Week 2 - Interviewing

Question 1

How does Jones & Smith (2017) describe qualitative research methods?

Answer 1

“Qualitative methods offer a (different) lens to explore, understand, interpret or explain phenomena in real-world context and settings”

Question 2

What are qualitative research methods?

Answer 2

A range of different methods and techniques to collect and analyse data

Question 3

How does Burgess (1994) describe interviews?

Answer 3

“Involve a conversation with a purpose”

Question 4

How does Patton (2015) describe interviews?

Answer 4

“Open-ended questions and probes yield in-depth responses about peoples experiences, perceptions, opinions, feelings, and knowledge”

Question 5

What is the aim of using an interview to collect data?

Answer 5

• To provide rich, detailed, and in-depth information about a topic
• Explore particular cases and subjective/personal experiences

Question 6

How many steps are there in creating an interview?

Answer 6

6

Question 7

What are the steps in creating an interview?

Answer 7

1 - Framing your research question
2 - Choosing the type of interview
3 - Defining your sample and strategy for recruiting participants
4- Developing an interview guide
5 - Conducting the interview
6 - Transcribing the interview

Question 8

Which steps in creating an interview are often done at the same time?

Answer 8

2, 3 & 4

Question 9

When asking questions in interviews, what do we need to avoid doing?

Answer 9

• Asking questions about casual relationships or correlations between variables
• Asking questions that seek to establish general trends
• Asking questions that may be leading

Question 10

What do we need to focus on when asking questions in interviews?

Answer 10

• People’s experiences, perceptions, opinions, feelings and knowledge
• A particular context

Question 11

What is the difference between research and interview questions?

Answer 11

Interview questions may seem quite different from your research question, they should address the topic but in an indirect manner

Question 12

What are the different types of interviews?

Answer 12

• “Default” option (face-to-face)
• Remote interviews (Zoom, email)
• Informal, conversational (no interview guide)
• Tailored, customised, thematic (not a numbered sequence of questions)
• Can involve more than one interviewee/interviewer
• Doing more than talking (ethnographic style/ taking pictures/ photo & object elicitation)

Question 13

What sample do you need for an interview?

Answer 13

• Participants who represent a variety of positions
• ‘Fix’ key aspects that defines the group you are look at (e.g. age/gender)
• Sharing a similar background as the group you are studying may be advantageous

Question 14

What is purposive sampling?

Answer 14

Participants are chosen ‘on purpose’ not randomly

Question 15

What is snowballing sampling?

Answer 15

Using the initial few interviewees to recommend other potential participants

Question 16

What structure should an interview be?

Answer 16

Funnel structure

Question 17

What is the funnel structure?

Answer 17

• Start with an introductory question, which should be open-ended
• Flow logically and clustered around topics
• From general to specific questions - it helps in gathering details and checking out all possible responses

Question 18

What should the interview guide do?

Answer 18

Outline the main topics to be covered, should be flexible

Question 19

What format should the interview guide be?

Answer 19

The format may vary according to different epistemological and methodological traditions

Question 20

How many different structure interviews are there?

Answer 20

3

Question 21

What are the 3 different structures of interviews?

Answer 21

• Structured
• Semi-structured
• Unstructured

Question 22

Describe a structured interview

Answer 22

• Same questions, same order
• Participants may be provided with a set of possible answers
• The researcher has all the control
• Constrains the interviewer-interviewee relationship

Question 23

Describe a semi-structured interview

Answer 23

• A set of pre-formulated questions
• Interviewer can improvise questions
• Mostly open-ended questions
• The order of questions in less important

Question 24

Describe an unstrcuted interview

Answer 24

• An initial question or prompt
• Questions emerge from the immediate context
• Participants explore their stories and experiences on their own terms
• The researcher may have a shortlist of issues as a reminder

Question 25

Interview guides are often a mix of what?

Answer 25

• Main questions
• Different categories of questions (experience & behaviour, opinions & values, feelings, Knowledge, sensory, background & demographic questions)
• Follow-up questions
• Probes

Question 26

What is a probe?

Answer 26

Techniques to keep a discussion going white providing clarification

Question 27

How NOT to ask questions?

Answer 27

• Leading questions
• Over-complex and multiple questions
• Double-barrelled questions
• Do not introduce assumptions
• Complex or jargon words
• Double negatives
• Judgemental responses

Question 28

Why should you pilot the interviewing guide?

Answer 28

• Help you identify problems with the wording
• Help you memorise the interview guide and develop your skills as an interviewer

Question 29

Whats the first thing you should do when conducting an interview?

Answer 29

Introduce your project and self-presentation

Question 30

How do you build rapport when conducting an interview?

Answer 30

• Create a relaxed and open atmosphere
• Trust -> disclosure: create a space in which participants can speak openly
• Give people the opportunity to bring up interesting material that you might not have anticipated

Question 31

What are good interviewing skills?

Answer 31

• Retaining control of the agenda
• Judgement in recognising when they are straying or saying something important
• Tact in keeping them on topic
• Managing power imbalances

Question 32

Why is it good to record interviews?

Answer 32

Can concentrate on listening

Question 33

Why do we have to transcribe interviews?

Answer 33

Prepares your data for analysis

Question 34

What are you transcribing?

Answer 34

• Meanings - the gist of what people say
• Words - all the exact utterances
• non-verbal communication

Question 35

What ethical issues do we need to consider when conducting an interview?

Answer 35

• Informed consent
• Confidentiality and anonymity
• Right to withdraw
• Assessing the risk of harm
• Deception
• Debriefing
• Use of incentives
• Physical safety and welfare of the researcher