Eyewitness Interview Guidelines

Understand their Perspective
- Who is this person (name, function)?
- Learn a little more about their background.
- Where were they physically standing (sitting, etc.) as an eyewitness?
- If they were not immediately aware of the incident, how did they become aware?
- If they were not immediately present, when did they arrive?
- Who else was present?

Take them Step-by-Step through their involvement, capturing their Senses.
- Note 1: Let them lead you. Do NOT lead them.
- Note 2: When they mention any of their senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste), slow down and probe them.
- Tell the person that you'd like to take them step-by-step through their involvement in very small steps.
- Tell them to start before the incident. Use your judgment as to minutes, hours, or days before the incident.
- Start the questioning with either:
  - "What happened first," or
  - "What did you do first?"
- The standard follow-up question is always:
  - "And then what?"

Exceptions to the standard follow-up question:
- If you do not understand why they did something, ask "why did you do that?"
- If they mention anything about their senses, slow down and probe all their senses.

Do your best to capture a time-line as the interviewee is explaining the above sequence. Note: Asking "what happened first, and then what, and then what" WILL document the time line from their perspective.

Ask them WHY they think the incident occurred.
- Be curious.
- Probe each of their responses.
- Ask them why they think what they think, i.e., listen for any evidence that might have led them to their conclusions.
- Ask them "what were the warning signs?" There are always warning signs.

Probe their Latency Issues.
- Tell the interviewee to forget about this particular incident.
- Ask him/her to think about their role, in general.
- Say "I wonder what it's like being you, in your role?" Tell them "I'd like to understand what it might feel like to walk in your shoes during a typical day."
- After they think about it for a while, say "Are there any general frustrations about being you (in your role) that you can share with me?" This is called the "As-Is" state.
- After they tell you about a frustration, say "How would you like it to be," or, "what would it look or feel like if this frustration was not present?" This is called the "As-Desired" state.
- Capture the "As-Is" versus "As-Desired" for each frustration.
- Finally, ask them to think about the incident again -- and then rate each frustration for its influence on the incident (0 to 5, 5 high). Make sure you understand the reasoning behind their ratings.

Summarize the interview with the interviewee.
- Re-state what you learned from the interviewee. Allow the interview to make corrections if needed.

The Latent Cause Analysis

Go Page Interview Guidelines

Eyewitness Interview Guidelines

​

Understand their Perspective

Who is this person (name, function)?

Learn a little more about their background.

Where were they physically standing (sitting, etc.) as an eyewitness?

If they were not immediately aware of the incident, how did they become aware?

If they were not immediately present, when did they arrive?

Who else was present?

Take them Step-by-Step through their involvement, capturing their Senses.

Note 1: Let them lead you. Do NOT lead them.

Note 2: When they mention any of their senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste), slow down and probe them.

Tell the person that you'd like to take them step-by-step through their involvement in very small steps.

Tell them to start before the incident. Use your judgment as to minutes, hours, or days before the incident.

Start the questioning with either:

"What happened first," or

"What did you do first?"

The standard follow-up question is always:

"And then what?"

​​

Exceptions to the standard follow-up question:

If you do not understand why they did something, ask "why did you do that?"

If they mention anything about their senses, slow down and probe all their senses.

​​

Do your best to capture a time-line as the interviewee is explaining the above sequence. Note: Asking "what happened first, and then what, and then what" WILL document the time line from their perspective.

​​

Ask them WHY they think the incident occurred.

Be curious.

Probe each of their responses.

Ask them why they think what they think, i.e., listen for any evidence that might have led them to their conclusions.

Ask them "what were the warning signs?" There are always warning signs.

​​

Probe their Latency Issues.

Tell the interviewee to forget about this particular incident.

Ask him/her to think about their role, in general.

Say "I wonder what it's like being you, in your role?" Tell them "I'd like to understand what it might feel like to walk in your shoes during a typical day."

After they think about it for a while, say "Are there any general frustrations about being you (in your role) that you can share with me?" This is called the "As-Is" state.

After they tell you about a frustration, say "How would you like it to be," or, "what would it look or feel like if this frustration was not present?" This is called the "As-Desired" state.

Capture the "As-Is" versus "As-Desired" for each frustration.

Finally, ask them to think about the incident again -- and then rate each frustration for its influence on the incident (0 to 5, 5 high). Make sure you understand the reasoning behind their ratings.

​​

Summarize the interview with the interviewee.

Re-state what you learned from the interviewee. Allow the interview to make corrections if needed.

Go Page Materials

Failsafe's Recommended Practice