was able to build strong relationships and credibility over time. He helped craft a vision and roadmap focused on using technology to improve the customer experience. This project taught Alex the importance of empathy, strategic thinking and influencing skills in consulting.

Alex's advice for new consultants is to proactively seek feedback and self-reflect. He wishes he had focused more on developing soft skills earlier in his career. For aspiring consultants from non-traditional backgrounds, Alex suggests looking for entry-level roles and being patient. He believes the field is becoming more diverse. Alex's future goals are to become a partner and give back by mentoring up-and-coming consultants.

Interview Summary Examples (Format #2)

When creating an interview summary, you'll need to do legwork and gather information. If you want to get started in no time, here are a few interview summary examples and templates.

Here is a sample of the interview summary.

[Name of the candidate]

[Candidate's contact information]

[Date and location of the interview]

[Your name and position]

[Introduce the candidate, their education, and the role for which they've applied]

[Summarize the responses of the candidate]

[If necessary, include any relevant information or expand on the candidate's previous experience]

[Your recommendations or comments on the candidate]

[Your name, date, and signature]

Job Interview Summary Example

A job interview should include the purpose and necessary information in a few sentences.

Here's a sample of a job interview summary.

[Candidate Name]

[Purpose of the interview]

[Introduce the candidate and how their skillset matches the job description]

• [Write about the candidate's skills, abilities, and knowledge]
• [Who they are]
• [Why they should/should not be hired]

[Goal of the interview]

[End the summary with key takeaways of the interview]

[Write your recommendations]

Best Regards,

[Your Name]

Interview Summary Report Example

Here is an interview summary report example and template you can use to create the content.

Company Name: Interviewing the Candidate

[Summarize who you interviewed and why.]

[Use bullet points to write the remaining information.]

[Candidate background]

[Skills, abilities, and competencies]

[Relevant examples]

[Future prospects of the interviewee]

[Next, you need to focus on the main points in the right format.]

[If you want to write any point in detail, add the section here.]

[Conclude the summary and add the major takeaway from the interview.]

[Here you can write any recommendation.]

XY Company: Interviewing the John Cross

John Cross's education includes a bachelor's degree in writing, which is a requirement for the position of Content Manager. His experience includes working as a senior writer for over seven years.

• Before applying at XY, the candidate worked with YZ company for over three years as a senior writer.
• His role and responsibilities at the previous company included creating authentic content and managing the publishing process.
• He had worked closely with the designer and other team to ensure smooth operation.
• John has demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills and good judgment, with a keen interest in the position.

I'd recommend we conduct the next interview round with John to see if he aligns with the company's requirements.

Paul Wilson

Generating Your Interview Summaries With Glyph AI

To transcribe and summarize meetings or interviews quickly and accurately, consider using an AI tool like Glyph. Glyph saves time by automating these tasks for you.

Here’s how to use it for transcribing and creating summaries of interviews:

Navigate to your Glyph AI dashboard and choose "Upload a file" to begin uploading your interviews or conversations.

Then click the "Transcribe" button.

After the transcription is done, you can save the project and start generating summaries or analyze the interview using ready-made templates.

Whether it's to analyze a customer interview or a recruitment interview, you can select them. Wait for a few seconds, and voilà, you'll have the full summary of your interview with important key points and highlights.

To learn more about use case, check this https://www.joinglyph.com/use-cases/hr

To watch full demo in action, check this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pulrC2ykz0

How to Write a Good Interview Report? An interview report is a detailed document capturing the essence of the conversation between the interviewer and the interviewee. To craft an effective interview report, consider these tips:

• Focus on collecting relevant information about the interviewee. Prepare by researching and organizing your materials in advance.
• Adjust the writing style based on the audience. For example, a report for a magazine will differ in tone from one intended for a recruitment team.
• Use summary examples and templates as guides to create clear, concise reports tailored to your readers' needs.
• Fill in the template with essential details right after the interview. Doing so while the discussion is still fresh in your mind will help you complete the report efficiently.

What Does a Candidate Interview Summary Include? A candidate interview summary is a document prepared by the interviewer after the interview, summarizing the key information and responses provided by the candidate. It usually includes the candidate's name, location, skills, job interest, and responses.

The main purpose of this summary is to assist the hiring manager and recruitment team in determining whether the candidate is a suitable match for the company.

Why Are Interview Summaries Important? Interview summaries condense one-on-one interview sessions into concise, readable texts, facilitating the sharing of the candidate's profile with the team.

The benefits of interview summaries include:

• They provide a searchable record of the interview, making information easily accessible.
• They help speed up the decision-making process for hiring.
• Summaries are more straightforward to share and review than full reports.

Key Points to Remember An interview summary distills the critical aspects of the interview into a brief paragraph, efficiently conveying information that would otherwise require several paragraphs to describe.

If recording, transcribing, or summarizing interviews poses a challenge, consider using Glyph AI . This interview transcription software offers real-time, accurate interview summaries, streamlining the process with efficiency.

Your Multi-Purposed TranscriptionOS for Business Workflows

Write an A+ Interview Paper Using Our Tips and Examples

06 September, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

You will quickly find yourself with your back to the wall once your teacher assigns you an interview paper. Studying is often a headache by itself, and now you have to conduct interviews. Worse yet, you probably have no idea how you can do this. Luckily, we will tell you how to write an interview paper step by step in this comprehensive guide. So prepare your favorite drink and learn how to write a top-notch interview paper.

What is an Interview Paper?

An interview paper provides an expert opinion on a specific issue. In essence, it is an interview transcript inserted somewhere between the introduction and conclusion of an academic piece.

How long should it be? It depends on the topic and the length of your interview, but most papers are within the length of 2,000 – 5,000 words. What things should you consider before writing an interview paper in the first place? Let’s check them out below.

General Aspects of Writing an Interview Paper

Academic papers require you to provide arguments based on studies, research pieces, statistics, etc. But an interview paper is different – for this type of essay, you will develop assumptions around an expert’s opinion.

Let’s imagine your essay question reads the following: “Should we ban abortions?” If you write an interview paper, you should ask someone high-powered for their consideration. Let them be an executive director of the American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society.

You would reach them via email or phone or whatever communication channel you prefer and conduct an interview. Afterward, you would put all your findings on paper.

But in practice, writing an interview paper involves many more complexities and challenges, like planning, topic research , drafting, etc.

Let’s speak straight facts: nobody will reschedule their week to meet you because you need to do some homework. You’re one of the millions of students, and the local governor or a famous scientist won’t give you an interview nine times out of ten.

So you would want to target someone less busy, like professors from other faculties of your college or some researchers within your academic environment. Hunting a bigger fish is pointless unless you’re a well-established journalist working for a popular media channel. If you struggle to find someone within your college/university, you can contact people from your circle.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Interview Paper

 As you know, a typical paper consists of three parts:

• Introduction. This part includes background information, the hook, the thesis statement, and the transition.
• Body. It is the longest part of the paper consisting of several paragraphs. It should contain the actual interview.
• Conclusion. The final part summarizes the considerations and insights of your essay.

The question is: ‘where should you put an interview transcript and how do you do this?’

To answer this question, you need to come up with the interview papers format in the first place. There are several of them:

The narrative format implies that you can use either direct or indirect speech when referring to your interviewee. If you choose this path, you can stick to a 5-paragraph essay structure, retell the considerations of your interviewee, and cite their words here and there at your discretion.

You can also choose this format if you contact several people. Check what a narrative interview paper structure looks like when you reach out to several people:

• Introduction.
• Paragraph #1 – the first interviewee’s perspective.
• Paragraph #2 – the second interviewee’s opinion.
• Paragraph #3 – the third interviewee’s thoughts.
• Conclusion.

Alternatively, you can dedicate each paragraph to a particular idea of one person.

“Question and answer” will suit your needs perfectly if you interview one person. It is the simplest format used in online magazines, news reports, and other media. Your interview paper outline will look like this:

• Introduction
• Question #1 – Answer #1
• Question #2 – Answer #2
• Question #3 – Answer #3
• Question #4/5/6/etc. – Answer #4/5/6/etc.
• Interview analysis. You may include your thoughts on the subject matter.

Conversational

Conversational style is informal, and you can use either first-person or second-person narrative and follow a typical 5-paragraph paper structure. But writing interview papers in this lousy style might be perplexing, especially if you deal with this task for the first time.

We advise you to try the Q&A format because it’s the simplest one and takes the least time. Just imagine how much time your paper writing will take if you decide to interview three or five people.

How to Start an Interview Paper?

If you have no idea how to start an interview paper, choose the topic first. Selecting a topic for your interview paper is not a big deal, but you should keep in mind that you may not find appropriate interviewees for it.

Let’s imagine you want to explore whether the government should force people to get vaccines. This topic implies that you need to contact authorities. It might be a local lawyer, governor, or executive director of a local hospital. Well, the chances are these people will politely refuse to give an interview for your homework.

But if you choose to investigate how lockdown impacts intellectual workers, you can contact your friends or family members who work at home. In other words, it’s better to choose topics that reflect the experiences of ordinary people rather than the opinions of untouchable experts.

Asking people for their opinion about well-known facts like the Earth’s shape is a bad idea. You would want to choose high-profile debatable topics you can actually discuss.

Establish the Goal of Your Interview Essay

You have to establish the goal of your essay before researching the topic. For this, ask yourself: “What message should your interview essay deliver?” Sometimes, a topic of your choice might already explain the purpose of your essay.

Conduct Research

Interviewing someone implies that you should ask questions. But you will fail to do so if you know little to nothing about your topic. So read some case studies, news, articles, etc. Once you get the picture of your subject matter, you will come up with dozens of interview questions.

Get to Know Your Interviewee

A good interviewer always refers to the life and experience of their interviewee. If you’re lucky to work with someone you can read about on the Internet, find out as much information about them as possible. If your interviewee publishes any books, articles, or studies, you will better know them as well.

The more you know about the person, the more interview questions you can come up with. You can ask them whether the Internet tells their true story: “Is it true that you, Mr. Interviewee, support flat earthers?”

Draft Your Interview Questions

If you want a person to share their in-depth vision of the topic, you need to ask both open-ended and close-ended (“yes/no”) questions. However, you may struggle to prepare interview questions. Many students get stuck during this stage. To overcome this block, you need to learn some types of interview questions:

• Opinion – What do you think of this topic?
• Behavioral – What would you do in this situation?
• Experience and knowledge – What do you know about the subject?
• Background – How are you connected to the subject? What is your age, occupation, etc?
• Emotional – How do you feel about the subject?
• Sensory – What does the subject taste and feel like?

You can also think of the questions following the interviewee’s “yes” and “no” answers.

Tips for Conducting a Successful Interview

These four tips will help you conduct a productive interview on the first try:

1. Plan Your Meeting

Note that you want to interview a person in a quiet place so that nobody will distract you. This might be some cozy book store or a café. Or, you can arrange an online meeting. Make sure you have at least one hour for the interview.

2. Rehearse a bit

If you will conduct your first-ever interview, you want to practice with your friends/significant other/ family in the first place. This approach will help you identify what stage of your upcoming interview may challenge you the most.

3. Record Your Interview

You will forget about 50% of the information within an hour once you finish the interview. So don’t rely on your memory − bring a recorder instead. Why not take notes? You wouldn’t want to go red while asking your interviewee to repeat what they have just said or wait until you write down their answers.

4. Talk to Your Interviewee for a While Before You Begin

Speaking to someone you don’t know might be uncomfortable. You don’t have to attack them with your interview questions straightaway. Instead, you can exchange some casual phrases or discuss the weather. This will help you relieve stress and get comfortable with each other.

5. Explain Your Interview Protocol

It’s better to explain to your interviewee how you will conduct your interview. Tell them that you will use a recorder and introduce the discussion topic.

Interview Papers Format

In academic writing, you have to explain the purpose of your interview and introduce your interviewee in a specific “scholarly” format. The APA format interview paper has the following requirements:

• Use 12-point Times New Roman.
• Write a title page.
• Use double spacing.
• Introduce your interviewee and provide the background information – explain why this person is suitable for the interview. Mention their name and qualifications.
• Use direct quotes if you cite some facts provided by the interviewee.
• Use block quotes for citations longer than 40 words.

How to Write a Title Page?

The title of your paper must include your name, your institution, department, the course name and number, the teacher’s name, and the assignment date. The rules of writing the title page are the following:

• The title page must be numbered.
• Capitalize all major words in your title and make it bold.
• Place the title of the essay three or four lines down the top of the page.
• There must be one empty line before the student’s name.

Interview Papers Examples

If you’re searching for an interview essay example – check several samples below:

• A narrative interview essay .
• A Q&A interview format paper.
• An interview with a scientist.

Interview Papers Writing Tips

The following writing tips will help you deliver the first-class interview paper:

• Write the introduction at the end. Once you finish your essay, you will likely reconsider some ideas you had before you began. They will help you frame your interview essay with a captivating introduction and conclusion.
• Give yourself a break after finishing your final draft. This will help you look at your paper with a fresh pair of eyes once you start editing.
• Edit one type of error at a time. For example, you can reduce logical errors first and switch to grammatical mistakes afterward.
• Use an active voice. If active voice makes your sentence shorter, use it without hesitation.
• Check for any sample interview paper to decide on the interview questions. Perhaps, some pieces will spark your interest.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

An interview paper doesn’t seem that intimidating once you learn how to write it step by step. First, you have to choose the subject that allows you to interview ordinary people rather than hard-to-reach ones. Then, you need to research your topic, conduct an interview, and write a paper.

You can get an A+ for this assignment with enough effort and dedication. But a doable task doesn’t necessarily mean that you must do it by yourself. If you have plenty of other assignments to do, you can ask our essay writers to craft an exemplary interview paper for you. For this, you can place an order on our website, and we will do all the dirty work.

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How to Write an Interview Essay

Last Updated: March 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Diane Stubbs . Diane Stubbs is a Secondary English Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching all high school grade levels and AP courses. She specializes in secondary education, classroom management, and educational technology. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education from Wesley College. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 461,874 times.

An interview essay is designed to give the reader a general impression of the interview subject and to present their thoughts on a select group of topics. It also offers the opportunity to develop deeper insights by analyzing the interviewee's responses within a larger context. Interview essays are a common school assignment, and provide useful skills for those interested in journalism, or just being good writers in general. There are several formats that fit into the category, but a good interview essay of whatever type can make the reader feel as though they were asking the questions.

Interviewing for an Essay

• If your essay is to be a factual piece, you'll want to interview someone who has expertise in the subject matter you'll be addressing. If your paper is about a science topic, you'll want to interview a scientist in that field. If your paper is about a period of history, you'll want to interview either a historian or someone who's lived through that period of history.
• If you plan to make your essay an opinion piece, you'll likely want to interview someone who has a strong opinion about the topic covered in your essay. Ideally, you want someone who can express opinions articulately, and who also has credentials in the area you plan to write about.
• If your piece will have a narrow perspective, you'll need to interview only one or two people. If your piece will present a general consensus, you'll need to interview more people, probably with varying expertise and credentials.

• When available, read works about and works written by your subject, both in print and online. At the same time, research the topic associated with your subject. The more you know about both, the more intelligent questions you can ask.
• Look for previous interviews your subject has given, as well. These will give you an idea of what questions the person has been asked before, so you can decide on appropriate subjects for your own questions, including questions that no one else has asked.
• Questions that require "yes" or "no" answers are good for gathering specific factual information; open-ended "how," "why," and "tell me about" questions are great for gathering additional background material not found in your research.
• Draw up a list of the questions you are prepared to ask. Have more questions ready than you will likely use, so that you can make adjustments as the interview takes place. (For instance, your subject may begin focusing on what you thought was a side topic, but turns out to be the key part of your interview.) Rank your questions in order of importance to make sure you ask your best ones, or list them all in the order you'd ask them and color-code the most important ones.

• Choose a quiet place with few distractions for your interview site. A library, restaurant, or campus location if you're doing this for a college writing class would be suitable.
• You may want to get the interviewee's consent to use their comments in your essay in writing, as well as permission to record those comments during the interview. By law, if you are recording an interview conducted over the phone, you must obtain written permission. [4] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
• It's helpful to have a backup interviewee in case the person you plan to interview can't make it.
• Be on time at the place you've agreed to meet for the interview.

• Using a recording device (with permission) is almost always advisable, as it permits you to save your note-taking for jotting down your insights on contexts, themes, how your subject approaches the questions, his/her comfort level, and so on.
• Be patient and respectful as you ask your questions and wait for responses. Give the interviewee time to reflect, and you will likely be rewarded with more insightful answers. A few deeper responses are usually better than many superficial ones.
• Immediately after the interview, write down your thoughts and impressions about the interview and interviewee. They may help you shape the essay.
• Always end the interview by thanking the person.

Writing the Essay

• Narrative format. This form allows paraphrasing of some information the interviewee says, along with direct quotes for the material you most want to emphasize. This is the most likely format for a class assignment, and offers the most opportunity to add context and analysis.
• Conversational format. This is a looser format than the formal writing style required for most essays. You can address the reader directly and use both first and second person. This format can be suitable for anything from class assignments to magazine articles.
• Question-and-answer format. This form presents your questions to the interviewee, followed by the interviewee's responses. (That is, the text looks something like this: (Your Name): How long have you been in the circus? (Interviewee's Name): About 35 years.) These are always direct quotes, although you may insert explanatory material in parentheses and substitutions, such as a person's name in place of a personal pronoun, in brackets. This format is best suited for essays with only a single interviewee or a closely related group, such as spouses or the core cast of a TV show.
• Informative format. This format usually interweaves the interview with research you've done on the subject, incorporating some of that research in the text to provide background and give it a little more color.

• Read over your interview notes and listen to any audio / video recordings you have. Utilizing both whenever available will allow you to thoroughly consider both the highlights of the interview and the most significant themes to emerge from it. These, in turn, will inform your outline of what information your essay will cover and how it will appear. [9] X Research source
• One possible outline could be an introduction that starts with an anecdote about the interviewee and then presents your thesis statement, several key points that support the main focus, and a conclusion that summarizes the information presented. Traditional school essays often utilize a five paragraph format (introduction, three supporting paragraphs, conclusion), and this can often work with interview essays as well.

• If, however, the purpose of your essay is to use your interviewee's comments to support a position or examine a larger theme, your thesis will probably be a statement of that position or theme, with the interview / interviewee placed within that context. For instance: "John Doe's mixed feelings of pride and betrayal reflect those shared by many Vietnam veterans still with us."
• Regardless of essay format, make your thesis clear and concise, and be sure that the remainder of your essay refers back to it. See How to Write a Thesis Statement for more advice.

• Interviews can sometimes produce a good deal of repetitive answers (even with high-quality questions), so you may need to trim repetitions and unnecessary elements from the body of your essay. Make sure that whatever material you do keep remains true to both the spirit of the interview and the overarching focus of your essay. [10] X Research source
• A handout from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina (available at http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/oral-history/ ) provides a wealth of valuable materials on interview essays. It includes, for instance, examples of how to utilize the same interview materials in a transcription (question-and-answer format), a presentation of individual experiences (quotations and paraphrases), and the placing of the interview / interviewee in a larger context (paraphrasing and quotations with ample explanation).

• Reading over the essay yourself is a good start, but it is always wise to have another set of eyes look it over as well. Another reader is likely to catch errors, repetitions, and unclear sections that you have glossed over. [12] X Research source
• Go back to your original interview notes, recordings, and transcripts, and make sure that your essay continues to reflect the actual interview. Layers of editing and revising can sometimes cause the essay to drift away from the original source and intent. You may even want to let the interviewee read it over to ensure that it captures their voice. [13] X Research source

• Any materials you used for research, information about the interviewee, or context for the essay itself should be referenced in the approved citation format for your essay.
• Make sure one more time that any direct quotations from your source are placed in quotation marks, and any paraphrasing is done without quotation marks. Don't put words in your subject's mouth, and respect the words that do emerge from it.

What Are The Dos And Don’ts Of a Journalistic Interview?

Expert Q&A

• After the interview, send the interviewee a written thank-you note expressing your appreciation for their time. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If the person you're interviewing is busy or elderly, you may want to plan for more than one interview session. Observe the interviewee for signs of impatience or fatigue. Conduct multiple, shorter sessions if necessary. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• If you plan to interview someone over the telephone, permission to record the conversation is required by law. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/oral-history/
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-paper
• ↑ http://www.whatkidscando.org/featurestories/2007/maine_students/tip_sheets/FIRST-PERSON%20ESSAYS%20TIP%20SHEET.pdf
• ↑ http://www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-writing/97515-how-to-write-an-interview-essay/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html

About This Article

To write an essay from an interview, you’ll first have to decide on the format the essay will take, as this will determine the structure and what you write. The most common form is the narrative format, in which you use direct quotes and paraphrase your subject to add context and detail, or you can write in a more conversational tone, or even in a directly transcribed question-and-answer form. Once you decide on format, plan an outline by forming a central thesis, which will be the central statement your essay is making. Add onto the outline by drafting supporting evidence directly from the interview and from other sources, like books, newspaper articles, other essays, anything else to support your point. Write and finish the essay by combining information from the interview and other sources with your own explanations and words. To learn about how to conduct the interview to get enough information to write about and how to finish the writing process, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write an Interview Essay

Post Published On: 26 March, 2018

Within an interview essay, you can present somebody’s thoughts on a certain topic, and this essay type also offers you an opportunity to consider somebody’s ideas in a more general context or analyze them.Interview essays are crucial for those who study journalism or just want to improve writing skills. There are several types of interview essays, but all of them are aimed to create an impression that readers talked to somebody personally.

Now let’s consider interview essays in more detail, so you’ll be able to write a good essay , following simple step-by-step instructions.

• Define the purpose of your paper

The purpose of your essay affects the interviewed person, it determines the chosen method and some features of essay writing.

• If your assignment is about some scientific phenomenon, you’ll interview a scientist. If it’s about some period in history, you’ll interview a historian or a person who participated in these events or lived during these times.
• If your essay is aimed to provide a certain opinion, you’ll want to interview an authoritative person who has a strong opinion and expresses it impressively.
• If your essay is devoted to public opinion, you’ll have to interview many people. On contrary, if it represents a particular view of a random person, you will choose only one person to interview.
• Research the subject of an interview and prepare your questions

To write a good essay , you have to conduct a good interview. In turn, a good interview is impossible without a proper understanding of the subject and preparation. Study your subject, its history,and most important issues. You have to collect enough information to write a list of interesting and relevant questions.

• Read sources devoted to your subject and any available printed materials. The more you know about it, the more interesting and specific questions you can ask.
• Look up some existing interviews about this subject, This will allow you to determine what questions are the most important, as well as figure out what unique questions you can ask and what questions may be too banal.
• Some questions may be answered with either “yes” or “no”. Such questions are good to clarify some crucial and specific details. On the other hand, open questions which imply a detailed answer can help you gather additional data.
• Draft a list of questions that will serve as a blueprint for your interview. We suggest preparing more questions so you’ll be able to select the most appropriate ones during the interview. You don’t know what an interviewed person will be focused on – it may be a topic that you considered a side subject. Sort your questions by importance or in the order that you plan to ask them. Highlight the most important questions.
• Arrange the interview

First of all, you have to contact your interviewee to define a place and time to meet. Don’t forget to get a necessary permission for recording answers or making photos. Always explain who you are and why you’re interested in interviewing this particular person.

• Find a quiet place. It may be a restaurant, a library, or a quiet location, for example, in some park.
• The interviewee must express his or her consent regarding the use of the recorded material. According to the law, you have to get a written permission to record an interview.
• If the person you wanted to interview can’t meet with you or is just not interested in the interview, you must have your plan B that implies another person familiar with the subject.
• Once you’ve arranged the interview, make sure to get there on time.
• Conduct the interview

Even if you record the interview on a phone or a voice recorder, take notes. It will help you remember some points that appear to be especially interesting or important.

• Use a recording device that will help you clarify the context of some noted phrases during the writing process.
• Be respectful and wait for your interviewee’s responses with patience. The interviewed person must have time to think and figure out answers. Create a relaxed environment for the conversation. Remember that it’s better to get a few accurate and meaningful responses than many answers given in a hurry.
• Right after you’ve finished interviewing someone, jot down your fresh impressions and thoughts. You will need these notes while writing an essay.
• At the end of the interview, thank your interviewee.
• Determine the format of your essay

Usually, if you get an essay assigned, you will be given instructions on the essay format. Talk to your instructor to clarify all the necessary details, such as the expected questions or answers, the use of paraphrasing, the context, and the format of quotes. Generally, there are three most common interview types:

• It’s an informal format which allows you to use the first and the second person. It fits a wide range of essays, including magazine articles and college assignments.
• Narrative interview essays are formal, and it’s the most common type of college assignments. Some answers may be paraphrased. This format also allows you to provide background information.
• Question – answer. Essays of this type consist only of direct quotes. It looks like a list of questions and answers written in a form of a dialogue. However, you can add some comments in parentheses. This format fits essays that include only one interviewee or a group of closely related people, such as a cast ofa movie or spouses.
• Draw up an outline

Your outline may vary depending on the essay type. However, it must include an introduction that describes your subject and the purpose of the interview.

• Listen to your recordings and read your notes. You have to consider both the most substantial parts of the interview and themes that you marked as important while talking to a person. This information will help you define what you’re going to write and in what order you should place questions and answers.
• Your outline may be a basis for the introduction. Start it with an anecdote or interesting fact about the interviewee. After that, familiarize your readers with main points and write your thesis statement. You have to support your thesis with several facts, and summarize the presented material in the conclusion. Most of thecollege essays imply a five-paragraph structure (introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion), and you can use this structure for your interview essay as well.
• Evolve your thesis statement

If your essay is aimed to only introduce your readers to a person, the thesis statement may be a concise summary of his or her background, qualifications, and achievements.

If the interview is used in your essay to support a certain position or provide an opinion on some broad issue, the thesis statement may formulate this position, mentioning the interviewee in the context of the considered issue.

No matter what format you choose, remember that your thesis statement must be clear and coherent. Make sure that other parts of the essay refer to your thesis statement.

• Complete your essay

The body of the essay must be tied to your thesis statement and cover the interview in details.

• Interviews often contain many repetitive phrases, even if you prepare good questions. You have to polish your essay and remove all unnecessary elements. You have to keep only information that corresponds to the idea of your essay and focuses on the subject.
• You can find many useful materials on interview essays on the internet. Visit websites of prestigious universities and read articles. For example, University of North Carolina Writing Center website contains many tips on how to get rid of similar phrases, and how to use transcriptions. You will also learn how to consider the interview in a global context by using paraphrasing. You can also find some detailed instructions on how to transfer personal experience.
• Proofread your writings

Never forget to revise and proofread your work, regardless of its type.

• Obviously, you must read your essay a few times. But you also have to find somebody else who will look it over. Sometimes you may miss something in your own work, so others will help you by providing a new perspective.
• Return to your notes that you’ve taken right after the interview and look whether your essay still represents the actual interview. While editing, you may change your essay considerably, so make sure that the initial intention remained the same. If you can, meet the interviewee and let him or her read your essay to understand whether it reflects their opinion correctly.
• Specify your sources

Usually, you don’t need to include the specific citation of the entire interview, but you must cite any additional materials used to collect data. We also suggest referring contextual information according to the required citation format.

Remember that all direct quotations must be written in quotation marks, while paraphrasing shouldn’t include them.

Finally, the last and the most important rule is that you shouldn’t present your own thoughts as someone else’s words. Respect interviewee’s opinion, and you’ll write a perfect interview essay !

How to Begin an Interview Essay

• Job Interviews
• Conducting Interviews
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Pinterest" aria-label="Share on Pinterest">
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Reddit" aria-label="Share on Reddit">
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Flipboard" aria-label="Share on Flipboard">

How to Answer Interesting Facts About Yourself

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If you are asked to write an interview essay for an assignment, be alert during the interview for a "hook" on which to base the article. Indeed Career Guide suggests taking notes or asking permission to record the interview. With the interview over, you have to create a compelling introduction for your essay.

Ideally, as you interviewed the subject chosen for your assignment, one part of the interview struck you as particularly humorous, insightful or provocative. Use this information to craft a memorable introduction that will engage your readers and enlighten them about the unique person interviewed.

Share Biographical Information

The introduction for an interview writing assignment starts by identifying the person selected for the essay. Weave in timely information about the interviewee without bogging down the introduction of your essay with extraneous detail. Long rambling introductions may bore the reader.

Briefly note important biographical information. For example, you might include how long the interviewee has been president of the company, her credentials and how many people she supervises. Include biographical details that help explain why you selected that particular person to interview.

Include Interesting Anecdotes

Choose an anecdote that captures the essence of the person you interviewed or the main idea of the essay. The anecdote should serve as a microcosm of the essay to come. For example, if the person you interviewed is now president of a company and admitted that a childhood turning point was becoming president of the student council in high school, focus your anecdote on the interviewee’s fledgling leadership skills or determination.

Refine the anecdote so that it goes directly to the heart of the action and put your reader in the center of a revealing turning point. You might do this, for example, by recounting the suspense of election night as vote returns were being counted in high school or the day the interviewee gave her first speech as student council president.

Tell a Captivating Story

Self-edit your words and sentences as you write your interview essay remembering that you are a storyteller and an audience is depending on you to be engaging and interesting. To this end, choose crisp, lively and descriptive words and eliminate any information that fails to move your essay forward or is irrelevant. Stay focused on your topic.

Interview essay examples might tell a story of how your subject overcame poverty, received a Purple Heart or patented an invention. Even everyday people in your life have remarkable stories to share. Ordinary but inspirational interview writing examples might include how your parents met or started a family business.

Use Poignant Quotes

Select a revealing quote from the interviewee that deftly underscores the main idea of the essay or the spirit of the anecdote, suggests the University of Nevada, Reno . For brevity’s sake, choose a direct quote that is no more than two sentences long. Letting your readers “hear” from the interviewee is an effective way to segue from the introduction to the remainder of the essay.

Lastly, proofread and edit the essay for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Take advantages of free writing tools such as the comprehensive and authoritative Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) to plan and review your writing assignment.

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Expository Essays
• Indeed Career Guide How to Write an Interview Paper
• University of Nevada, Reno: Using an Interview in a Research Paper
• Daily Writing Tips.com: The Impotence of Proofreading
• Proofread and edit the essay for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

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All You Need to Know About Interview Essay Writing

Purpose of Writing an Interview Essay

The writing process is not always smooth sailing. When it comes to the construction of interview papers, you are free to ask about myriads of issues of your interests and get a broad insight from the interview subject. Once you figure out the main thesis statement for your interview essay, you must collect relatable data in question-and-answer format. The gathered information is almost always subjective since the authoritative individuals and qualified experts are your main data providers. Interview essays are constructed based on people's biased opinions rather than books, historical records, and other sources.

Are you looking for answers on how to write an outline for interview essay? We are here to provide you with useful tips on how to write interview APA format essay. 

You might as well find this article helpful since we have prepared essay writing in interview sample at the end of it.

Format for Writing an Interview Essay

Are you on the verge of choosing an appropriate format to write an interview essay? One of the essential steps includes identifying the type of interview paper you are willing to write. The interview essay format is determined based on the style of your paper. There are three basic types of interview papers:

• Narrative Essay Interview - Through this type of paper, you are assigned to research a specific topic based on the conducted interview. The main thing is to accumulate all the information that the interviewed person has provided in a neat and organized manner in the form of a narrative. The story might be written from your perspective or that of the interviewee. In that case, you are free to write in the first and second person.
• Personal Interview - Such type of paper demands you to prepare a list of witty interview questions to ask a specific person who holds a certain type of authority based on their professional occupation. The final product turns out to be an interview in essay format.
• Question-answer Interview - Such interview questions are often asked to job seekers. This is your chance to glance through the common interview questions that the hiring managers will ask you to get a glimpse of your personality and career goals. The questions and answers can be combined in an interview paper. For more information, check out internship interview questions and answers here.

How to Write an Outline for Interview Essay

After you have chosen key points for your interview paper and adjusted its format accordingly, you might wonder, 'should I write an outline for an interview essay ?'. The answer is clear and direct - 'Yes, definitely!'

Good writers always prepare an outline in advance, which is a great tip to lift the burden of the time-consuming paper writing process. The basic structure of interview essay outline includes three major parts:

• Introduction - As you state your paper's thesis statement, you can start writing by introducing the person or the people you interviewed.
• Body Paragraphs - The following paragraphs should contain the subjective points of view that your interviewees provided concerning your major thesis statement.
• Conclusion - In the concluding paragraph of the essay, restate the paper's main goal and summarize the most important points you have made so far.

Writing an Interview Essay Introduction

Once you wrap up the interview essay, outline you are ready to start the writing process. Writing a catchy lead and grabbing a reader's attention right away is not a simple task. However, there are some key elements that make up the best of the introduction part of your interview essay. The primary sentence should briefly contain the main objective behind the chosen topic of the paper. The following sentences should report the importance of your essay topic to your target audience. Finally, you can proceed with the thesis statement, which indicates the basic value of your paper. In other words, try to answer the question of what benefits the reader gets from familiarizing themself with your interview paper.

Do not hesitate to ask us to write an essay for me whether you are assigned to construct an interview essay on writing or any other given subject.

Writing an Interview Essay Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs hold the majority of the essay. Provided paragraphs support the central statement with relatable facts, details, and key points as the answers that an interviewer asks.

Some of the interviewers prefer to use a recording device, while others opt for notes to contain the important data in its entirety. They choose to include parts of the narrative later in the body paragraphs of the essay as they gather the most important and thematic points made throughout the interview process. You might as well include direct quotes or in-text citations as the sources of provided answers. However, always keep in mind to ask for written permission if you plan to paraphrase or directly copy their ideas word by word according to the issue of your interest.

Writing an interview essay can be hard, so if you are looking for further tips on how to write an essay , we can provide you with an interview essay outline example as well as the complete paper itself.

Writing an Interview Essay Conclusion

The classic format for writing an interview essay includes jotting down the main objectives made throughout the paper in a final paragraph, otherwise known as the conclusion. The last paragraph is not any less important compared to the opening one. That is why you should try and restate the crucial points that interviewees have made while answering questions provided by you. That way, you will sound even more persuasive as you provide evident arguments supported by powerful public figures regarded as influential in society.

You are welcome to conclude the essay with a respectful thank you note as well. Express sincere gratification to the reader for taking the time to read your essay and focus on your contribution to them with the source of information contained in the written interview paper.

If you don’t have distinguished skills for writing an outline for college interview essay, our experts have your back! Contact us to write papers for money and enjoy a perfectly-crafted assignment.

Essay Writing Topics in Interview

Looking for inspiration? Researching an interesting topic for the essay can be exhausting sometimes. But we are here to give you a helping hand through tough times. Our experts have gathered some of the most compelling essay writing topics in interview. You are free to take a look at them and choose one that satisfies your curiosity and challenges you to be analyzed in depth.

• Does body language describe our mental state?
• How important is eye contact for establishing genuine connections?
• Are educated and qualified people obliged to give more to others?
• Which job position is the most attractive in the 21st century?
• Do career services help people get to their target job market?
• Does conflict resolution hold an important place in the contemporary world?
• What is love, and where do you feel it or experience it most often?
• How do our family heritage and traditions influence our personalities?
• How many hours of sleep are needed at different stages of life?
• What kind of skills is essential to possess in order to become a good leader?
• Should the tax system be allocated to the rich and poor accordingly?
• Is the two-party system the guarantee of American democracy in the US?
• Should combatting racism be an individual responsibility?
• Should the American people restrict the amount of money spent on the electoral college?
• How do relationships and friendships shape our lives?
• Do your dreams and nightmares reflect real-life events?
• How do you keep yourself from getting sick?
• Does technology make your daily life easier?
• Do you agree or disagree with the idea that opposites attract?
• What does it mean to be a religious and faithful person to you?

We hope those mentioned above, as well as other essay writing topics for interview in google, will fuel your curiosity.

Meanwhile, you can always pay for papers . Our experts are capable of writing an essay for a job interview based on your individual demands that will get you closer to your dream position.

Interview Essay Writing Examples

Here is one of the interview essay writing examples to check out. We hope that the provided example will give you some kind of perspective:

'A LEADER IS ONE WHO KNOWS THE WAY, GOES THE WAY, AND SHOWS THE WAY'

According to the popular idea, leaders are born rather than made. Contrary to this belief, many real-life examples prove that people can grow into a leader type as they grow older if they want to. Any man can be a leader, but it is not an easy thing to do. You need to know yourself to set an example for others, inspire them, and give them a sense of trust to follow your steps. People are inclined toward those who know where they are going, have their own vision, and are educated enough to support their decisions with rational arguments. These traits give leaders the power to be persuasive. They have their goals set and are not afraid to firmly face any challenges that life might throw their way.

To support this statement, we have interviewed a Pakistani female education activist, Malala Yousafzai, who also carries the honor of being the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is a pure example of how one can rise from any kind of social and domestic circumstances if one has a vision and works hard enough to achieve their goals. She realized the value of education from a very young age. The latter was often inaccessible for girls of her nation due to authoritative powers in the head of the government, under which education was banned for almost all the females in the Northern Pakistani region. Malala persistently fought for her truth and raised awareness about the value that educating girls and boys could hold. She began writing articles and her personal insights anonymously to describe the intolerable circumstances that females had to face under the group of dictators, highlighting the purpose of education and its unavailability for girls of Pakistan.

Malala's example is one of a kind. She wants to be remembered as a girl who tries to help others in whatever capacity she can hold. She did everything possible to let the outer world know about the injustice that the government of her nation committed. She never backed down even after the confrontation between her and the representatives of the ruling power at the head of the Pakistani government.

Further Academic Help

We hope you gained some beneficial information throughout this article which will help you craft a top-notch interview essay for your journalism class. In case of further assistance, our expert writers are here to provide you with interview essay examples APA format at our paper service platform.

Before you go, you are welcome to take an essay writing test for interview to check how well you understood the concept of the article and implement gained knowledge into your upcoming assignment.

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How to Write an Interview Essay Introduction

If you’re looking for freelance essay writers for hire , you’ll want to know what a good interview essay introduction looks like so you can judge the quality of their work. An essay introduction can be tricky to get right, but if it’s written well, it can really pull the reader in and help set the tone for the rest of the essay. 

But before we dive into how to do it right, let’s briefly touch upon what an interview essay really is.

What Is an Interview Essay?

At its core, an interview essay is an essay that explores different perspectives of people on a given topic. Unlike other types of essays, such as argumentative or persuasive essays, an interview essay doesn’t try to win over the reader to one particular point of view. Instead, it allows the reader to better understand the views of those who are interviewed by providing first-hand accounts of their experiences.

When contemplating what makes an essay good , writing an effective essay introduction is of the utmost importance–so let’s take a look at what to include in your introduction.

What Should I Include in an Interview Essay Introduction?

There are a few key elements that should ideally be included in any good interview essay introduction. First, you’ll want to introduce the person or people you interviewed. This can be done by providing a brief overview of who they are and why you decided to interview them. Next, you’ll want to include a thesis statement. This is a sentence or two that sums up the main point of your essay. It should be clear and concise, and it should give the reader an idea of what they can expect to learn from reading your essay.

Finally, you’ll want to conclude your introduction with a brief sentence or two that will leave the reader wanting more. This can be done by providing some of the information you’ll be discussing in the body of the essay, or by asking a question that will pique the reader’s curiosity. There are a few things you can do to spice up your interview essay introduction, which is what we’ll discuss next.

How to Make Your Interview Essay Introduction More Interesting

Start with a bang.

This means starting with something that will immediately grab the reader’s attention and make them want to keep reading. One way to do this is to start with a shocking statistic or fact related to your topic. For example, if you’re writing an interview essay about poverty in America, you could start with the fact that a certain number of Americans live in poverty–this would certainly get the reader’s attention and make them want to learn more about what you have to say.

Use a Quote

Another great way to start an essay is with a quote from someone who is knowledgeable about your topic. This could be an expert on the subject or even someone who has first-hand experience with it. Either way, their words will carry a lot of weight and help set the tone for your essay.

Ask a Question

Asking a question in your introduction can be a great way to get the reader thinking about your topic. This will help engage them and get them invested in what you have to say.

Use Humor 

If used correctly, humor can be a great way to engage the reader and get them interested in your essay. Just be careful not to overdo it, as too much humor can be a turn-off for some readers.

A Solid Interview Essay Introduction

Now that we’ve discussed what to include in your introduction, let’s take a look at an example of a good interview essay introduction:

“In today’s society, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. We’re all so busy working and taking care of our families that we often don’t have time for ourselves. This can lead to feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and even angry. But what if there was a way to reduce the amount of stress in our lives?

That’s where yoga comes in. Yoga is an ancient practice that has been shown to provide numerous health benefits, including reducing stress levels. In fact, a recent study found that yoga can be just as effective as medication in treating anxiety and depression.

To determine whether yoga can really help reduce stress in our lives, I decided to interview yoga instructor Jenny Miller. Jenny has been teaching yoga for more than ten years and has helped countless people find relief from stress and anxiety. She was kind enough to agree to answer a few questions about her experience with yoga and how it can help reduce stress.”

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How To Write An Interiew Paper: Ultimate Guide

While you’re in school and studying different subjects, it can be tricky to understand each assignment’s needs and depths, especially long-form research papers that might count for a large percentage of your total grade. Writing an interview paper can involve a lot of research, require a lot of time and effort to find and schedule interviews with the right people, and write an engaging and easy-to-read piece. So here’s your ultimate blueprint on how to write an interview paper!

What Is An Interview Paper?

How to write an interview paper, the step-by-step guide on writing an interview paper, how to start an interview paper, how to write a conclusion for an interview paper, how to format an interview paper, checklist of essentials for an impressive interview paper, topics for an interview paper.

An interview paper is an intriguing but complex assignment to write about a topic that incorporates interviews and perspectives of different people on the issue. These interviews are usually with people who are stakeholders in a problem or the general public that has been inevitably affected by a country’s policy or about a particular case that caused havoc. In addition, it can also be a descriptive piece elaborating on the personal experience or anecdote of one person.

It’s definitely a learned skill and requires a lot of effort into cultivating precise questions networking to find the best people to interview (they can range from being your family members who were involved in a particular issue or have stark opinions on your topic to policymakers and governors who contributed to either passing or striking a specific act), and finally putting it all together to communicate the varying perspectives effectively without bias.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview paper example :

With the recent upsurge in mental health and psychology, many experts in the field are celebrating the increased awareness but also worry about the dissipation of false information. Especially with social media, information is communicated from one part of the world to another within seconds. It can lead to the misuse of terms and psychological context, leading to severe harm and damage. Dr. Rosen Luis, a professor of abnormal psychology at the University of Georgia, elaborated upon the issue of false information being spread on social media in a personal interview conducted last year. “As social media penetrates the global world at a more rapid rate than anything else in the world, sensitive information like that regarding mental health can easily be misused or leveraged in incorrect circumstances due to the lack of supervision on growing platforms. Social media also creates unrealistic expectations about how a mental illness should look. There’s no one distinct way a disorder manifests in everybody and can lead to different lifestyle changes for different people.” (R. Luis, Phone Interview, Jun 22, 2021)

So you might be thinking about how to write a paper based on an interview and what are the different components of such a paper? Well, a lot goes into an article of this kind, so it’s essential to break it down into separate elements so you can tackle each with great effort and accuracy to cultivate a solid assignment and fetch a top grade!

If you have the freedom to choose your topic for the assignment, it is essential that you pick up a contentious concept that is the center of debate and leads to some civil discourse. An interview paper needs to be backed with air-tight research and credible interviews taken ethically and incorporate direct, in-depth questioning and sources.

Now you may be wondering how to include an interview in a research paper, mainly because interviews often look like scripts instead of concrete research material, so it’s important to note that while your discussions will be long-form and extensive, you’ll have to pick and choose responses from your different interviews to use as quotes or credible backing for your statements within the content of the paper.

If you have no desire to get all those knowledge or experience a long tiring writing process, you can use an opportunity to buy cheap dissertation online .

To make the writing process easier, you should be absolutely sure in what to do in each step. Here is a list of steps you need to take to get a perfect interview paper.

• Step 1 – Selecting the ideal topic for your paper : The topic you end up choosing for your interview paper can genuinely make or break your grade. It’s best not to look at generalized ideas or concepts that have been established as facts, as it’s unlikely that such topics will have a large-scale difference of opinion. Searching for a good case could begin with looking for issues that cause healthy discussion, differ within groups of different cultural, political, social, or economic backgrounds, and are essential conversations to have. It’s vital to ensure that the topic doesn’t cause a threat to someone’s rights, identity, or existence.
• Step 2 – Ideation and Research : Now that you’ve established your topic and a basic crux of your thesis statement, you can begin ideating the direction you want to take your paper. For instance, you choose capital punishment and its use to decrease long-term crime patterns in Singapore (known to have one of the highest percentages of the executed population via capital punishment), you’ll think about whether you want to talk about its history, grassroots change, crime statistics and also decide who all you’ll want to interview. A big part of writing an interview paper is finding people from diverse backgrounds with conflicting opinions to give your readers a 360-degree view on the issue.
• Step 3 – Crafting your interview questions : After having decided your topic and doing in-depth research about the same, it’s time to curate a set of interview questions that are brief, to-the-point, and extract the information you require for your assignment. Crafting good open-ended questions is a learned skill and will improve with the number of interviews you prep for. Ensure that all your questions are about the topic, fact-checked, and easy to understand for the interviewee.
• Step 4 – Taking the interviews : Once the interview blueprint is ready, you’ve to schedule and conduct interviews with the people you’re choosing to talk to (it is preferred that you conduct interviews in-person, so it is as personal and direct as possible). Be sure to ask your questions clearly and record the interviewee’s responses using a recording device so you can precisely transcribe the answers afterward. It’s crucial that your interviewee feels comfortable talking to you about the topic, especially if it is something very sensitive and personal. Good interview ethics also involve letting your respondent know they can communicate if they want something they spoke about to be scratched out of the interview.If you’re planning on using published interviews, you can skip the third and fourth steps and pick up essential quotes from the already published interviews. Remember to cite the quotes in the correct format so that you don’t get into any unnecessary plagiarism issues.
• Step 5 – Creating an outline : With regards to the obtained interview responses, you’ll create a very detailed skeleton for the interview paper, so you know precisely which idea goes where. This will help you when you finally get down to writing the actual essay, as you’ll be able to keep track of your different ideas, quotes, and sources and establish an engaging flow. You can also spend some time writing transitionary sentences that you’ll use when you move from one paragraph to the next.
• Step 6 – Writing the paper : Now that you’re done with all the back-end research, interviewing, and outlining, you’ve to sit down and fill in the gaps to produce a stellar essay. You have all the elements you need to decrease your distractions, be charged up, and just write it out. Contrary to popular belief, writing is actually a learned skill. Even if you don’t believe you’re as good with words as others, learning a few tips and tricks can easily elevate your writing to a notch above. Using precise and appropriate vocabulary, leveraging analogies, metaphors, and other language elements to convey your ideas, and having perfect grammar and syntax are some of the ways you can better your writing.

The basics of any paper are a thesis statement, introduction, body, and conclusion. You would’ve formulated your thesis statement while ideating the direction you wanted to take your paper in, and through the outline, you’ve hopefully followed the one-idea, one paragraph to give rise to a well-constructed body. Here’s some guidance on the two components that determine the first impression and last impression your reader has of the paper:

The introduction of your interview paper is the first thing that the reader looks at, so it’s crucial to hook the reader to keep them engaged to follow through with reading the paper. You can include:

Your thesis statement Intriguing data about your topic A quote from one of your interviewees Citing any information that’s been in the news with regards to your topic

The purpose of a catchy introduction is to connect the idea at hand to the reader’s life and intrigue them enough to learn more about the issue.

For example , if you’re writing on the capital punishment topic, beginning with an alarming statistic to depict the dire need to start a serious conversation about its effectiveness or ineffectiveness could hook the reader very well:

“ Juxtaposing the modern ideals of reformation and change, over 400 individuals have been giving the death penalty in Singapore since 1991″

Like any research paper, a firm conclusion is a must in a well-written interview paper. Since your paper will deal with some contrasting ideas, summarizing all the perspectives while shedding more light on the thesis statement will hook your reader to think about the information and views brought up in your essay long after they finish reading. Though this is one of the many assignments you’ve to write for school, interview papers dealing with conflicting real-life issues also contribute to social change via beginning civil discourse and fact-oriented discussion on important causes.

• Step 7 – Citing the sources : It’s vital that after you finish the contents of your essay, you spend time formatting your interview paper in the correct format and cite all of your sources in the needed manner (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.). It’ll help provide credibility to your arguments, show that you delved into air-tight research for your topic, and protect you from any coincidental issues in plagiarism checkers.
• Step 8 – Revision : It’s believed that looking at your paper, especially one you’ve spent hours on, with a fresh set of eyes, gives you a better perspective on things to change and helps you spot any missed grammar and style errors. You can finish your draft, take a nap, get back to the assignment and make the changes, read it aloud to make any mistakes more noticeable, or even ask a friend to have a read-through.

It’s essential that you know the interview paper format to be able to present a well-written, researched, and formatted assignment for an excellent grade. So here are some steps on how to write an interview paper in APA format –

If you’re citing a personal interview that you conducted in the course of writing the piece, here’s the format to follow:

Include the name of the interviewee and their qualifications, job description, and experience Mention the purpose of involving them in your research paper Incorporate a couple of quotes from their interview Cite the interview in the correct APA format

For, e.g., – (Interviewee first name initial & last name, interview format, date of interview)

If you’re citing an already published interview of someone in the field, the way you format the quotes in the paper and the bibliography should follow the format of the document in which you found the interview. Say you found an interview of a renowned politician in a social science journal that followed the MLA format; you must follow the same and cite the social science journal as your source.

To have peace of mind that you’ve done everything you needed for the perfect interview paper, here’s a short checklist you can quickly run through before submitting your assignment

Included all interviewees point’s of view Remained neutral while elaborating on others’ opinions even if you have a solid personal perspective on the subject Followed the one-idea, one-paragraph rule and included well-written transitory sentences Utilized precise and high-level vocabulary and sentence structure Proofread the essay to rid it of any grammar or syntax inconsistencies Used the correct format to cite sources within the paper and in the bibliography

• What role do you think your genetics play in your character compared to your upbringing?
• Are beauty standards unrealistic?
• Is social media connecting or disconnecting people?
• Should abortion be a topic of policy?
• Should age-old prisons be reconstructed to fit modern ideas of reformation and change?
• Do nursing homes contribute to the well-being of the older generation?
• Should marijuana be legalized?
• Should the same humanitarian and crime laws apply in times of war?
• Should gun rights be ubiquitous?
• Is capital punishment leading to grassroots change?
• Should society be capitalist, socialist, or an amalgamation of both?
• Should cloning be legal?
• Is the concept of marriage as idolized as it used to be?
• Is choosing to be child-free selfish?
• Should the rich pay more tax?
• Are our immigration policies outdated in a globalized world?
• Should celebrities be more accountable for their actions than the average person?
• Are companies doing enough to contribute to climate change effects?
• Should holistic therapies be considered certified medical treatments?
• Should upbringing be gendered?
• Is having kids in a time of such turmoil ethical?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• How should racism or homophobia be combated on an individual level?
• College degrees and their relevance in the digital age
• Going vegan v/s consuming meat: What’s better for the climate?
• How important is your religion to you?
• Are money and happiness correlated?
• How much does early-child development affect one’s mental health into adulthood?
• Is stealing ever okay?
• Are arranged marriages still as popular?

Not Interested in Writing Paper by Yourself?

Getting started with an interview paper can feel intimidating, mainly since it entails so much work – in-depth research on the topic and the history of debate behind it, setting up and curating tailored interviews with people relevant to the topic, and so much more. While you juggle several courses and assignments and other extracurricular work at high school or college, it can be challenging to submit well-written papers that will put you at the top of your class.

Impressing your professor isn’t an easy task. Still, you can do it by hiring expert help that will assist you with your writing assignments and produce work that the accomplished writers will curate as per your needs, that too at highly affordable rates!

You’ll be able to buy and order a custom interview paper that will be ideated and written by thesis writing service for a cheap cost. It’s an efficient and cost-effective way to stay on top of your work, learn from experts in the field, and wow your teachers with a well-written interview paper!

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Interview Essay

Essay writing is different for everyone. Some people choose to go to the library and search for facts on a given subject, while others like to focus on gathering information through personal statements .

During this interview process, interviewers typically ask a series of interview questionnaire  that their readers may want to know about. These details are either recorded or jotted down by the interviewee. With what has been gathered, an individual may then write a complete essay regarding the exchange.

Interview Essay Sample

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Personal Interview Essay Template

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Nursing Interview Essay Template

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Leadership Interview Essay Template

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Teacher Interview Essay Template

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Job Interview Essay Sample

Narrative Interview

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Career Interview Essay

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What Is an Interview Essay?

Interview essays are typically based on research gathered from personal testimonies. This could be based on one’s personal experiences or their own input on a given matter. It may be informative essay , descriptive essay , or even persuasive essays , depending on the questions asked by the interviewer.

The content of the essay may include direct quotes from the interview or it may come in a written narrative form. Through this, we are able to gain additional information from a particular perspective.

What to Include in an Interview Essay

For every essay, a thesis statement is needed to help your readers understand the subject being tackled in your work. For an interview short essay , you would need to talk about your interviewee. Any information that will create a credible image for your interviewee will be necessary.

Next, it’s necessary to include the significant ideas that you have acquired from your interview. Ideally, you should pick three of these ideas, elaborate what has been said, and present it in paragraphs. Be sure to emphasize these points in a detailed and concise manner, a lengthy explanation might be too redundant. You may also see sample essay outlines .

Leadership Essay

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Nursing Interview Example

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Personal Interview

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Parent Interview Sample

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Guidelines for an Interview Essay

When writing an interview essay, it would be best to create an outline first.

Organize the information you have gathered from your interviewee and structure it in a logical order. This could be from one’s personal information to the most compelling details gathered. Be reminded of the standard parts of an essay and be sure to apply it to your own work.

Even when most, if not all, of your essay’s content is based on what you have gathered from your interviewee, you would still need to create a good starting of essay  and end to your essay.

Additionally, do not forget to put quotation marks around the exact words used by your interviewee. It would also be best to proofread your work and make sure that there is a smooth transition for each thought. You may also like personal essay examples & samples.

How to Conclude an Interview Essay?

You can end your interview essay how ever you wish to do so. It could be about your learning from the interview, a call to action, or a brief summary writing from what has been expressed in the essay.

But keep in mind, this would depend on your purpose for writing the essay. For instance, if you interviewed a biologist to spread awareness about mother nature, then it would be best to conclude your essay with a call to action. Knowing this, it’s important to end your essay well enough for it to be memorable.

Interview Essay Generator

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How to write an engaging and informative interview essay that captivates readers.

Are you ready to embark on a journey of words and emotions? Do you yearn to bring real-life stories to life on paper? If so, then the art of conducting an interview essay might just be the path for you. Through a delicate amalgamation of acute observation, introspection, and empathetic listening, you can unravel the intricacies of a person’s life and translate their experiences into a captivating piece of writing. Discover the key steps and techniques that will help you become a master of the interview essay genre.

Imagine yourself as a literary detective, armed with a notepad and pen, delving into the depths of someone’s thoughts and experiences. Your duty is to uncover the hidden layers of a person’s soul and translate them into a narrative that captivates the reader from the very first word. The interview essay offers a unique opportunity to break through the boundaries of traditional storytelling and delve into the realm of intimate conversations. Using skillful questioning and active listening, you can extract stories that will resonate with readers and give them a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Crafting a successful interview essay requires the delicate balance of objective reporting and subjective interpretation. It is a dance between the facts and the emotions, the words spoken and the unspoken truths. As an interviewer, your role extends beyond mere transcription; you are an interpreter, a curator of stories, and a storyteller. By carefully selecting the most powerful quotes, weaving them into a coherent narrative, and providing insightful context, you can create a compelling tapestry of human experiences that will inspire and enlighten your readers.

Overview of Interview Essays

In this section, we will explore the fundamental aspects of conducting and presenting an interview essay. By delving into the art of conversation and storytelling, interview essays provide a unique opportunity to capture the essence of an individual’s experiences and perspectives. These essays allow readers to gain insight into a person’s life journey, accomplishments, and insights on various topics, offering a glimpse into their world.

Interview essays go beyond the realm of traditional journalistic interviews, offering a more personal and in-depth exploration of the interviewee’s thoughts and emotions. Unlike a standard news article or report, interview essays focus on the individual and their unique perspective, providing a platform for their voice to be heard.

Throughout the essay, the interviewer must skillfully navigate the conversation, asking thoughtful and probing questions to elicit meaningful responses. It is crucially important to establish a comfortable and trusting environment, allowing the interviewee to open up and express themselves authentically. The interview process requires active listening and keen observation, ensuring that the essence of the interviewee is accurately portrayed.

The structure of the interview essay typically begins with an engaging introduction that introduces the interviewee and sets the tone for the rest of the piece. Following the introduction, a series of questions and answers, presented in a logical and coherent manner, form the body of the essay. This section should highlight the most compelling and enlightening aspects of the interview, showcasing the interviewee’s unique insights and experiences.

As the interview draws to a close, a well-crafted conclusion synthesizes the main points discussed during the interview, providing a final reflection on the interviewee’s thoughts and perspectives. This section should leave the reader with a lasting impression of the interviewee and their story.

In summary, interview essays offer a captivating and rich exploration of an individual’s life and experiences. Through thoughtful questioning and careful listening, these essays provide a platform for the interviewee’s voice to be heard, shedding light on their unique perspective and contributions to the world.

Choosing an Interviewee

When embarking on the task of conducting an interview essay, one of the most crucial decisions to make is choosing the right interviewee. This individual will be the subject of your essay and plays a significant role in shaping the overall narrative and content. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider several factors when selecting an interviewee.

First and foremost, it is essential to choose an interviewee who possesses expertise or experience in the subject matter you wish to explore. The interviewee should have valuable insights and a deep understanding of the topic, ensuring that the interview will provide meaningful and informative content. Consider professionals, experts, or individuals who have unique perspectives that align with your essay’s theme.

In addition to expertise, it is crucial to select an interviewee who is willing and enthusiastic about participating in the interview. Look for individuals who are open to sharing their thoughts and experiences, and who express genuine interest in engaging in a conversation about the chosen topic. This will ensure that the interview is engaging and that the interviewee is willing to provide detailed and insightful responses.

Another factor to consider when choosing an interviewee is their accessibility. It is important to select someone who is readily available and willing to commit the necessary time for the interview. Consider individuals who have a flexible schedule or who are willing to accommodate your interview request. This will help ensure that you can conduct the interview within your desired timeframe.

Lastly, consider the diversity and representation that the interviewee can bring to your essay. Aim for inclusivity and diversity by selecting individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, or perspectives. This will enrich your essay and provide a broader range of insights and experiences to draw from.

In conclusion, choosing the right interviewee is a critical step in writing a successful interview essay. It requires careful consideration of factors such as expertise, willingness to participate, accessibility, and diversity. By selecting the most suitable interviewee, you can ensure that your essay will be engaging, informative, and provide a unique perspective on the chosen topic.

Tips for selecting the right individual to interview for your article

Choosing the right person to interview for your essay is a crucial step in ensuring that your piece is insightful and engaging. The individual you select should have firsthand knowledge or experience related to your topic, offering unique insights and perspectives. Taking the time to carefully select the right person will not only enhance the quality of your interview essay but also lend credibility to your work.

Firstly, consider the expertise and background of the person you are considering interviewing. Look for individuals who have extensive knowledge and experience in the field you are focusing on. This could be a subject matter expert, a professional in the industry, or someone who has had personal experiences relevant to your topic. These individuals can provide valuable insights and opinions, allowing your essay to delve deeper into the subject matter.

In addition to expertise, it is essential to choose someone who is articulate and can effectively convey their thoughts and experiences. Good communication skills are a vital aspect of a successful interview. Look for individuals who can express themselves clearly and concisely, ensuring that the information they provide is easy to understand and engaging for your readers.

Another important factor to consider when selecting an interviewee is their availability and willingness to participate. Ensure that the person you choose is willing and able to commit the necessary time and effort to the interview process. This could include conducting in-person interviews, phone interviews, or even email correspondence. Being flexible and accommodating to the individual’s schedule is key to obtaining the information you need for a compelling interview essay.

Finally, aim for diversity when selecting an interviewee. Consider individuals from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. This will not only provide a well-rounded view of your topic but also make your essay more relatable and interesting to a wider audience. Including diverse voices and opinions will enrich your work and make it more impactful.

By following these tips and selecting the right person to interview, you can ensure that your essay is informative, engaging, and offers a unique perspective on your chosen topic.

Preparing for the Interview

Getting ready for an interview is a crucial step towards a successful conversation that will leave a lasting impression on the interviewer. Adequate preparation is important as it helps you feel confident and ready to showcase your skills and qualifications. In this section, we will discuss the key steps to take before an interview to ensure you are well-prepared and can present yourself in the best possible light.

• Research the company: Before attending an interview, it is essential to research the company you are interviewing with. This includes understanding their mission, values, products or services they offer, and any recent news or projects. This knowledge will not only demonstrate your interest in the company but also allow you to ask relevant questions during the interview.
• Analyze the job description: Take the time to thoroughly analyze the job description for the position you are applying for. Identify the key skills, qualifications, and responsibilities mentioned in the description. This will help you tailor your answers during the interview and showcase how your experience aligns with the requirements of the role.
• Prepare your answers: It is a good idea to anticipate some of the questions that may be asked during the interview. Practice your answers to common interview questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” This preparation will help you showcase your skills and qualifications confidently and concisely.
• Prepare questions to ask: In addition to answering questions, you should also prepare some questions to ask the interviewer. This shows your enthusiasm and interest in the role and allows you to gather more information about the company and the position. Consider asking about company culture, team dynamics, or opportunities for growth.
• Dress appropriately: First impressions matter, so it is important to dress professionally for the interview. Research the company’s dress code and aim to dress slightly more formal than what is expected. Ensure that your attire is clean, ironed, and appropriate for the industry.
• Practice good body language: During the interview, your body language can speak volumes. Practice good posture, maintain eye contact, and use confident and friendly gestures. This will help you appear engaged and interested in the conversation.
• Gather necessary documents: Before the interview, gather all necessary documents, such as copies of your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications or references. Organize these documents neatly in a folder or portfolio, so they are easily accessible during the interview.
• Plan your route and arrive early: Before the day of the interview, plan your route and ensure you know how to get to the location. Consider traffic or public transport delays, and aim to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early. This will give you time to relax, collect your thoughts, and make a good first impression.

By following these preparation steps, you will increase your chances of success during the interview. Remember to stay calm, be yourself, and let your qualifications and enthusiasm shine!

Steps to take before conducting the interview to ensure its success

Prior to conducting an interview, there are several key steps one should take to ensure its success. By carefully preparing and organizing beforehand, you can maximize the outcome of the interview and gather the most valuable insights and information from your subject.

• Research your subject: Take the time to thoroughly research your subject before the interview. Familiarize yourself with their background, achievements, and any relevant work they may have done. This will not only help you ask informed and insightful questions but also demonstrate your interest and preparedness during the interview.
• Define your goals: Determine what specific information or insights you hope to gain from the interview. Clarify your objectives and the overall purpose of conducting the interview. This will help you structure your questions and guide the conversation in a focused and meaningful direction.
• Prepare a list of questions: Create a list of questions that will prompt your subject to share their experiences, opinions, and expertise. Mix open-ended questions with more specific ones to encourage thoughtful and detailed responses. Consider the flow and order of your questions to ensure a smooth and logical conversation.
• Consider the logistics: Plan and organize the logistics of the interview in advance. Determine the best format for the interview, whether it is in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing. Confirm the date, time, and location if applicable. Additionally, make sure you have all the necessary equipment ready, such as recording devices or notepads.
• Establish rapport: Building a rapport with your subject is crucial for a successful interview. Prior to the interview, introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the interview. Create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere during the actual interview to allow your subject to feel at ease and open up more naturally.
• Anticipate challenges: Anticipate potential challenges or obstacles that may arise during the interview. Prepare alternative strategies or questions to handle any unexpected circumstances. By being flexible and adaptable, you can ensure the smooth progression of the interview.
• Respect confidentiality: If your interview involves sensitive or confidential information, assure your subject of confidentiality and obtain their consent to share certain details. This will help establish trust and encourage them to share more freely and openly.

By following these steps before conducting an interview, you can set the stage for a successful and valuable exchange of information. Proper preparation and organization will ensure that you extract the most meaningful insights and present a well-rounded and informative interview.

Conducting the Interview

During this phase, you will have the opportunity to engage in a face-to-face conversation with your interviewee. This is a crucial step in gathering valuable information for your interview essay. The interview allows you to unravel the unique perspectives, experiences, and insights of your subject, bringing depth and authenticity to your writing.

Before the interview, it’s important to research your interviewee and become familiar with their background and work. This preparation will enable you to ask informed questions and show respect for their expertise. Showing genuine interest in their work will make them more willing to open up and share their insights during the interview.

When conducting the interview, create a comfortable and relaxed environment for your interviewee. Establishing a friendly rapport will help them feel at ease and encourage thoughtful responses. Begin by asking a few general questions to ease into the conversation and then gradually move into more specific topics of interest. Active listening is key during the interview; pay attention to not only the words spoken but also the tone, body language, and emotions conveyed.

As you progress through the interview, probe deeper into the interviewee’s thoughts and experiences. Ask open-ended questions that invite detailed and reflective responses. Be prepared to adapt your questions based on their responses to keep the conversation flowing naturally. It’s important to strike a balance between guiding the conversation and allowing your interviewee to express themselves freely.

Remember to be respectful and considerate throughout the interview process. Avoid interrupting and allow your interviewee to fully express their thoughts. Take notes during the interview to capture important details and to ensure accuracy in your essay. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification or additional information if needed.

By conducting a successful interview, you will gather rich material to create a compelling and engaging interview essay. The insights and personal anecdotes shared by your interviewee will add depth and authenticity to your writing, making it a truly captivating piece.

Techniques and strategies for effectively interviewing your subject

When conducting an interview, it is important to have a set of techniques and strategies to ensure a successful and insightful conversation with your subject. By employing these techniques, you can gather valuable information, establish rapport, and make the most out of your interview.

• Prepare: Before the interview, do thorough research on your subject to familiarize yourself with their background, expertise, and accomplishments. This will enable you to ask informed and relevant questions during the interview.
• Establish rapport: Building a connection with your subject is crucial to create a comfortable and open atmosphere during the interview. Begin by introducing yourself, showing genuine interest, and actively listening to their responses.
• Ask open-ended questions: Instead of asking questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” focus on open-ended questions that encourage your subject to provide detailed and insightful responses. These questions often start with “how,” “why,” or “tell me about.”
• Active listening: During the interview, give your full attention to your subject and demonstrate active listening. This involves maintaining eye contact, nodding, and providing verbal cues to show that you are fully engaged in the conversation. Avoid interrupting and allow your subject to complete their thoughts.
• Probing and follow-up questions: To dig deeper into a topic or clarify any ambiguous answers, ask probing questions. These questions can help you extract more specific details and provide a more comprehensive understanding of your subject’s perspective.
• Keep it conversational: While it’s important to maintain a professional approach, aim to make the interview feel like a conversation rather than an interrogation. Use a friendly tone, ask follow-up questions, and be empathetic to create an environment where your subject feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences.
• Record or take notes: To fully capture the interview, consider recording the conversation with your subject’s permission. Alternatively, take detailed notes during the interview to ensure accuracy when transcribing and referring back to the interview later.
• Thank your subject: Once the interview is complete, remember to express gratitude to your subject for their time and insights. Sending a follow-up message or a handwritten note as a token of appreciation can leave a positive impression and may result in future interview opportunities.

By utilizing these techniques and strategies during your interview, you can obtain valuable information, establish meaningful connections, and create a successful and insightful interview essay.

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• Open access
• Published: 13 May 2024

What are the strengths and limitations to utilising creative methods in public and patient involvement in health and social care research? A qualitative systematic review

• Olivia R. Phillips 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Cerian Harries 2 , 3   na1 ,
• Jo Leonardi-Bee 1 , 2 , 4   na1 ,
• Holly Knight 1 , 2 ,
• Lauren B. Sherar 2 , 3 ,
• Veronica Varela-Mato 2 , 3 &
• Joanne R. Morling 1 , 2 , 5  

Research Involvement and Engagement volume  10 , Article number:  48 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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There is increasing interest in using patient and public involvement (PPI) in research to improve the quality of healthcare. Ordinarily, traditional methods have been used such as interviews or focus groups. However, these methods tend to engage a similar demographic of people. Thus, creative methods are being developed to involve patients for whom traditional methods are inaccessible or non-engaging.

To determine the strengths and limitations to using creative PPI methods in health and social care research.

Electronic searches were conducted over five databases on 14th April 2023 (Web of Science, PubMed, ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane Library). Studies that involved traditional, non-creative PPI methods were excluded. Creative PPI methods were used to engage with people as research advisors, rather than study participants. Only primary data published in English from 2009 were accepted. Title, abstract and full text screening was undertaken by two independent reviewers before inductive thematic analysis was used to generate themes.

Twelve papers met the inclusion criteria. The creative methods used included songs, poems, drawings, photograph elicitation, drama performance, visualisations, social media, photography, prototype development, cultural animation, card sorting and persona development. Analysis identified four limitations and five strengths to the creative approaches. Limitations included the time and resource intensive nature of creative PPI, the lack of generalisation to wider populations and ethical issues. External factors, such as the lack of infrastructure to support creative PPI, also affected their implementation. Strengths included the disruption of power hierarchies and the creation of a safe space for people to express mundane or “taboo” topics. Creative methods are also engaging, inclusive of people who struggle to participate in traditional PPI and can also be cost and time efficient.

‘Creative PPI’ is an umbrella term encapsulating many different methods of engagement and there are strengths and limitations to each. The choice of which should be determined by the aims and requirements of the research, as well as the characteristics of the PPI group and practical limitations. Creative PPI can be advantageous over more traditional methods, however a hybrid approach could be considered to reap the benefits of both. Creative PPI methods are not widely used; however, this could change over time as PPI becomes embedded even more into research.

Plain English Summary

It is important that patients and public are included in the research process from initial brainstorming, through design to delivery. This is known as public and patient involvement (PPI). Their input means that research closely aligns with their wants and needs. Traditionally to get this input, interviews and group discussions are held, but this can exclude people who find these activities non-engaging or inaccessible, for example those with language challenges, learning disabilities or memory issues. Creative methods of PPI can overcome this. This is a broad term describing different (non-traditional) ways of engaging patients and public in research, such as through the use or art, animation or performance. This review investigated the reasons why creative approaches to PPI could be difficult (limitations) or helpful (strengths) in health and social care research. After searching 5 online databases, 12 studies were included in the review. PPI groups included adults, children and people with language and memory impairments. Creative methods included songs, poems, drawings, the use of photos and drama, visualisations, Facebook, creating prototypes, personas and card sorting. Limitations included the time, cost and effort associated with creative methods, the lack of application to other populations, ethical issues and buy-in from the wider research community. Strengths included the feeling of equality between academics and the public, creation of a safe space for people to express themselves, inclusivity, and that creative PPI can be cost and time efficient. Overall, this review suggests that creative PPI is worthwhile, however each method has its own strengths and limitations and the choice of which will depend on the research project, PPI group characteristics and other practical limitations, such as time and financial constraints.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is the term used to describe the partnership between patients (including caregivers, potential patients, healthcare users etc.) or the public (a community member with no known interest in the topic) with researchers. It describes research that is done “‘with’ or ‘by’ the public, rather than ‘to,’ ‘about’ or ‘for’ them” [ 1 ]. In 2009, it became a legislative requirement for certain health and social care organisations to include patients, families, carers and communities in not only the planning of health and social care services, but the commissioning, delivery and evaluation of them too [ 2 ]. For example, funding applications for the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), a UK funding body, mandates a demonstration of how researchers plan to include patients/service users, the public and carers at each stage of the project [ 3 ]. However, this should not simply be a tokenistic, tick-box exercise. PPI should help formulate initial ideas and should be an instrumental, continuous part of the research process. Input from PPI can provide unique insights not yet considered and can ensure that research and health services are closely aligned to the needs and requirements of service users PPI also generally makes research more relevant with clearer outcomes and impacts [ 4 ]. Although this review refers to both patients and the public using the umbrella term ‘PPI’, it is important to acknowledge that these are two different groups with different motivations, needs and interests when it comes to health research and service delivery [ 5 ].

Despite continuing recognition of the need of PPI to improve quality of healthcare, researchers have also recognised that there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for involving patients [ 4 ]. Traditionally, PPI methods invite people to take part in interviews or focus groups to facilitate discussion, or surveys and questionnaires. However, these can sometimes be inaccessible or non-engaging for certain populations. For example, someone with communication difficulties may find it difficult to engage in focus groups or interviews. If individuals lack the appropriate skills to interact in these types of scenarios, they cannot take advantage of the participation opportunities it can provide [ 6 ]. Creative methods, however, aim to resolve these issues. These are a relatively new concept whereby researchers use creative methods (e.g., artwork, animations, Lego), to make PPI more accessible and engaging for those whose voices would otherwise go unheard. They ensure that all populations can engage in research, regardless of their background or skills. Seminal work has previously been conducted in this area, which brought to light the use of creative methodologies in research. Leavy (2008) [ 7 ] discussed how traditional interviews had limits on what could be expressed due to their sterile, jargon-filled and formulaic structure, read by only a few specialised academics. It was this that called for more creative approaches, which included narrative enquiry, fiction-based research, poetry, music, dance, art, theatre, film and visual art. These practices, which can be used in any stage of the research cycle, supported greater empathy, self-reflection and longer-lasting learning experiences compared to interviews [ 7 ]. They also pushed traditional academic boundaries, which made the research accessible not only to researchers, but the public too. Leavy explains that there are similarities between arts-based approaches and scientific approaches: both attempts to investigate what it means to be human through exploration, and used together, these complimentary approaches can progress our understanding of the human experience [ 7 ]. Further, it is important to acknowledge the parallels and nuances between creative and inclusive methods of PPI. Although creative methods aim to be inclusive (this should underlie any PPI activity, whether creative or not), they do not incorporate all types of accessible, inclusive methodologies e.g., using sign language for people with hearing impairments or audio recordings for people who cannot read. Given that there was not enough scope to include an evaluation of all possible inclusive methodologies, this review will focus on creative methods of PPI only.

We aimed to conduct a qualitative systematic review to highlight the strengths of creative PPI in health and social care research, as well as the limitations, which might act as a barrier to their implementation. A qualitative systematic review “brings together research on a topic, systematically searching for research evidence from primary qualitative studies and drawing the findings together” [ 8 ]. This review can then advise researchers of the best practices when designing PPI.

Public involvement

The PHIRST-LIGHT Public Advisory Group (PAG) consists of a team of experienced public contributors with a diverse range of characteristics from across the UK. The PAG was involved in the initial question setting and study design for this review.

Search strategy

For the purpose of this review, the JBI approach for conducting qualitative systematic reviews was followed [ 9 ]. The search terms were (“creativ*” OR “innovat*” OR “authentic” OR “original” OR “inclu*”) AND (“public and patient involvement” OR “patient and public involvement” OR “public and patient involvement and engagement” OR “patient and public involvement and engagement” OR “PPI” OR “PPIE” OR “co-produc*” OR “co-creat*” OR “co-design*” OR “cooperat*” OR “co-operat*”). This search string was modified according to the requirements of each database. Papers were filtered by title, abstract and keywords (see Additional file 1 for search strings). The databases searched included Web of Science (WoS), PubMed, ASSIA and CINAHL. The Cochrane Library was also searched to identify relevant reviews which could lead to the identification of primary research. The search was conducted on 14/04/23. As our aim was to report on the use of creative PPI in research, rather than more generic public engagement, we used electronic databases of scholarly peer-reviewed literature, which represent a wide range of recognised databases. These identified studies published in general international journals (WoS, PubMed), those in social sciences journals (ASSIA), those in nursing and allied health journals (CINAHL), and trials of interventions (Cochrane Library).

Inclusion criteria

Only full-text, English language, primary research papers from 2009 to 2023 were included. This was the chosen timeframe as in 2009 the Health and Social Reform Act made it mandatory for certain Health and Social Care organisations to involve the public and patients in planning, delivering, and evaluating services [ 2 ]. Only creative methods of PPI were accepted, rather than traditional methods, such as interviews or focus groups. For the purposes of this paper, creative PPI included creative art or arts-based approaches (e.g., e.g. stories, songs, drama, drawing, painting, poetry, photography) to enhance engagement. Titles were related to health and social care and the creative PPI was used to engage with people as research advisors, not as study participants. Meta-analyses, conference abstracts, book chapters, commentaries and reviews were excluded. There were no limits concerning study location or the demographic characteristics of the PPI groups. Only qualitative data were accepted.

Quality appraisal

Quality appraisal using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist [ 10 ] was conducted by the primary authors (ORP and CH). This was done independently, and discrepancies were discussed and resolved. If a consensus could not be reached, a third independent reviewer was consulted (JRM). The full list of quality appraisal questions can be found in Additional file 2 .

Data extraction

ORP extracted the study characteristics and a subset of these were checked by CH. Discrepancies were discussed and amendments made. Extracted data included author, title, location, year of publication, year study was carried out, research question/aim, creative methods used, number of participants, mean age, gender, ethnicity of participants, setting, limitations and strengths of creative PPI and main findings.

Data analysis

The included studies were analysed using inductive thematic analysis [ 11 ], where themes were determined by the data. The familiarisation stage took place during full-text reading of the included articles. Anything identified as a strength or limitation to creative PPI methods was extracted verbatim as an initial code and inputted into the data extraction Excel sheet. Similar codes were sorted into broader themes, either under ‘strengths’ or ‘limitations’ and reviewed. Themes were then assigned a name according to the codes.

The search yielded 9978 titles across the 5 databases: Web of Science (1480 results), PubMed (94 results), ASSIA (2454 results), CINAHL (5948 results) and Cochrane Library (2 results), resulting in 8553 different studies after deduplication. ORP and CH independently screened their titles and abstracts, excluding those that did not meet the criteria. After assessment, 12 studies were included (see Fig.  1 ).

PRISMA flowchart of the study selection process

Study characteristics

The included studies were published between 2018 and 2022. Seven were conducted in the UK [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 23 ], two in Canada [ 21 , 22 ], one in Australia [ 13 ], one in Norway [ 16 ] and one in Ireland [ 20 ]. The PPI activities occurred across various settings, including a school [ 12 ], social club [ 12 ], hospital [ 17 ], university [ 22 ], theatre [ 19 ], hotel [ 20 ], or online [ 15 , 21 ], however this information was omitted in 5 studies [ 13 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 23 ]. The number of people attending the PPI sessions varied, ranging from 6 to 289, however the majority (ten studies) had less than 70 participants [ 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Seven studies did not provide information on the age or gender of the PPI groups. Of those that did, ages ranged from 8 to 76 and were mostly female. The ethnicities of the PPI group members were also rarely recorded (see Additional file 3 for data extraction table).

Types of creative methods

The type of creative methods used to engage the PPI groups were varied. These included songs, poems, drawings, photograph elicitation, drama performance, visualisations, Facebook, photography, prototype development, cultural animation, card sorting and creating personas (see Table  1 ). These were sometimes accompanied by traditional methods of PPI such as interviews and focus group discussions.

The 12 included studies were all deemed to be of good methodological quality, with scores ranging from 6/10 to 10/10 with the CASP critical appraisal tool [ 10 ] (Table  2 ).

Thematic analysis

Analysis identified four limitations and five strengths to creative PPI (see Fig.  2 ). Limitations included the time and resource intensity of creative PPI methods, its lack of generalisation, ethical issues and external factors. Strengths included the disruption of power hierarchies, the engaging and inclusive nature of the methods and their long-term cost and time efficiency. Creative PPI methods also allowed mundane and “taboo” topics to be discussed within a safe space.

Theme map of strengths and limitations

Limitations of creative PPI

Creative ppi methods are time and resource intensive.

The time and resource intensive nature of creative PPI methods is a limitation, most notably for the persona-scenario methodology. Valaitis et al. [ 22 ] used 14 persona-scenario workshops with 70 participants to co-design a healthcare intervention, which aimed to promote optimal aging in Canada. Using the persona method, pairs composed of patients, healthcare providers, community service providers and volunteers developed a fictional character which they believed represented an ‘end-user’ of the healthcare intervention. Due to the depth and richness of the data produced the authors reported that it was time consuming to analyse. Further, they commented that the amount of information was difficult to disseminate to scientific leads and present at team meetings. Additionally, to ensure the production of high-quality data, to probe for details and lead group discussion there was a need for highly skilled facilitators. The resource intensive nature of the creative co-production was also noted in a study using the persona scenario and creative worksheets to develop a prototype decision support tool for individuals with malignant pleural effusion [ 17 ]. With approximately 50 people, this was also likely to yield a high volume of data to consider.

To prepare materials for populations who cannot engage in traditional methods of PPI was also timely. Kearns et al. [ 18 ] developed a feedback questionnaire for people with aphasia to evaluate ICT-delivered rehabilitation. To ensure people could participate effectively, the resources used during the workshops, such as PowerPoints, online images and photographs, had to be aphasia-accessible, which was labour and time intensive. The author warned that this time commitment should not be underestimated.

There are further practical limitations to implementing creative PPI, such as the costs of materials for activities as well as hiring a space for workshops. For example, the included studies in this review utilised pens, paper, worksheets, laptops, arts and craft supplies and magazines and took place in venues such as universities, a social club, and a hotel. Further, although not limited to creative PPI methods exclusively but rather most studies involving the public, a financial incentive was often offered for participation, as well as food, parking, transport and accommodation [ 21 , 22 ].

Creative PPI lacks generalisation

Another barrier to the use of creative PPI methods in health and social care research was the individual nature of its output. Those who participate, usually small in number, produce unique creative outputs specific to their own experiences, opinions and location. Craven et al. [ 13 ], used arts-based visualisations to develop a toolbox for adults with mental health difficulties. They commented, “such an approach might still not be worthwhile”, as the visualisations were individualised and highly personal. This indicates that the output may fail to meet the needs of its end-users. Further, these creative PPI groups were based in certain geographical regions such as Stoke-on-Trent [ 19 ] Sheffield [ 23 ], South Wales [ 12 ] or Ireland [ 20 ], which limits the extent the findings can be applied to wider populations, even within the same area due to individual nuances. Further, the study by Galler et al. [ 16 ], is specific to the Norwegian context and even then, maybe only a sub-group of the Norwegian population as the sample used was of higher socioeconomic status.

However, Grindell et al. [ 17 ], who used persona scenarios, creative worksheets and prototype development, pointed out that the purpose of this type of research is to improve a certain place, rather than apply findings across other populations and locations. Individualised output may, therefore, only be a limitation to research wanting to conduct PPI on a large scale.

If, however, greater generalisation within PPI is deemed necessary, then social media may offer a resolution. Fedorowicz et al. [ 15 ], used Facebook to gain feedback from the public on the use of video-recording methodology for an upcoming project. This had the benefit of including a more diverse range of people (289 people joined the closed group), who were spread geographically around the UK, as well as seven people from overseas.

Creative PPI has ethical issues

As with other research, ethical issues must be taken into consideration. Due to the nature of creative approaches, as well as the personal effort put into them, people often want to be recognised for their work. However, this compromises principles so heavily instilled in research such as anonymity and confidentiality. With the aim of exploring issues related to health and well-being in a town in South Wales, Byrne et al. [ 12 ], asked year 4/5 and year 10 pupils to create poems, songs, drawings and photographs. Community members also created a performance, mainly of monologues, to explore how poverty and inequalities are dealt with. Byrne noted the risks of these arts-based approaches, that being the possibility of over-disclosure and consequent emotional distress, as well as people’s desire to be named for their work. On one hand, the anonymity reduces the sense of ownership of the output as it does not portray a particular individual’s lived experience anymore. On the other hand, however, it could promote a more honest account of lived experience. Supporting this, Webber et al. [ 23 ], who used the persona method to co-design a back pain educational resource prototype, claimed that the anonymity provided by this creative technique allowed individuals to externalise and anonymise their own personal experience, thus creating a more authentic and genuine resource for future users. This implies that anonymity can be both a limitation and strength here.

The use of creative PPI methods is impeded by external factors

Despite the above limitations influencing the implementation of creative PPI techniques, perhaps the most influential is that creative methodologies are simply not mainstream [ 19 ]. This could be linked to the issues above, like time and resource intensity, generalisation and ethical issues but it is also likely to involve more systemic factors within the research community. Micsinszki et al. [ 21 ], who co-designed a hub for the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, commented that there is insufficient infrastructure to conduct meaningful co-design as well as a dominant medical model. Through a more holistic lens, there are “sociopolitical environments that privilege individualism over collectivism, self-sufficiency over collaboration, and scientific expertise over other ways of knowing based on lived experience” [ 21 ]. This, it could be suggested, renders creative co-design methodologies, which are based on the foundations of collectivism, collaboration and imagination an invalid technique in the research field, which is heavily dominated by more scientific methods offering reproducibility, objectivity and reliability.

Although we acknowledge that creative PPI techniques are not always appropriate, it may be that their main limitation is the lack of awareness of these methods or lack of willingness to use them. Further, there is always the risk that PPI, despite being a mandatory part of research, is used in a tokenistic or tick-box fashion [ 20 ], without considering the contribution that meaningful PPI could make to enhancing the research. It may be that PPI, let alone creative PPI, is not at the forefront of researchers’ minds when planning research.

Strengths of creative PPI

Creative ppi disrupts power hierarchies.

One of the main strengths of creative PPI techniques, cited most frequently in the included literature, was that they disrupt traditional power hierarchies [ 12 , 13 , 17 , 19 , 23 ]. For example, the use of theatre performance blurred the lines between professional and lay roles between the community and policy makers [ 12 ]. Individuals created a monologue to portray how poverty and inequality impact daily life and presented this to representatives of the National Assembly of Wales, Welsh Government, the Local Authority, Arts Council and Westminster. Byrne et al. [ 12 ], states how this medium allowed the community to engage with the people who make decisions about their lives in an environment of respect and understanding, where the hierarchies are not as visible as in other settings, e.g., political surgeries. Creative PPI methods have also removed traditional power hierarchies between researchers and adolescents. Cook et al. [ 13 ], used arts-based approaches to explore adolescents’ ideas about the “perfect” condom. They utilised the “Life Happens” resource, where adolescents drew and then decorated a person with their thoughts about sexual relationships, not too dissimilar from the persona-scenario method. This was then combined with hypothetical scenarios about sexuality. A condom-mapping exercise was then implemented, where groups shared the characteristics that make a condom “perfect” on large pieces of paper. Cook et al. [ 13 ], noted that usually power imbalances make it difficult to elicit information from adolescents, however these power imbalances were reduced due to the use of creative co-design techniques.

The same reduction in power hierarchies was noted by Grindell et al. [ 17 ], who used the person-scenario method and creative worksheets with individuals with malignant pleural effusion. This was with the aim of developing a prototype of a decision support tool for patients to help with treatment options. Although this process involved a variety of stakeholders, such as patients, carers and healthcare professionals, creative co-design was cited as a mechanism that worked to reduce power imbalances – a limitation of more traditional methods of research. Creative co-design blurred boundaries between end-users and clinical staff and enabled the sharing of ideas from multiple, valuable perspectives, meaning the prototype was able to suit user needs whilst addressing clinical problems.

Similarly, a specific creative method named cultural animation was also cited to dissolve hierarchies and encourage equal contributions from participants. Within this arts-based approach, Keleman et al. [ 19 ], explored the concept of “good health” with individuals from Stoke-on Trent. Members of the group created art installations using ribbons, buttons, cardboard and straws to depict their idea of a “healthy community”, which was accompanied by a poem. They also created a 3D Facebook page and produced another poem or song addressing the government to communicate their version of a “picture of health”. Public participants said that they found the process empowering, honest, democratic, valuable and practical.

This dissolving of hierarchies and levelling of power is beneficial as it increases the sense of ownership experienced by the creators/producers of the output [ 12 , 17 , 23 ]. This is advantageous as it has been suggested to improve its quality [ 23 ].

Creative PPI allows the unsayable to be said

Creative PPI fosters a safe space for mundane or taboo topics to be shared, which may be difficult to communicate using traditional methods of PPI. For example, the hypothetical nature of condom mapping and persona-scenarios meant that adolescents could discuss a personal topic without fear of discrimination, judgement or personal disclosure [ 13 ]. The safe space allowed a greater volume of ideas to be generated amongst peers where they might not have otherwise. Similarly, Webber et al. [ 23 ], , who used the persona method to co-design the prototype back pain educational resource, also noted how this method creates anonymity whilst allowing people the opportunity to externalise personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. Other creative methods were also used, such as drawing, collaging, role play and creating mood boards. A cardboard cube (labelled a “magic box”) was used to symbolise a physical representation of their final prototype. These creative methods levelled the playing field and made personal experiences accessible in a safe, open environment that fostered trust, as well as understanding from the researchers.

It is not only sensitive subjects that were made easier to articulate through creative PPI. The communication of mundane everyday experiences were also facilitated, which were deemed typically ‘unsayable’. This was specifically given in the context of describing intangible aspects of everyday health and wellbeing [ 11 ]. Graphic designers can also be used to visually represent the outputs of creative PPI. These captured the movement and fluidity of people and well as the relationships between them - things that cannot be spoken but can be depicted [ 21 ].

Creative PPI methods are inclusive

Another strength of creative PPI was that it is inclusive and accessible [ 17 , 19 , 21 ]. The safe space it fosters, as well as the dismantling of hierarchies, welcomed people from a diverse range of backgrounds and provided equal opportunities [ 21 ], especially for those with communication and memory difficulties who might be otherwise excluded from PPI. Kelemen et al. [ 19 ], who used creative methods to explore health and well-being in Stoke-on-Trent, discussed how people from different backgrounds came together and connected, discussed and reached a consensus over a topic which evoked strong emotions, that they all have in common. Individuals said that the techniques used “sets people to open up as they are not overwhelmed by words”. Similarly, creative activities, such as the persona method, have been stated to allow people to express themselves in an inclusive environment using a common language. Kearns et al. [ 18 ], who used aphasia-accessible material to develop a questionnaire with aphasic individuals, described how they felt comfortable in contributing to workshops (although this material was time-consuming to make, see ‘Limitations of creative PPI’ ).

Despite the general inclusivity of creative PPI, it can also be exclusive, particularly if online mediums are used. Fedorowicz et al. [ 15 ], used Facebook to create a PPI group, and although this may rectify previous drawbacks about lack of generalisation of creative methods (as Facebook can reach a greater number of people, globally), it excluded those who are not digitally active or have limited internet access or knowledge of technology. Online methods have other issues too. Maintaining the online group was cited as challenging and the volume of responses required researchers to interact outside of their working hours. Despite this, online methods like Facebook are very accessible for people who are physically disabled.

Creative PPI methods are engaging

The process of creative PPI is typically more engaging and produces more colourful data than traditional methods [ 13 ]. Individuals are permitted and encouraged to explore a creative self [ 19 ], which can lead to the exploration of new ideas and an overall increased enjoyment of the process. This increased engagement is particularly beneficial for younger PPI groups. For example, to involve children in the development of health food products, Galler et al. [ 16 ] asked 9-12-year-olds to take photos of their food and present it to other children in a “show and tell” fashion. They then created a newspaper article describing a new healthy snack. In this creative focus group, children were given lab coats to further their identity as inventors. Galler et al. [ 16 ], notes that the methods were highly engaging and facilitated teamwork and group learning. This collaborative nature of problem-solving was also observed in adults who used personas and creative worksheets to develop the resource for lower back pain [ 23 ]. Dementia patients too have been reported to enjoy the creative and informal approach to idea generation [ 20 ].

The use of cultural animation allowed people to connect with each other in a way that traditional methods do not [ 19 , 21 ]. These connections were held in place by boundary objects, such as ribbons, buttons, fabric and picture frames, which symbolised a shared meaning between people and an exchange of knowledge and emotion. Asking groups to create an art installation using these objects further fostered teamwork and collaboration, both at an individual and collective level. The exploration of a creative self increased energy levels and encouraged productive discussions and problem-solving [ 19 ]. Objects also encouraged a solution-focused approach and permitted people to think beyond their usual everyday scope [ 17 ]. They also allowed facilitators to probe deeper about the greater meanings carried by the object, which acted as a metaphor [ 21 ].

From the researcher’s point of view, co-creative methods gave rise to ideas they might not have initially considered. Valaitis et al. [ 22 ], found that over 40% of the creative outputs were novel ideas brought to light by patients, healthcare providers/community care providers, community service providers and volunteers. One researcher commented, “It [the creative methods] took me on a journey, in a way that when we do other pieces of research it can feel disconnected” [ 23 ]. Another researcher also stated they could not return to the way they used to do research, as they have learnt so much about their own health and community and how they are perceived [ 19 ]. This demonstrates that creative processes not only benefit the project outcomes and the PPI group, but also facilitators and researchers. However, although engaging, creative methods have been criticised for not demonstrating academic rigour [ 17 ]. Moreover, creative PPI may also be exclusive to people who do not like or enjoy creative activities.

Creative PPI methods are cost and time efficient

Creative PPI workshops can often produce output that is visible and tangible. This can save time and money in the long run as the output is either ready to be implemented in a healthcare setting or a first iteration has already been developed. This may also offset the time and costs it takes to implement creative PPI. For example, the prototype of the decision support tool for people with malignant pleural effusion was developed using personas and creative worksheets. The end result was two tangible prototypes to drive the initial idea forward as something to be used in practice [ 17 ]. The use of creative co-design in this case saved clinician time as well as the time it would take to develop this product without the help of its end-users. In the development of this particular prototype, analysis was iterative and informed the next stage of development, which again saved time. The same applies for the feedback questionnaire for the assessment of ICT delivered aphasia rehabilitation. The co-created questionnaire, designed with people with aphasia, was ready to be used in practice [ 18 ]. This suggests that to overcome time and resource barriers to creative PPI, researchers should aim for it to be engaging whilst also producing output.

That useable products are generated during creative workshops signals to participating patients and public members that they have been listened to and their thoughts and opinions acted upon [ 23 ]. For example, the development of the back pain resource based on patient experiences implies that their suggestions were valid and valuable. Further, those who participated in the cultural animation workshop reported that the process visualises change, and that it already feels as though the process of change has started [ 19 ].

The most cost and time efficient method of creative PPI in this review is most likely the use of Facebook to gather feedback on project methodology [ 15 ]. Although there were drawbacks to this, researchers could involve more people from a range of geographical areas at little to no cost. Feedback was instantaneous and no training was required. From the perspective of the PPI group, they could interact however much or little they wish with no time commitment.

This systematic review identified four limitations and five strengths to the use of creative PPI in health and social care research. Creative PPI is time and resource intensive, can raise ethical issues and lacks generalisability. It is also not accepted by the mainstream. These factors may act as barriers to the implementation of creative PPI. However, creative PPI disrupts traditional power hierarchies and creates a safe space for taboo or mundane topics. It is also engaging, inclusive and can be time and cost efficient in the long term.

Something that became apparent during data analysis was that these are not blanket strengths and limitations of creative PPI as a whole. The umbrella term ‘creative PPI’ is broad and encapsulates a wide range of activities, ranging from music and poems to prototype development and persona-scenarios, to more simplistic things like the use of sticky notes and ordering cards. Many different activities can be deemed ‘creative’ and the strengths and limitations of one does not necessarily apply to another. For example, cultural animation takes greater effort to prepare than the use of sticky notes and sorting cards, and the use of Facebook is cheaper and wider reaching than persona development. Researchers should use their discretion and weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of each method to decide on a technique which suits the project. What might be a limitation to creative PPI in one project may not be in another. In some cases, creative PPI may not be suitable at all.

Furthermore, the choice of creative PPI method also depends on the needs and characteristics of the PPI group. Children, adults and people living with dementia or language difficulties all have different engagement needs and capabilities. This indicates that creative PPI is not one size fits all and that the most appropriate method will change depending on the composition of the group. The choice of method will also be determined by the constraints of the research project, namely time, money and the research aim. For example, if there are time constraints, then a method which yields a lot of data and requires a lot of preparation may not be appropriate. If generalisation is important, then an online method is more suitable. Together this indicates that the choice of creative PPI method is highly individualised and dependent on multiple factors.

Although the limitations discussed in this review apply to creative PPI, they are not exclusive to creative PPI. Ethical issues are a consideration within general PPI research, especially when working with more vulnerable populations, such as children or adults living with a disability. It can also be the case that traditional PPI methods lack generalisability, as people who volunteer to be part of such a group are more likely be older, middle class and retired [ 24 ]. Most research is vulnerable to this type of bias, however, it is worth noting that generalisation is not always a goal and research remains valid and meaningful in its absence. Although online methods may somewhat combat issues related to generalisability, these methods still exclude people who do not have access to the internet/technology or who choose not to use it, implying that online PPI methods may not be wholly representative of the general population. Saying this, however, the accessibility of creative PPI techniques differs from person to person, and for some, online mediums may be more accessible (for example for those with a physical disability), and for others, this might be face-to-face. To combat this, a range of methods should be implemented. Planning multiple focus group and interviews for traditional PPI is also time and resource intensive, however the extra resources required to make this creative may be even greater. Although, the rich data provided may be worth the preparation and analysis time, which is also likely to depend on the number of participants and workshop sessions required. PPI, not just creative PPI, often requires the provision of a financial incentive, refreshments, parking and accommodation, which increase costs. These, however, are imperative and non-negotiable, as they increase the accessibility of research, especially to minority and lower-income groups less likely to participate. Adequate funding is also important for co-design studies where repeated engagement is required. One barrier to implementation, which appears to be exclusive to creative methods, however, is that creative methods are not mainstream. This cannot be said for traditional PPI as this is often a mandatory part of research applications.

Regarding the strengths of creative PPI, it could be argued that most appear to be exclusive to creative methodologies. These are inclusive by nature as multiple approaches can be taken to evoke ideas from different populations - approaches that do not necessarily rely on verbal or written communication like interviews and focus groups do. Given the anonymity provided by some creative methods, such as personas, people may be more likely to discuss their personal experiences under the guise of a general end-user, which might be more difficult to maintain when an interviewer is asking an individual questions directly. Additionally, creative methods are by nature more engaging and interactive than traditional methods, although this is a blanket statement and there may be people who find the question-and-answer/group discussion format more engaging. Creative methods have also been cited to eliminate power imbalances which exist in traditional research [ 12 , 13 , 17 , 19 , 23 ]. These imbalances exist between researchers and policy makers and adolescents, adults and the community. Lastly, although this may occur to a greater extent in creative methods like prototype development, it could be suggested that PPI in general – regardless of whether it is creative - is more time and cost efficient in the long-term than not using any PPI to guide or refine the research process. It must be noted that these are observations based on the literature. To be certain these differences exist between creative and traditional methods of PPI, direct empirical evaluation of both should be conducted.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to identify the strengths and limitations to creative PPI, however, similar literature has identified barriers and facilitators to PPI in general. In the context of clinical trials, recruitment difficulties were cited as a barrier, as well as finding public contributors who were free during work/school hours. Trial managers reported finding group dynamics difficult to manage and the academic environment also made some public contributors feel nervous and lacking confidence to speak. Facilitators, however, included the shared ownership of the research – something that has been identified in the current review too. In addition, planning and the provision of knowledge, information and communication were also identified as facilitators [ 25 ]. Other research on the barriers to meaningful PPI in trial oversight committees included trialist confusion or scepticism over the PPI role and the difficulties in finding PPI members who had a basic understanding of research [ 26 ]. However, it could be argued that this is not representative of the average patient or public member. The formality of oversight meetings and the technical language used also acted as a barrier, which may imply that the informal nature of creative methods and its lack of dependency on literacy skills could overcome this. Further, a review of 42 reviews on PPI in health and social care identified financial compensation, resources, training and general support as necessary to conduct PPI, much like in the current review where the resource intensiveness of creative PPI was identified as a limitation. However, others were identified too, such as recruitment and representativeness of public contributors [ 27 ]. Like in the current review, power imbalances were also noted, however this was included as both a barrier and facilitator. Collaboration seemed to diminish hierarchies but not always, as sometimes these imbalances remained between public contributors and healthcare staff, described as a ‘them and us’ culture [ 27 ]. Although these studies compliment the findings of the current review, a direct comparison cannot be made as they do not concern creative methods. However, it does suggest that some strengths and weaknesses are shared between creative and traditional methods of PPI.

Strengths and limitations of this review

Although a general definition of creative PPI exists, it was up to our discretion to decide exactly which activities were deemed as such for this review. For example, we included sorting cards, the use of interactive whiteboards and sticky notes. Other researchers may have a more or less stringent criteria. However, two reviewers were involved in this decision which aids the reliability of the included articles. Further, it may be that some of the strengths and limitations cannot fully be attributed to the creative nature of the PPI process, but rather their co-created nature, however this is hard to disentangle as the included papers involved both these aspects.

During screening, it was difficult to decide whether the article was utilising creative qualitative methodology or creative PPI , as it was often not explicitly labelled as such. Regardless, both approaches involved the public/patients refining a healthcare product/service. This implies that if this review were to be replicated, others may do it differently. This may call for greater standardisation in the reporting of the public’s involvement in research. For example, the NIHR outlines different approaches to PPI, namely “consultation”, “collaboration”, “co-production” and “user-controlled”, which each signify an increased level of public power and influence [ 28 ]. Papers with elements of PPI could use these labels to clarify the extent of public involvement, or even explicitly state that there was no PPI. Further, given our decision to include only scholarly peer-reviewed literature, it is possible that data were missed within the grey literature. Similarly, the literature search will not have identified all papers relating to different types of accessible inclusion. However, the intent of the review was to focus solely on those within the definition of creative.

This review fills a gap in the literature and helps circulate and promote the concept of creative PPI. Each stage of this review, namely screening and quality appraisal, was conducted by two independent reviewers. However, four full texts could not be accessed during the full text reading stage, meaning there are missing data that could have altered or contributed to the findings of this review.

Research recommendations

Given that creative PPI can require effort to prepare, perform and analyse, sufficient time and funding should be allocated in the research protocol to enable meaningful and continuous PPI. This is worthwhile as PPI can significantly change the research output so that it aligns closely with the needs of the group it is to benefit. Researchers should also consider prototype development as a creative PPI activity as this might reduce future time/resource constraints. Shifting from a top-down approach within research to a bottom-up can be advantageous to all stakeholders and can help move creative PPI towards the mainstream. This, however, is the collective responsibility of funding bodies, universities and researchers, as well as committees who approve research bids.

A few of the included studies used creative techniques alongside traditional methods, such as interviews, which could also be used as a hybrid method of PPI, perhaps by researchers who are unfamiliar with creative techniques or to those who wish to reap the benefits of both. Often the characteristics of the PPI group were not included, including age, gender and ethnicity. It would be useful to include such information to assess how representative the PPI group is of the population of interest.

Creative PPI is a relatively novel approach of engaging the public and patients in research and it has both advantages and disadvantages compared to more traditional methods. There are many approaches to implementing creative PPI and the choice of technique will be unique to each piece of research and is reliant on several factors. These include the age and ability of the PPI group as well as the resource limitations of the project. Each method has benefits and drawbacks, which should be considered at the protocol-writing stage. However, given adequate funding, time and planning, creative PPI is a worthwhile and engaging method of generating ideas with end-users of research – ideas which may not be otherwise generated using traditional methods.

Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Abbreviations

Critical Appraisal Skills Programme

The Joanna Briggs Institute

National Institute of Health and Care Research

Public Advisory Group

Public and Patient Involvement

Web of Science

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Acknowledgements

With thanks to the PHIRST-LIGHT public advisory group and consortium for their thoughts and contributions to the design of this work.

The research team is supported by a National Institute for Health and Care Research grant (PHIRST-LIGHT Reference NIHR 135190).

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Olivia R. Phillips and Cerian Harries share joint first authorship.

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Nottingham Centre for Public Health and Epidemiology, Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Campus, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK

Olivia R. Phillips, Jo Leonardi-Bee, Holly Knight & Joanne R. Morling

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) PHIRST-LIGHT, Nottingham, UK

Olivia R. Phillips, Cerian Harries, Jo Leonardi-Bee, Holly Knight, Lauren B. Sherar, Veronica Varela-Mato & Joanne R. Morling

School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK

Cerian Harries, Lauren B. Sherar & Veronica Varela-Mato

Nottingham Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

Jo Leonardi-Bee

NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

Joanne R. Morling

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Author contributions: study design: ORP, CH, JRM, JLB, HK, LBS, VVM, literature searching and screening: ORP, CH, JRM, data curation: ORP, CH, analysis: ORP, CH, JRM, manuscript draft: ORP, CH, JRM, Plain English Summary: ORP, manuscript critical review and editing: ORP, CH, JRM, JLB, HK, LBS, VVM.

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Correspondence to Olivia R. Phillips .

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Additional file 1: Search strings: Description of data: the search strings and filters used in each of the 5 databases in this review

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Additional file 3: Table 1: Description of data: elements of the data extraction table that are not in the main manuscript

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Phillips, O.R., Harries, C., Leonardi-Bee, J. et al. What are the strengths and limitations to utilising creative methods in public and patient involvement in health and social care research? A qualitative systematic review. Res Involv Engagem 10 , 48 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-024-00580-4

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Chigozie Obioma

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I arrived at the terminal that morning feeling groggy. There had been a storm the night before and everything still carried its imprint — wet shacks, puddles, snapped foliated branches lying about everywhere. I hurried through my purchase of tickets from Makurdi to Jos and settled in a car.

As one of the first passengers to arrive, I had carefully chosen my seat next to the window in the back row and placed my backpack to secure it. But climbing in now, I found that my backpack had been moved to the middle and, on my chosen seat, a man sat.

He was an imposing figure, perhaps an inch or two taller than my six feet. There was sleep in his eyes. He wore a stained white T-shirt whose edges were browned with sweat, multiple rubber wristbands and army camouflage trousers. I had meant to protest, but seeing the man’s appearance, I swallowed and dropped myself between him and a middle-aged woman who sat on the other side.

As the wagon pulled on to the highway, a man in the second row that separated where I sat from the driver’s row removed his traditional Tiv black-and-white hat and, as if it’d been agreed upon beforehand, said, “Let us bow our heads in prayer.”

“In the name of Jesus!” he shouted.

“Amen!” everyone, it seemed, replied.

“Balm of Gilead, mighty man in battle . . . ”

Much of this was familiar to me. I had lived in Nigeria for the first 21 years of my life. I left for the first time in 2007 for North Cyprus and began visiting at least once a year when I moved to the US in 2012. Since then, I have often been astonished by aspects of the culture today. How was it that someone could simply demand that strangers in a public place bow their heads in prayer? Among my American circle of writers and academics, this would have seemed absurd.

We were already on the highway by the time the passengers chanted the last “amen”. I straightened my back and turned to find the man beside me mumbling quietly to himself. We were now passing through some village, red huts on the side of the road. Under a tall tree a police pick-up sat, its doors ajar. On the road, two cars in front, more policemen stood collecting bribes from motorists. Our driver, looking in his mirror at the man beside me, called out, “Officer, this na why I wan make you sidon for front . . . I no get money — I swear. Na only fuel money they give me for park.”

“No problem — go,” the man said. “Dem no go disturb you again.”

We neared the pick-up, its front side heavily dented. The man wound down the window, stuck his head out and, gesturing to the policeman inside, cried, “Na army sergeant I be. I am going to Sambisa, so let am go.” And without hesitation, the policemen allowed us passage.

Before I had even become a writer, I wanted to write about the Biafran war. I had read widely about the conflict. I knew that the seeds were sown in 1966, six years after Nigeria gained independence from Britain. A coup by young idealists in the Nigerian army had shocked the country. The officers and soldiers who’d planned this were mostly of the Igbo ethnic group from the east and most of those killed were northerners — mainly Hausa-Fulani.

Although these officers, who were non-tribal intellectuals, made clear that they were not ethnically motivated, the harm was done. All year, retaliatory killings were carried out against Igbo civilians and military personnel. Feeling unwanted and marginalised, the eastern elite began to call for secession. On May 30 1967, the republic of Biafra was declared by Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, the governor of the eastern region. A few weeks later, in a sleepy town in the eastern region, Nigerian forces opened fire, starting off one of the most destructive wars of the modern era.

I should have stopped there, seeing that he seemed lost, frequently looking at an old GSM phone. But I couldn’t

As the years went by, it became clear that no matter how much I might learn of the forces that led to the war, the major battles and the death tolls, there was something about the experience of the conflict, its impact on those on and off the field, that eluded me. That summer of 2018, in Nigeria for the purposes of renewing my passport and with my war novel under way, I felt I needed to seize every opportunity to learn.

From the moment the soldier revealed his identity, questions began rustling around the lightbulb of my mind like wingless insects. This man, about my age, was an active soldier in Nigeria’s current war against the Boko Haram terrorist group. What might the experience be like? Before I was ready, the question flew out of me: “Sa, you are a soldier?”

“Yes,” he said, and nodded. “And, why you ask?”

“Because of when they stop us,” I said in haste.

Again, he nodded many times.

I should have stopped there, seeing that he seemed lost, frequently looking at an old GSM phone with cracked edges. But I couldn’t.

“I want to know . . . emm, do you know anyone who has fought Boko Haram?”

His eyes on me this time, and with the sleep still in them, felt threatening.

“Wetin you say?” he said.

I asked the question a second time. He nodded and his laughter rang through the bus. He bent his head, and almost as if whispering to himself, I heard him repeat “Boko Haram” again and again. I worried that I may have annoyed him.

“I . . . I am sorry, Oga. I jus’ I am writing a book . . . a book about war.” My heavy breathing was showing, evident in the gaps between my words.

“Leave am alone,” the woman on my other side said to me in soft, quiet rebuke. “No be if you see person, you go begin ask am all these questions — eh? Leave am!”

“I don hear, ma,” I said, nodding. I pushed myself back in my seat, inclined my head against the headrest and closed my eyes.

The soldier’s tap on my thigh felt so sudden and violent that I let out an anguished cry.

“Shey you ask me question, abi?” he said, gazing at me, his eyes bloodshot. “I wan answer, so no sleep — no sleep!”

“Yes-sa!” I said, shaken.

“As you see me so, I have been fighting since February 2017. We have been . . . with my boys . . . inside-inside Sambisa killing those animals you call ‘Boko Haram’.”

He grinned — his mouth a crooked twist.

“Boko Haram doesn’t exist, my brother. Nothing-nothing like that. In that forest, we have drug addicts, bandits, thieves, hooligans and crazy religious fanatics — you get me? No Boko Haram!”

We had stopped at a fresh checkpoint, and the driver was negotiating with a highway policeman.

“Who dey delay us like this, eh?” the soldier cried, banging the seat in front of him. “Open the seat make I pass!”

The soldier stepped out of the car and charged at the policeman, shouting. He kicked at one of them in the belly. They let our driver back in the wagon.

“Look, driver, no stop again, else I go fuck you up!”

“Roger sa!” the driver said.

“I must reach Maiduguri this night — my boys are there . . . Dem dey wait for me!”

When he returned to his seat, it was clear that the combination of my question and the actions of the policeman who’d opted to check the driver’s documents had angered him. I’d become afraid of this man who’d meted out quick violence against the policeman. I took a book out of my backpack and began feigning concentration. The man stretched out his hand, looking at me. Without a word, I handed him the book.

“So, you be student, abi?”

“No, sir. I’m a professor.”

“What?” he said, his voice earnestly curious.

“Assistant professor, sir . . . one university in America.”

“Wetin be your age?”

“Thirty-two, sir.”

He looked at me, shook his head — “And you be don?”

“So, the book you dey write na for work, eh?”

“Yes. Na . . . em, novel.”

It is PTSD. What they are seeing there — in that place — is really hell. You just have to be careful with such people

Despite this shift in tone and mood, I was still unsettled. The wagon was moving slowly now, climbing over several speed bumps.

“You see,” he began, his voice low. “Two weeks ago we were inside Tac HQ — tactical headquarters inside Sambisa. Around 2am, some of our boys were on alert, but most of us were sleeping. Our mumu sergeant major was smoking, listening to sermon. And, next thing, we hear gbom !”

The sound the soldiers had heard was that of a fragmentation bomb lobbed into the bunker that was the tactical post. The group had only just arrived there and were still constructing a full trench defensive position. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the moon, the room suddenly awash in its glow. Next, a dozen flashes of bullets crashing against the walls.

One of his comrades had died, his head nearly shot out of his neck and hanging by a chain of bone and sinew against the wall. Luckily for the soldier, he’d been sleeping directly behind a stack of sandbags not yet fully added to the trench’s parapets. They fought for nearly three hours before the remaining terrorists fled, the sound of their motorcycles trailing into the night. It was only then, after the rumbles could no longer be heard, that the officer discovered he’d been wounded. One of the bullets had hit him in the chest just below his neck.

He pulled down his shirt and I saw the healed wound — a scar still bearing faint marks of its stitching. The bullet had pierced cleanly through the “bulletproof” vest he wore — the new one the Nigerian army had issued them.

“It was fake!” he cried, his fist in the air, his eyes reddening. “We are out there fighting — out there dying like fowl! But our government supply us fake bulletproof!” Under his breath, the officer was cursing the politicians, Nigeria. “E no go better for all of them!”

He pulled me again towards him as if unaware of the force of his arm around my neck.

I sat wondering what I had provoked in him, wanting only that the man forget that I had asked any questions. But then he said in a quieter voice, “Don?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Write your book . . . write it.” He put his face between his palms. He was sobbing.

I wanted to say something, but I was stunned with fear.

“Don,” he said.

“Yes,” I said.

“Sambisa is hell . . . hellfire. Pray that nothing can bring people like you there. If na me be you, I will remain in that US jeje. I will not even come back here at all. I will not —”

His phone was ringing — a Nokia sound familiar to me from when I had a similar phone. The soldier shifted in his seat, shouting “hello, hello!” A man in the front seat began speaking, but the soldier cried, “Shut up there! You no see say I dey phone?”

He strained to hear what the other person on the phone was saying. “Raise your voice, I no dey hear you . . . I no hear! . . . service what . . . ehn? . . . say dem attack — ah, Janitor, Janitor . . . Janitor die? . . . Jesus!”

He struck the side of the wagon. I moved as close as I could to the woman on my other side, praying that the journey would soon end; that this troubled man would leave. My mind climbed into clouds of my own failures: though I had been disturbed by the rise of Boko Haram and its brazen attack on defenceless school girls, I had not paid much attention to it. Absorbed in my own world and living in the relative comfort of the US, I had not even contemplated the reality of men and women fighting these terrorists, let alone imagined I would meet one of them. I had been researching a brutal war that ended nearly 50 years before and that seemed only possible in the remote past. But here was a man around my age who was heading back into one.

The call ended on some promise to reach the front that same night for something that was to take place just before dawn. The soldier fell quiet. From Jos, he was to take a bus to Maiduguri, then from there into the Sambisa Forest — an expanse of grassy mountains where Boko Haram fighters were believed to be camped.

At the entrance to Jos city, the wagon pulled up on the shoulder and the soldier alighted. I tried not to look back as his bag was unloaded — a jute sack the shape of something long. I could tell at once that in the bag were weapons, perhaps a rifle. The driver put it on the ground, and suddenly there were quick movements. Through the back windscreen, I saw the driver stepping away, his hands poised in pleading posture.

“I fit off you now! I fit shoot you!” the soldier was shouting.

“Sorry sa! Sorry, officer!”

The driver continued pleading in his conciliatory voice until the soldier, hefting his bag on to his back, crossed the road to the other side, where there was another terminal with vehicles awaiting passengers.

The driver returned, blood on his face. What had happened? He had been beaten because he put the soldier’s sack on the ground.

The passengers all commiserated. The man at whom the soldier had shouted to shut up earlier cursed the soldier and called him a drunk.

“It is PTSD,” the man said. “What they are seeing there — in that place — is really hell. You just have to be careful with such people. He could have shot you.”

The driver nodded, accelerating.

“And even you,” the man turned now to me. “You don’t try to interview such people . . . It is dangerous. Anything can happen.”

For days afterwards, I couldn’t stop thinking about what could have gone badly.

I returned to the US feeling like a new world had opened within me, one fashioned by the collective testimonies of the Biafran war veterans I’d interviewed as well as the soldier. Each time the veterans spoke to me about their experiences, it seemed that I had relieved them of a burden. They often thanked me. Only the young soldier heading into an active war had been different. His face and voice were what I had in my head when I returned to my desk and reworked my main character from the ground up. And sometimes while writing in the middle of the night, I’d find myself drifting into vivid dreams of the soldier as he left the car that afternoon, carrying his rucksack on his back and a heavy black cross on his heart.

Chigozie Obioma’s novel ‘The Road to the Country’ is published on May 30 by Hutchinson Heinemann

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International Edition

I worked at Amazon, Tesla, SAP, Salesforce, and Meta. Here's what I do 24 hours before a big interview.

• Hemant Pandey, a Meta senior software engineer, suggests exploring the job market every two years.
• Pandey's pre-interview prep includes reading up on past interviews and preparing good questions.
• His strategy not only helps him stand out at interviews but also provides insights into company culture.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hemant Pandey , a senior software engineer at Meta in California. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified his employment history.

I graduated with a master's in computer science in 2017. I was a few months into my first job at Tesla when I was laid off due to budget cuts.

Things worked out well, and I landed on my feet within a few weeks, but the experience left a mark on me.

I realized that the relationship between an employer and employee is transactional, and there will always be ups and downs.

Since then, I have made it a practice to interview and explore the job market every two years even if I don't plan to switch jobs, just to get an idea of my demand in the market and what employers are paying.

Over the last seven years, I have interned at Amazon and worked full time at Tesla, SAP, Salesforce, and Meta.

At various points in my career, I have also received offers from LinkedIn, TikTok, Square, and Splunk. Over time, I have solidified an interview preparation strategy that has worked for me and one I share with juniors I mentor.

This is what 24 hours before a Big Tech interview look like for me:

Read up on past interview questions

I have found that Big Tech interviews largely follow a set pattern of processes. It is common for the recruiter to explain all the steps in the first call — including the types and number of interviews. This information is also easily accessible on online forums.

I have a list of technical topics that I revise a week before the interview so that I am relaxed on the last day. On the day before, I go online and look up the experiences of people who have recently interviewed at the company.

Related stories

For example, if I am applying for Google, I'll go to a coding practice website called Leetcode and click on the "discuss" tab. Here, people share their company-specific interview experiences. I look at what popular questions are and if the user has any advice on how to pass them.

I mostly use it as a checklist to ensure I am comfortable answering those questions. If I spot anything new, I look into it.

I keep the the last day light, because I don't want to be stressed during the interview or even the day before. Interviews require you to be good at communication and time management and pressur iz ing yourself on the last day might cause more harm than good.

Prepare questions to ask

On the day before a big interview, I focus on planning what I want to ask the hiring managers at the end of our conversation.

This step is important for not only doing well in the interview but also for analyzing the company.

I usually ask hiring managers these three questions:

• What advice do they have for someone who wants to succeed in the company?
• What has their growth been in the company — what level did they join, and where are they at now?
• I do my research on the company's upcoming projects or the systems they use and bring it up in the form of a question.

Answers to these questions give me more information about the company and play a role in my decision if I am comparing multiple offers.

For the second question, if someone says they joined the company as a fresh graduate and moved to a staff engineer role in three years, it tells me the company rewards top performers. I try to ask multiple people this question and look for a pattern. A few people saying they are at the same level they joined a couple of years ago makes the company culture less appealing to me.

Besides helping me, these questions tell the hiring team that I am someone who has done their homework about the company and is interested in the work they do.

As someone who is now on the other side of the interview panel, I love when candidates ask me about my career growth in the company, or specific questions like why Meta is focusing on AI. This shows me that they keep up-to-date with tech and are passionate about my company.

Do you work in tech, finance, or consulting and have tips to share about your interview strategy? Email this reporter at [email protected] .

Watch: Marketing leaders from Amazon, LinkedIn, Lego Group and more tell Insider what pandemic-fueled business changes are likely to stick around

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