QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

INTERVIEWS

INTERVIEWING

A. Interviewing can be a good way to gain data and/or supplement data from observations 1. Draws upon interpersonal skills—a

“talk between friends” is the model 2. Bingham & Moore (1959) call

interviews “conversation with a purpose.”

3. As much an art as a science

B. PURPOSES OF THE QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW

1. Referential—a source of information 2. Understanding experience, knowledge &

worldviews (expressed via stories, etc.) 3. Eliciting language forms used by social

actors 4. Inquiring about the past 5. Verification of information from others 6. Efficiency in data collection

C. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

1. Ethnographic interviews (or “go along”) a. Informal conversational interview b. Occurs in a cultural scene

2. Informant interviews a. Focus on key players, gatekeepers,

sponsors, guides, etc. b. May be topical or more general

3. Respondent interviews a. Use open-ended questions b. Focus on the interviewee him or herself

Types of Interviews, con’t,

4. Narrative interviews—focus on stories, especially life stories (biographical, historical) a. Personal b. Organizational

5. Other types: a. Episode interview--asking people to explain

what occurred in a particular situation. b. Stimulated interview--asking people to

verbalize thoughts & feelings as they engage in a particular activity (e.g. watching TV), or respond to a particular stimulus (e.g. a recorded conversation).

C. Focus group interviews (will cover later)

D. Practices of Interviewing

1. Best if framed as project of mutual concern & investment; “serious play”

2. Assumption of equality between interviewer & respondent

3. Interview Context a. Usually defer to participant’s preference b. Protected time c. Protected place

1) home or office 2) Other “safe” site (e.g. coffee shops) 3) Phone or internet interviews (chat, e-mail,

Skype, etc.)

Practices of Interviewing, con’t

4. Recording the interview A. Note-taking

1) cannot capture everything 2) must be converted from scratch to field

notes quickly B. Audio or video recording

1) Captures & preserves interview 2) Permits interviewer to be more engaged 3) More intrusive & creates self-conscious

behavior or self-censoring

Practices of Interviewing, con’t

5. Establishing rapport 1) Put participant at ease 2) Convey attitude of respect 3) Small talk to “break the ice” 4) Use personal disclosures 5) Non-judgmental, positive attitude 6) Use effective back-channel cues 7) Effective listening

E. Question Design & Use

1. Value of interviews depends on developing effective questions

2. Consider the following:a. The types of questionsb. The types of formats to be usedc. The arrangement of the

questionsd. The type of interview

Question Design & Use, con’t.

3. Ideally, questions should meet the following criteria:a. Appropriate to purpose/goalsb. Meaningfulc. Non-biased (& non-threatening)d. Unambiguous, so clearly

understood by respondents

4. Interview Schedules or Protocols a. More formal & uniform b. Used more in focus groups or when need

more structured responses c. Prepare possible questions in advance (can

use pilot study to refine them) 1) If use interviewers, must train them 2) For each person, explain the interview

process. a) Assure participant of anonymity, etc. b) Gain consent for the interview (and any

recording equipment)

Question Design & Use, con’t.

E. Question Design & Use

d. Treat each person similarly (use similar questions, at least at start)

e. Supplement questions with various prompts and/or questionnaires, etc

f. Be flexible but also keep interview goals in mind

5. Interview Guides a. More informal & flexible b. List of topics & questions that can be asked in

different ways for different participants c. Can drop or add questions d. Doesn’t dictate how questions are asked

Question Design & Use, con’t.

6. Closed, directive responses a. Predetermined structure b. Get specific information or ask people

to think within certain parameters c. Preliminary questions

1) Screener questions 2) Factual, demographic questions 3) Simple yes-no questions (to help

establish certain facts)

Question Design & Use, con’t.

d. Organizational questions1) structural2) compare-contrast3) floating an emergent idea4) devil’s advocate question

e. Photo-elicitation—using visual materials to evoke responses

f. Vignettes

Question Design & Use, con’t.

7. Open, non-directivea. Don’t limit the type of responseb. Permit respondent to personalize

answerc. Allows for follow-up questions

that permit many possible answersd. Can ask questions related to

values, feelings, or even hypothetical situations

Question Design & Use, con’t.

e. A variety of types (not exhaustive): 1) Time-related questions

a) time-line questions b) Tour question (aka Grand tour

question)—less focused c) Mini-tour questions goes deeper

into parts d) Memorable-tour question e) Use probes for more detail

Question Design & Use, con’t.

2) Example & experience questionsa) Can use probes for more detail

tell-me more probephased-assertion or baiting probeuh-huh probevernacular elicitation

c) posing ideal or hypothetical situations

e) native-language questions

Question Design & Use, con’t

8. Constructing questions--Basic guidelines a. Make questions clear (what might be

clear to you may not be to others) 1) Avoid ambiguous & abstract

language 2) Avoid hidden or possible double

meanings 3) Avoid jargon, technical terms, &

acronyms (unless you are sure your respondents know it)

4) Avoid complex questions & overly complex language

Question Design & Use, con’t

b. Avoid language suggesting a judgmental attitude on your part

c. Avoid leading or loaded questions (e.g. Starting with “Don’t you think that,” or “Wouldn’t you agree that?”)

d. Be careful with embarrassing or overly personal questions (be sure you need answers)

e. Same with inflammatory or controversial topics

Question Design & Use, con’t

9. Finishing up a. Some suggest putting sensitive

questions near or at end (after building trust)

b. Others argue should come in the middle

c. Set aside time for loose-ends questions

10. Aim for 1-2 hrs. at a time (20 questions per hr. estimated)

Question Design & Use, con’t

11. Sequencing the questions; question format a. Tunnel–straight series of similarly

organized questions. 2. Funnel--start broad & general, move

to more specific questions 3. Inverted funnel -- start with narrow,

more specific questions building to broader, more general questions