Interviewing Techniques

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Interviewing Techniques
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Unavailable interviewing technique
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Sources of Data

• Physical evidence
• Recorded media
• Written records
• Peoples recollections

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Of all of the sources of data

• People provided data are the only type
  susceptible to the influence of the investigator
• Most investigators spend more time on scene
  interviewing than in performing any other task

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The truth about memory
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Memory errors

• All memory is reconstructed
• Perceptual illusions may occur
• All memory is subject to error

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Some factors that influence memory

• Time since event
• Nature of the event
• Previous experience
• Context of interview

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Some factors that influence memory

• Location
• Moment when event perceived
• Cue of accident/incident that was first perceived
• Similarity to previous experiences

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Some factors that influence memory

• Speed of event
• Uniqueness of cues/events
• Interviewer technique

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What are the traits of the ideal interviewer?

• Good listener
• Organized
• Good listener
• Willing to practice and review his/her
  performance
• Good listener

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The ideal interviewer ?
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Some factors that influence responses

• Context of the interview
• Structure of the questions
• Interviewee concerns

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Interviewees and their concerns
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Potential interviewee concerns

• Language/cultural differences
• Criminal indictment
• Perceived power of interviewer
• Loss of license/job/career

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Objectives of the interview

• Objectives will change according to the person
  being interviewed
• Select the interviewee who is most likely to meet
  the objectives of the interview

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When will you conduct the interview?

• As soon as you arrive on scene?
• After you call the office?
• After youve caught up with your sleep?

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Where will you conduct the interview?

• Near the accident site
• In a Coast Guard facility
• In a hotel meeting room
• In a company office

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Whom do you interview?
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Who do you interview?

• Instructors
• Spouses
• Eyewitnesses
• First responders
• Any person who can shed light on the cause or
  nature of the accident and the response

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Who do you interview first?

• The operator
• The instructor
• The assistant
• Whomever has the first flight out of town

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Whom do you allow into the interview?
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Allow into the interview

• Interviewees representative
• One representative of each party unless there is
  a good reason to include gt 1
• Trainees

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Before starting

• Identify the likely concerns of the interviewee
• Determine how to address those concerns
• If possible, select a time and place for the
  interview that will put the interviewee most at
  ease

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Before starting-preparation
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Before Starting Preparation

• Identify the information to be obtained
• Determine the order in which information is to be
  obtained
• Determine the general questions that will elicit
  the information to be obtained for each topic

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Before Starting Preparation

• Establish the ground rules for conducting the
  interivew
• Assure that the interviewee is as comfortable as
  possible

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The rules
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Ground rules

• No interviewess should be permitted to observe
  other interviews
• Investigating officer asks the questions first
• Others will then ask questions in order

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Ground rules

• No interruptions to either questions or answers
• Follow up questions are permitted, but in same
  order as initial questions
• If recording the interview-Verify that the
  interviewee is aware of the recording
• If not recording the interview-One person should
  be responsible for taking notes during the
  interview

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Ground rules

• All present in the interview should agree to and
  sign notes as soon as possible

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Taking notes during interviews

• Video/audio recording and transcribing
• Court report/stenographer
• Handwritten
• Laptop

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Setting the stage

• You are in charge of the interview
• The interviewee is in charge of the information
  given
• Assure that the interviewee talks more than
  interviewers

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Asking questions
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Asking questions

• Assure that all questions will not allow for
  yes/no answers
• Begin with broad, general questions
• Proceed to specific detail type questions
• Listen to the answers
• Phrase follow up questions based on the answers
  given

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Asking questions

• Complete one issue before continuing to the next
  issue
• Maintain a consistent logic in the questions you
  ask
• Attempt to keep the answers pertinent to the
  particular issue

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Interview rules Do

• Determine in advance the objective of the
  interview
• Establish agreement on the ground rules
• Introduce everyone and their affiliations to the
  interviewee
• Attend to the needs and concerns of the
  interviewee throughout

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Interview rules Do

• Allow the interviewee to take a break during the
  interview
• Demonstrate attention to the interviewee at all
  times
• Thank the interviewee at the conclusion of the
  interview
• Provide the interviewee the opportunity to ask
  questions

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Interview rules Dont

• Ask leading questions
• Ask yes/no questions
• Talk more than the interviewee
• Provide information to the interviewee
• Exhibit indications of approval/disapproval to
  specific answers

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Interview rules Dont

• Use technical jargon unless you are certain that
  the interviewee understands it
• Allow the interviewee to set the pace, pattern or
  style of the interview

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Dealing with false responses
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Dealing with false responses

• Rephrase the question
• Ask the question again
• Change your tone of voice
• Do not threaten or intimidate
• Move on

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Dealing with silence

• Recognize that some interviewees talk slower than
  others
• Do not fill in a pause with your own comments
• Wait until the interviewee says something
• If you have waited for a while, wait some
  morewithin reason
• Then ask the next question

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Example of good question
Q. Would you just describe what your ideal
medical oversight system would be, medical
oversight of mariners? A. Well, we've talked at
the MERPAC meetings about a qualified panel of
physicians or certified medical examiners or
whatever, and I certainly think that in a perfect
world we'd have that and I think, you know, we
have spoken with Admiral Salerno and expressed
views about some of that. I think you need to
have docs that know what they're doing, number
one. If a doctor's concerned about whether or
not he's going to keep this business or whatever
and passes things through that he probably
shouldn't, you know, I think there should be some
sort of way to have oversight of physicians and
make sure they're doing the right thing.
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Example of good question
Q. Okay. Doctor, how do you see the role of
medical oversight in the Coast Guard, the medical
oversight of mariners? A. The medical evaluation
certification system is part of the triad of the
Merchant Mariner licensing, the documentation
system, the other two parts being safety and
security vetting, and then professional
qualifications and medical certification is the
third part. I think it's just as important as
the other parts. It is sometimes very complex
and it interacts with a lot of other programs.
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Example of good questions
Q. Okay, well, was there any aspect of his
performance in this event that you were not happy
about? A. Yes. Q. What was that? A. Clearly I
wouldn't have relieved him of his FOSC
responsibilities if I found his performance in
this event to be satisfactory. So I -- you asked
me the general question before. Q. In what way
was his performance unsatisfactory? A. In
areas -- in particular in areas of risk
assessment, internal and external communications,
utilization of all available resources, and
ability to make adjustments when the plan didn't
provide for the specific situation that he
encountered.
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Example of bad question
Q. Okay. Dr. French mentioned that they
expected 6,000 Merchant Mariner documents per
year that NMC will review, notwithstanding the
fact that there will be a concomitant increase in
information on these documents. What kind of
increase in staff can we expect in the NMC to
provide the kind of review that will be required
to provide an adequate level of public
safety? A. In posing that question, I think you
just said 6,000, but the figure was 60,000, from
your discussion with the Dr. French, which is
approximately the number of mariner applications
on an annual basis.
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Example of bad question
Q. But, isn't it fair to say that even with the
minimal review, if the Coast Guard will review
every single Merchant Mariner document that comes
along, as will be the policy in September, that
one physician will be insufficient to provide
even a minimal review, given the expected -- just
by sheer statistics in the population, expected
increase in the number of documents that would
call for a thorough review, given the increase in
the use of prescribed medications, given the
increase in aging of the population? A. I think
it's fair to say that that's a legitimate concern
that we should be attentive to and watching as
the full workload does shift to the National
Maritime Center.
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Example of bad question
Q. Okay. Why is it that the pilots have to have
a physical on an annual basis but other people
who navigate ships can go five years between
physicals? A. Seriously, sir, that's because of
how the statutes are written. I don't know the
history behind those. Q. Okay. All right,
that's a good answer. I won't question that
one.
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Final thoughts
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Final thoughts

• Effective interviewing requires good listening
  skills, even more than the skills required to ask
  questions
• Interviewing is a skill that improves with
  practice, and with the diligent review of
  previous performance

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Barry Strauchstraucb_at_ntsb.gov