CAPAPAS_Interviews in Qualitative Research

Interviews in Qualitative Research slide presentation

1. INTERVIEWS CRISTIAN V. CAPAPAS Discussant LEO ANDREW B. BICLAR, PhD Course Facilitator

2. Act out the following scenarios:

3. What is an interview? Janesick (1998) defines an interview as “a meeting of two persons to exchange information and ideas through questions and responses, resulting in communication and joint construction of meaning about a particular topic”.

4. Purposes of interviews Journalists conduct interviews to get information for a news story. Market researchers conduct interviews to figure out what products are likely to sell. Businesses and companies conduct job interviews to try to find employees. Social scientists conduct interviews for their own somewhat purposes.

5. Interviews in Research An interview is a  qualitative research  method that relies on asking questions in order to  collect data . Interviews involve two or more people, one of whom is the interviewer asking the questions. Some argue that this is the most popular form of data collection in sociology (Denzin, 1989). Many researchers combine participant observation with in-depth interviews. During the process of observing, researchers naturally ask questions about the ongoing action.

6. Interviewing as a Relationship In an interview, one person – the interviewee – reveals information about him or herself, the other does not. One person, – the interviewer – directs the conversation, often with expectations for what should happen during that conversation and for what constitutes a “correct” answer. It also decides when the questions have been satisfactorily answered and closes the conversation.

7. Types of Interviews in research

8. Structured interviews The most formal and the most rigidly controlled type. This is more likely to be used in survey research, in telephone interviews, in market research and political polling. The sequence of questions and the pace of the interview tend to be pre-established. The interviewer usually is not allowed to deviate from a rigid protocol (or interview schedule). The questions must be asked exactly as written, and follow up questions (also called probes), if they are allowed, are standardized.

9. Structured interviews If a respondent does not understand the question, the interviewer typically does not rephrase it in the respondent’s own words . Instead, he or she simply repeats the question, perhaps with minor changes in rephrasing.

10. Example of a Structured interview questions: The following extract give an example of a segment of a structured interview. Notice that the instructions for what the interviewer should say to the respondent are written out. First, I’d like to ask you some questions about your household. Then I’m going to ask you some questions about your daily activities. Beside yourself, how many people usually live in this household? Are there any children under the age of 18? [If yes] How many? Of all the people living in your home, how many are full-time students? How many people work outside the home, for pay? I’d like to get a sense of what normal weekday in your household looks like What time do you typically get up in the morning?

11. semiStructured interviews Sometimes called in-depth interviews. Much rigid than structured interviews. Its goal is to explore a topic more openly and to allow interviewees to express their opinions and ideas in their own words. It allow much freer exchange between interviewer and interviewee. The researcher needs to listen carefully to the participant’s responses and to follow his or her lead. Since this type of interview is not prescripted , they can sometimes take surprising turns. It is useful for exploring a topic in detail or in constructing theory.

12. Excerpt from an in-depth interview

13. Excerpt from an in-depth interview

14. Excerpt from an in-depth interview

15. un Structured interviews Are the least structured of all. Often conducted in a field setting, in conjunction with an observational study. Tend to be more spontaneous and free-flowing, with topics arising from the situation or behavior at hand. The interviewer typically does not have a set of questions prepared in advance. Instead, questions arise more naturally. Of all interview types, unstructured interviews tend to be the most like “real” conversations.

16. Example of unStructured interview questions:

17. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN INTERVIEWS

18. Inclusiveness Think of the specific needs of the person you are interviewing and try to make them as comfortable as possible: Offer them something to drink. Let them know where the toilet is . Make sure they have somewhere comfortable to sit. Ask them if they would like anything specific.

19. Permission You should explain the specific purpose and nature of the interview to the person. You should then ask them to give their explicit written consent to participate.

20. Withdrawing consent It should be explained to the person that they have the right to opt out of the interview at any point. They are also free to pass or skip any question if they do not feel comfortable answering it.

21. Honesty You should be honest with the person you are interviewing about the nature and purpose of the interview.

22. Minimize harm You should do no harm to the person when interviewing them. You should avoid any situations or activities that could cause the person distress or upset. This includes avoiding asking questions that the person might find difficult to answer or emotionally upsetting.

23. Acceptance It is your responsibility to acknowledge that the person you are interviewing has a right to their own opinions and beliefs about the topic. You may not share these beliefs or they might be different from your opinion but it is important that the person feels listened to and their opinion is respected.

24. Anonymization The person being interviewed has a right to protect their identity. You can choose not to refer to them by name in the interview. Alternatively you can choose a fake name or pseudonym to refer to them during the interview. Do not store personal information and interview recordings in the same place.

25. Confidentiality & Data Protection Recording of the interviews and consent forms should be file and kept with utmost security to maintain its confidentiality. After these things has been used in the study, you should delete and destroy any recordings and forms with personal information on them. You should not keep the person’s information in any format for any longer than necessary.

26. THINS TO PREPARE IN INTERVIEW

27. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW Before beginning an interview, you need to make choices about the interview process. Specifically, you need to address questions like these: What kind of relationships do you hope to develop with those you are studying? How intimate a relationship is desirable? How will you gain access to potential interviewees? What kinds of information are appropriate to disclose about yourself? Will you conduct relatively structured or unstructured interviews? Is the interview process a method of for gaining information from research subjects or a process of jointly sharing information and create meanings.

28. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Deciding whom to interview) Choose research participants for the specific qualities they can bring to the study. In general, choose those interviewees who can give you the greatest possible insight into your topic. Employ a purposive strategy, in which you intentionally sample research participants for the specific perspectives they may have. Make use of snowball sampling or chain referral sampling by beginning with an initial interview often a key informant then you ask that person to refer you to friends or acquaintances or others who might be appropriate to interview.

29. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Preparing an Interview Guide) The interview guide lists the main topics and typically the wording of questions that the researcher wants to ask. It also includes some ideas about follow-up questions or probes. The researcher does not follow the guide rigidly in conducting the interview rather it adapts the questions during the course of the interview changing both the phrasing and the order of the questions. The interviewer might ask additional questions based on the participants responses.

30. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Deciding What Kinds of Questions to Ask) Experiences or behavior Opinions or values Feelings Factual knowledge Sensory experiences Personal background

31. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Structuring and Ordering Questions) Brainstorm a fairly long list of topics and questions. Circle all the topics and questions that seem related, make sure the questions and topics do not overlap, and delete redundant questions. Work on the phrasing of the questions, trying to craft open-ended questions that will help spark discussion, rather than close it down. As a general rule, place easier, less threatening questions at the beginning and save more controversial or sensitive questions for the middle or end.

32. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Making Questions Open-Ended) Questions should open up discussion, not close it down. Consider that how you phrase questions will shape interviewees’ responses to you. Especially in in-depth interviewing, you need to make sure your questions are open-ended. Try to create questions that encourage your participants to talk, not to shut down.

33. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Making Questions Open-Ended) Questions are phrased in language that is appropriate for the informants. Tricks may use to keep interviewees talking. Avoid Dichotomies Ask both General and Specific Questions Take Care with the Questions “Why?”

34. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Pretesting the Interview Guide) You should always try to pretest your interview guide, because what may seem like a good question in the abstract may turn out not to be in practice. Whether you do a formal or informal pretest, be sure that you are familiar with the questions you want to ask. By the time you interview “real” research participants, you should have the questions basically memorized. That you way, you can focus on what the interviewee is saying, not on whether you remember the questions.

35. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW Set up the interview in advance. Be familiar of how long the interview should take, based on your pretest. Make sure you allow more time than you think you will need for the interview. When you set up the interview, be sure to tell potential interviewees about what your are researching and why. Give them an estimate of how much of their time you will need, as well as a phone number or way to contact you if they need to cancel or change plans . If you have made a date for the interview far in advance (say, several weeks), it is a good idea to call the day before to remind them that you will coming. Lastly, if you are conducting the interview at an unfamiliar place, be sure to get directions.

36. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW (Establishing a Location) Ideally, you should do the interview in a fairly quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Try to turn off cellphones and pagers or other potential source of interruption. However, it is often difficult for some people to find a quiet place.

37. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW (Constructing a Face Sheet) Interviewers construct a face sheet that includes demographic information about the interviewee and information on the set-up of the interview: the name or code number of the interviewee, contact information, the place and time of interview, and so forth.

38. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW (Deciding What to Bring) Face sheet Interview guide Consent forms Pens Audio recorder (with sufficient battery life)

39. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW (Dressing Appropriately) Make different choices depending on your interviewees. Know your audience.

40. DURING THE INTERVIEW Before you actually begin the interview, take time to describe your study and your interviewee’s role in it. Make sure that the interviewee knows that he/she can stop the interview at any time or refuse to answer any question. Inform interviewees that you are interested in their viewpoints and that there are not any right or wrong answers. Try to reassure participants that you want to hear about their experiences in their own words. Also make sure that you answer any questions the interviewee might have. Ensure that the interviewee signs the consent form before the beginning of an interview.

41. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Warming Up) Chat for a few minutes before beginning the interview. Establish rapport with the interviewee by finding things in common.

42. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Keeping the Conversation Rolling) More than any other research technique, in-depth interviews require active listening skills to what your interviewee has to say, following up, and keeping the conversation rolling. Encourage conversation through body language and verbal cues that indicate active listening and genuine interest in what your respondent has to say and through follow-up questions and prompts. Careful use of transitions encourage the flow of conversation.

43. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Thinking on Your Feet: Follow Ups and Probes) General probes that might find helpful: What happened? When did something happen? Who else was there? Where were you? How were you involved? How did that happen? Where did it happen? What was that like for you?

44. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Speaking and Keeping Quiet) Don’t rush to fill the gap. Interviewees may feel that you are not really interested in what they have to say or that they are going into too much detail. Look for subtle cues that a person is really finished speaking before moving on to the next question. Make sure you allow the interviewee to lots of time to think. A slower-paced interview will usually give you much richer information than a fast one. Don’t rush in to tell your own stories.

45. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Communicating Nonverbally) Watch for body language. Monitor your own nonverbal communication.

46. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Keeping on Track) Allow interviewees a fair amount of leeway. Let participants speak, not to keep them rigidly on track. When an interviewee wanders very far afield from the topics at hand, when this occurs it is best to gently guide the conversation back on track.

47. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Taping and Taking Notes) In informal, unstructured interviews, such as may occur during participant observation, it may actually be impossible to record the responses. In these cases, taking notes (written or mental) may suffice. In more structured interviews, tape recording is recommended unless the interviewee seems so unnerved by the process that the interview does not get off the ground.

48. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Taping and Taking Notes) Taping enables you to listen more fully to what the individual is saying. Taping also enables you to go back and listen again and again to the interview – a big help in conducting the analysis. Taping also lets you pay attention to small details or to particular ways of phrasing things that you might otherwise miss.

49. DURING THE INTERVIEW (Taping and Taking Notes) Notes can help you remember details about nonverbal gestures or questions of emphasis. It can help you remember where the interview has gone and avoid repeating topics. You can also jot notes about follow-up questions that you want to ask. If you take good notes, then you can reconstruct the interview if the taping fails.

50. DURING THE INTERVIEW (How to film and frame an interview) Set up your camera Choose the right lighting Frame the set Check your audio Edit your footage and framing

51. AFTER THE INTERVIEW (Writing Field Notes) Write field notes immediately after an interview. Recall as much as you can about the small details of the interview. Remember the setting and the appearance of the interviewee, as well as any details about the interaction that strike you. Record your impressions about how the interview went

52. AFTER THE INTERVIEW (Writing Field Notes) Excerpt from a field note…

53. AFTER THE INTERVIEW (Transcribing and Making Sense) After interview, transcribe the tape recorded as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you have many tapes piled up, or the job of transcribing (and subsequent analysis) will become overwhelming. You should transcribe in as much detail as you can muster. Be sure to include both the questions and the responses --- what you say as interviewer, is a crucial part of the conversation. Don’t clean up the speech too much. It is important to preserve the flavor of what was said.

54. Thank you for listening!

55. Giving or sharing of insights