Haastateltavaa

Haastateltava is a Finnish noun that denotes the person who will be interviewed, i.e., an interviewee. It is gender-neutral and used across journalism, research, and other contexts where an interview takes place. The form haastateltavaa is the partitive singular form of haastateltava, and it appears in constructions where the interviewee is the object of a verb that requires the partitive or in negative clauses, for example, tarvitaanko haastateltavaa (is an interviewee needed).

Etymologically, the word combines the verb haastatella, “to interview,” with the nominalizing suffix -va, producing haastateltava, “the one to be interviewed.” Finnish grammar then provides the various inflected forms as needed, with haastateltavaa serving as the partitive singular.

In practice, haastateltavaa is most common in media and research settings, where it refers to the person who provides information through an interview. Ethical considerations surrounding the use of interview material are important: obtaining informed consent, explaining the purpose of the interview, protecting privacy, and ensuring accurate quotation and fair representation. When requested, anonymity or redaction may be applied, and data protection principles, including those in Finland and the broader GDPR framework, guide handling of personal information.

Related terms include haastateltava (the interviewee in other cases or forms), haastatteleminen (the act of interviewing), and haastattelija (the interviewer) in Finnish. The concept is central to responsible interviewing practices in journalism and social science research.