Blog 16: Reflection on Interviewing

Write your reflections on what you learned from conducting your oral history interview, and how you are going to apply that knowledge in your research.

Interviews, like tutoring sessions, always have a way of going in a direct that could have never really been planned for. Some interviews can be very standard and predictable, while others seem to venture into the realm of therapy. In the case of the interview I did with Elizabeth, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction of the interview. Overall, I think it went well, although better planning for questions would have helped. Still, I liked how she interviewed and the way the interviews went. 

My research is not going to be interview based, but I can still use this experience to confirm yet again that life has a way of being just a little unpredictable. Therefore, any assumption I make prior to analyzing my data may be proven completely right, completely wrong, or anything in between. In essence, this has proven to keep an open mind and expect the unexpected.