Interviews and focus groups

Question 1

What is an interview?

Answer 1

It is a conversation with a purpose, looks at the relationship between researcher and participant.
The researcher asks deliberate questions to solicit a response.

Question 2

What is a structured interview?

Answer 2

All respondents are asked the same questions with the same wording and sequence.
They are free to answer as they wish.

Question 3

What are semi-structured interviews?

Answer 3

Combines pre-determined questions with options to explore themes further.

Question 4

Examples of interview methods.

Answer 4

Online
Face to face
Telephone
self-administrated

Question 5

What is a un-structured interview?

Answer 5

Neither the content nor the form of the question is pre-determined.

Question 6

Types of questions for conducting interviews.

Answer 6

Descriptive - “Can you tell me about”
Structural - “What sort of people do you work with”
Contrast - “How does your current job differ from your last”

Question 7

What is meant by the term probing?

Answer 7

They are prompts designed to encourage the interviewee to go into more detail.

Question 8

Strengths of interviews.

Answer 8

They are targeted, they focus on a specific case study.
Insightful - provide inferences and explanations
Context - provides valuable information as to the context of participants.

Question 9

Weaknesses of interviews.

Answer 9

They can be bias due to poorly worded questions
Issue of response bias - interviewee tells what they think the researcher wants to hear.
Can be time consuming
Lack of reflexivity

Question 10

Characteristics of focus groups.

Answer 10

6-10 people meet and discuss topics
No individual accounts gives insights into group interactions.
The idea of safety in numbers
They can provide a social context

Question 11

Strengths and weaknesses of focus groups

Answer 11

• Restricted group can be inhibited

+ They are non-verbal as well as verbal
+ Can use social skills research in real time