In-Depth Interview

Question 1

What is In-Depth Interview?

Answer 1

A qualitative research technique that involves conducting intensive individual interviews with a small number of respondents to explore their perspectives on a particular idea, program, or situation.

Question 2

When Are In-Depth Interviews Appropriate?

Answer 2

When you want in-depth information about a person’s thoughts and behaviors or want to explore new issues in depth.
To provide context to other data, offering a more complete picture of what happened and why.

Question 3

Frame the Research

Answer 3

1. Formalize your research question(s)
   What do you hope to learn?
   Who needs these insights?
2. Identify the best source(s) of information for each research question
3. Determine the number of people you need to speak with

Question 4

Sampling for Interviews

Answer 4

Aims to identify “key informants”
Goals: breadth, not representativeness
Size varies depending on the complexity of the inquiry (cannot be decided in advance)
Determined by theoretical saturation (point at which no new concepts emerge from the data)

Question 5

Designing Questions and Probes

Answer 5

Descriptive questions: Ask people to describe things.
Structural questions: Help understand relationships between things.
Contrast questions: Help understand what terms mean.

Question 6

Problem Questions

Answer 6

Are double-barreled
Are leading
Use double negatives
Use unfamiliar jargon or technical terms
Are vague
Use emotional language
Are beyond the responsibility’s capability to answer

Question 7

Probing Questions

Answer 7

Designed to deepen knowledge and understanding.
Encourage deep thought about a specific topic.
Promote critical thinking and explore personal thoughts and feelings.

Question 8

Probing during the Interview

Answer 8

Use probes when:
The interviewer doesn’t understand the respondent’s reply.
The respondent indicates that probing is needed.
Respondents provide incomplete answers or seem confused.

Question 9

Develop Instruments

Answer 9

Develop an interview guide that lists questions/issues to be explored, including informed consent.
No more than 15 questions, include probes where necessary.
Translate guides into local languages and test the translation.

Question 10

Beginning the Interview

Answer 10

Build good rapport:
Participants will talk candidly if they feel comfortable, trust the interviewer, and believe their story is valued.

Question 11

Conducting Interviews

Answer 11

Introduce the study and goals:
Overview of the study, why the participant was chosen, procedures, privacy issues.

Question 12

Things to Avoid

Answer 12

Influencing responses with leading questions.
Moving too quickly from one topic to the next.
Interrupting the informant.

Question 13

Tips for a Good Interview

Answer 13

Know your interview guide and potential probes well.
Rehearse your introduction.
Be aware of power differentials.
Be comfortable with silence.

Question 14

Interview Scenarios

Answer 14

Interviewee is not interested.
Interviewee does not answer completely.
Interviewee does not understand the question.
Interviewer does not understand the interviewee’s reply.