Undertaking Effective Investigations A Guide for National Human Rights Institutions Introduction to Part III Speaking to people in order to get information from them is a central component of nearly every kind of credible fact-finding process. A critical aspect of many investigations is the right person asking the right question, in the right way, to the right person, at the right time. Of the eight principles of excellent investigation set out in the introduction to this Manual, one of the most important provides that all witnesses who have relevant information should be identified, segregated where practical and thoroughly interviewed. As the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has noted, “interviewing is the most common method of collecting information about alleged human rights abuses”.31 Interviewing witnesses is therefore a core function of an investigator’s job. Good interviewing practices will increase stakeholder confidence in the competence, thoroughness and objectivity of the investigator and – by extension – the NHRI. The opposite is also true; bad interviewing practice will undermine the credibility of the NHRI. Further, the failure to interview, or at least attempt to interview, people who may have information about whatever is being investigated may result in the investigation being unable to withstand scrutiny. There are many different ways to conduct effective interviews, depending on who is being interviewed, the subject matter of the investigation and the powers and resources that the investigators have at their disposal. However, the approach to interviewing described in Part III of this Manual can be adapted and applied to any situation. Chapter 31 discusses gender specific considerations that relate to investigative interviewing. 31 42 Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring, Professional Training Series No. 7; 2001; p. 109.