Name: Jecca Cervero

Section: O0C

            Book: Systems Analysis And Design /Sixth Edition

            Author: Kenneth E. Kendall, Julie E. Kendall

            Reference No.: QA 76.9 S88 K45 2005

Chapter:  Chapter 4

Quote:   Your education, intellect, upbringing, emotions, and ethical framework all serve as powerful filters for what you will be hearing in your interviews.

Review:

Interviewing

As a systems analyst, before you interview someone else, you must be in effective interview yourself. You need to know your biases and how they will affect your perceptions. In the interview you want to get the opinions of the interviewee and his or her feelings about the current state of the system, organizational and personal goals, and informal procedures. You are also setting up a relationship with someone who is probably a stranger to you.

There are five steps in interview preparation and these are:

1. Read background material
2. Establish interviewing objectives
3. Decide whom to interview
4. Prepare the interviewee
5. Decide on question types and structure

There are also different types of questions that can be used in an   interview:

• Open-ended Questions

Open-ended interview questions allow the respondent open options for responding.

• Closed Questions

    A closed interview question limits the respondent’s options.

• Probes

Probes allow the systems analyst to follow up on questions to get more detailed responses.

Arranging questions in a logical sequence

·        Using a Pyramid Structure

Pyramid structure for interviewing goes from specific to general questions

·        Using a Funnel Structure

Funnel structure for interviewing begins with broad questions then funnels to specific questions

·        Using a Diamond-Shaped Structure

Diamond-shaped structure for interviewing combines the pyramid and funnel structures

Writing the Interview Report

            Although the interview itself is complete, your work on the interview data is just beginning. You need to capture the essence of the interview through a written report. This step is another way you can ensure quality of interview data.