Prof Becky Milne

Articles by: Prof Becky Milne

The cognitive interview: Top 10 tips for interviewing witnesses

9th July 2021

Prof Becky Milne, University of Portsmouth

ANALYSIS: The use of cognitive interviewing techniques to get the best outcomes from witness interviews has advanced significantly in recent years, but common errors and misconceptions continue to arise; ahead of this month’s Rapid-Fire Conference on Investigative Interviewing supported by Policing Insight, Becky Milne, Professor of Forensic Psychology, sets out her Top 10 tips for successfully carrying out cognitive interviews with witnesses.

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Prof Becky Milne

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Becky Milne is a Professor of Forensic Psychology at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth. The main focus of her work over the past 20 years concerns the examination of police interviewing and investigation. With over 100 publications, Prof. Milne has contributed to the research base concerning how best to access reliable testimony, especially from those most vulnerable (eg children), by developing novel interviewing techniques based on memory theory and inter-personal communication. Jointly with practitioners, she has helped to create procedures that improve the quality of interviews of witnesses, victims, intelligence sources, and suspects of crime across many countries. As a result, she works closely with the police (and other criminal justice organisations), creating practical solutions based on research, developing training, running interview courses, and providing case advice (eg London Bridge terror attacks). She is the Director of the Centre of Forensic Interviewing, an internationally recognised centre of excellence for investigative interviewing that brings together research, teaching and innovation activities. She was given the Tom Williamson award for her outstanding achievements in the field of investigative interviewing by NPCC in April 2009. In 2020 she was the sole awardee of the British Psychology Society Award for Excellence in Forensic Psychology Research.