How to Prepare for Interviews.

DOE-EM-STD-5505-96

accurately, each interview should be planned and organized.

5.8.2.1 How to Prepare for Interviews. Planning is critical to the success of any interview. It

enables the assessor to maximize the use of interview time. The planning process does not have

to be formal; it may be simply a matter of determining what information is being sought. The

assessor should determine which interviews can be conducted during walkthroughs, special

activities, routine operations at the activity, and which interviews require coordination and

scheduling with activity management.

In planning the interview, the assessor should identify the goals for the interview and the items to

be discussed so that a logical sequence of questions can be developed beforehand. It may also be

appropriate to bring relevant reference documentation for review during interviews. For an

interview with the Radiological Control Manager, it may be useful to have survey records and the

pertinent radiological control manual readily available.

5.8.2.2 Conducting Interviews. Two types of questions are routinely used during the

interview process: open-ended and closed-ended. A good mix of these two types of questions

should provide the assessor with enough information. An open-ended question places the burden

of conversation on the interviewee and gives the assessor time to analyze what the interviewee is

saying. It reduces the total number of questions asked. An open-ended question elicits more than

a yes or no response and is very useful when starting a line of questioning in a new subject area.

For example, asking an operator to "explain" or "describe" an event is an open-ended question.

The advantage of open-ended questions is that they usually provide a large amount of information

about the topic of interest to the assessor. The interviewee does most of the talking in responding

to them, and the information provided is generally volunteered.

A closed-ended question is a specific question that is often answered with only one or two

words. Examples are "what," "when," "who," and "where" questions. Closed-ended questions