Interviewing key informants is one relatively efficient way to collect a broad range of information about a community. Key informants are people who, by virtue of their positions in the community as community leaders or experts in a particular field, are able to identify problems and issues affecting that community. Key informants may hold formal or informal positions in the community; it is important to include both types of key informants because their perspectives, may vary greatly. For example, the viewpoint of the mayor may differ substantially from that of the leader of a local self-help group. At the same time, however, the perspectives of key informants may differ from that of the general community. Thus, interviewing key informants is never assumed to be equivalent to inter¬viewing community members not in leadership positions.