3 Design Aspects of an Ideal Interview

Generalized Questions or Prompts
Simple open-ended questions will often yield complex, unique and interesting responses. These type of questions or prompts require the individual being interviewed to lead the content of the discussion in the direction of their choosing.

In the New York Times interview, "A Conversation With: Joseph Graves; Beyond Black and White in Biology and Medicine," the interviewer asks the open-ended question, "What prompted your interest in race and genetics? "

Background Research
It is impossible to learn too much about the individual being interviewed before the actual interview. Learning about the material to be discussed during the interview will allow you to form questions that ask for the individual's opinions or viewpoints, rather than plain facts.

In the same New York Times interview, the interviewer gives a brief description of the person being interviewed; "In his new book ''The Emperor's New Clothes: Biological Theories of Race at the Millennium'' (Rutgers University Press), Dr. Joseph L. Graves Jr., a professor of evolutionary biology and African-American studies at Arizona State University..."

Goals
You have to have a mission that you wish to accomplish by the end of the interview. Ask questions that relate to your topic, so that you can reach your goal.

In the same New York Times interview, the interviewer asks questions that require the individual being interviewed to explain his opinions while using biological and medical facts to support his claims. "Enalapril, a blood-pressure medication, worked less well for African-Americans than whites. How do you explain that?"