ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the nuts and bolts of researching and preparing for interviews: different types, ways to prepare and some different approaches, but none of this can be substituted for plenty of practice. The research interview is an informal interview, often carried out over the phone prior to conducting a more focused interview with a source. There is not always time to do a research interview, and they are often more appropriate for long-form journalism or broadcast interviews, but they are a great way to calm nerves on both sides and ensure the interview itself is well focused and covers the most relevant and interesting material. Eyewitness interviews are as varied as the stories that bring them about. Sports journalists face many similar challenges when interviewing sportsmen and women. More worryingly for professional journalists, large football clubs now have their own television stations and online media content and have less need to promote their work through the traditional media.
