In this stage, it is important that the interviewer conduct background research before the interview. This will allow you to develop relevant and thoughtful questions. Having a solid base of knowledge about the topic will also enhance your credibility with interviewees. Where you search for information depends on the purpose of the interview and the end product or final report. For example, if you were interviewing hospital nurses about working conditions, you would want to have prior information about the organizations in which the nurses work as well as information about nursing in general.
Much organizational information is public, as with annual reports and public relations materials.
Many organizations have websites. To learn more about nursing, you might check your university library for books and journal articles on the nursing profession. There are many sources of written information on the World Wide Web. Each search engine or directory has its own search strategies. The search engine to use for keyword searches.