Memorandum

Date: Spring Semester 2012

To: English 306 Students

From: Rick Van Noy, English 306 Instructor

Subject: Interview with a Professional in Your Field to Find out About Writing Practices

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In a two page memo, report to me about how writing is produced and how it will function in your field. To gather your information, interview at least one person and analyze one document.   

For the Interview:

Make an appointment to visit the person in the place they work and talk with them about what it is like and what kinds of communication they are involved with. Ask them if they consider themselves effective communicators and, if so, what makes them so. Ask about the kinds of communications the person writes, the readers he or she addresses, the writing process and technology the person uses, and the amount of time the person spends writing. Supplement these questions with any others that will help you understand how writing fits into this person's work. Record key terms  that they seem to rely on and select quotations from your interviewee(s) that define specific aspects of the place or culture.  Be sure to ask them specifically about the kinds of writing they do in their profession, the specific documents, and what is involved in their production.  Also find out about any style guides they use including format for references/bibliography. Report on these results in a memo to your CIO with subject line "Analysis of Writing Practices in My Field." 

Some Interview tips: 

· Call to arrange for an appointment.  When you do, introduce yourself and explain why you are calling.  Tell how long the interview will take.  Choose a knowledgeable person to interview.

· Write out questions beforehand.  Begin with easy (or closed) questions to answer and progress to more difficult (or open) questions that may require the interviewee's opinion or will elicit valuable information.

· Begin by thanking them for taking the time to interview you. Remind them of the purpose for your interview.

· Arrive and leave on time.

· If you must, ask questions of clarification or follow-ups questions on items you don't understand or want more information about.

· Keep them on track, but if the interviewee offers information out of the order you anticipated, adjust your expectations. You might preface questions with: "My readers will be very interested to know . . . "

· Invite a final thought, such as what skills or accomplishments a person in your position will need on his or her resume if going into the field. 

· Transcribe your notes immediately following the interview.

· Write a short thank you to the interviewee. In it, make specific reference to a piece of information or statement you received so the thank-you note (or email) is personalized.

For the Document:

Try to get at least one document from your interviewee (respecting confidentiality and privacy). Ask them about the context in which it was produced. Then, use these questions to conduct your analysis.

1. Audience -- For whom is it written? Who will it affect?

2. Purpose -- For what purpose is the document written?

3. Structure/Standards -- How is the information organized? Are these strategies effective?

4. Function -- What role could this writing play? Teacher? Salesperson? Advocate? Judge? Other (specify)? Are the strategies the document uses appropriate for this role? Give examples?

5. Effectiveness -- Finally, is the document effective? Why or why not?

Include: a request for interview (email is fine), stating the purpose of the interview and the estimated time, your written out questions and interview notes, and a thank you letter.  The final leg will include a short presentation to the class on the day the assignment is due.