Despite our best efforts to prepare for and run an interview smoothly, there are often challenges that crop up in the heat of the moment. Ideally, our interviewees are cooperative, well motivated, eloquent, knowledgeable, truthful, consistent, concise, precise, and coherent, states Steinar Kvale in his book InterViews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. However, like the typical user, the ideal interviewee does not exist. Some people are harder to interview than others, and sometimes, interviews drift off into unproductive territory due to factors beyond our control.

In this article, the author introduces you to six types of people who can potentially jeopardize the quality of the data you’re able to collect during interviews.

• The Chatterbox
• The Clam
• The Pollyanna
• The Unraveler
• The Distracted & Evasive
• The Attitude Problem

When Interviews Go Wrong