Qual- Unstructured/semi-structured Interviews Flashcards
What are some problems with unstructured interviews?
- more subjective
- time consuming, transcript, boundaries
- less representative
- skilled interviewer, cost
- unethical, uncomfortable with personals Qs
- open Qs are complicated
What are some key techniques for unstructured interviews?
- express appreciation
- reason n goal of interview
- determine duration
- increase their confidence
- anonymity and confidentiality
- check for any Qs
- summarise n check
- deeper into personal values
What are key facts about unstructured interviews?
- qualitative method
- explore issues in a greater depth
- interpretivists prefer to use this methos to gain verstehen
- may also be semi-structured closed and open Qs
What is an interview schedule?
The themes/topics and interviewer has in mind to cover
Why did Oakley choose to choose unstructured interviews when studying motherhood?
Individual experiences that cannot be covered by closed set questions
What is a focus group?
When the group interview focuses on a particular topic. They are free to talk to one another as well as the interviewer
What is a strength of having focus groups?
Allows more truthful opinions to be exposed during discussion
Why is the role of an interviewer different in a group interview than a focus group?
In a group interview the role is to question
In a focus group their role is to feed ideas and Qs for participants to discuss and draw out their feelings, experiences and opinions
- mut make sure the group remain focused on the topic under discussion
What is the interviewer effect?
How questions can be asked and interpreted differently. Due to this subjectivity, the interviewers own bias will affect their beliefs and how they interpret questions based on their characteristics
- impose their own views
- leading Qs
- bias
How did the interviewer effect alter Oakley’s study?
Her stance as a feminist will have affected how she studied it reducing the validity of her data
- motherhood and domestic tasks
How did the interviewer effect alter Nazroo’s study?
- The health of Britain’s ethnic minorities
using interviews from the same ethnic groups as participants who spoke the same language
Who used non-directive interviews?
Barker- unification of the church
What were the advantages of Barker’s non-directive interviews?
- obtained a vast amount of data
- uncovered issues she may not have considered previously
What were the disadvantages of Barker’s non-directive interview?
X impractical, lasted hours, time
X analysed using qualitative techniques
X identifying themes in data was time consuming
Who used Directive/aggressive interviews?
Becker- Chicago school teachers
What were the advantages of Becker’s directive aggressive interview techniques?
- much fuller data
- easier to get true opinions
- uncover some racist feeling amongst respondents
- may have kept hidden otherwise
What were the disadvantages of Becker’s directive/aggressive interview techniques?
X can become a little like an interrogation
X unethical
Who used empathetic interviews?
Oakley- experience of motherhood
What were the advantages of Oakley’s empathetic interviuews?
- able to gain trust
- gather very valid data
- accurately reflect feeling of motherhood experience
What were the disadvantages of Oakley’s empathetic interview techniques?
X becoming and insider affects the validity and objectivity
X become subjective and value laden
Who used group interviews?
Paul Willis- Anti-school subcultures
What were the advantages of Willis study?
- less intimidated as they were together with their peers
What were the disadvantages of Willis study?
X cannot be replicated
X dynamic of the group will have heavily influenced their answers and behaviour
X researcher people in group
What are leading Qs?
A question that is phrased in a certain way that pushes the respondent to a certain answer
What is subjectivity?
You opinions, beliefs and own ideas influencing the research
X positivist
YES- interpretivists
What is transcribing?
Record interview
- write it up
- written script of an interview
What is rapport?
Relax the p, make them feel more comfortable
Dobash and Dobash’s study?
Spent lots of with the women in the refuge who experienced domestic violence
What were the positives of Dobash study?
- honest feeling n opinions, more truth
- more validity
- explore wider topics that may not have been considered
- build rapport to gain trust
- detailed and in-depth
What are the limitations of Dobash study?
X become to involved
X lose all objectivity
X impractical, time consuming
