Chapter 11: In-depth interviewing

in-depth interviewing

a qualitative research method in which the researcher asks open-ended questions to elicit as much detail as possible from the interviewee

( their thoughts , feelings and beliefs )

What are In-depth interviews useful

for?

for answering questions about

how and why events occur

What can this method not explain ?

This method cannot necessarily

explain the extent of a

phenomenon in a given

population.

This method cannot look at

differences between groups.

semi-structured interview

the researcher will

prepare a list of questions and follow-up probes but will give retain the freedom to ask questions out of order and will allow the conversation to unfold naturally

interview schedule

The prepared list of questions and follow-up probes that the researcher asks the respondent

What are the 3 types of interviews?

1. Structured interview ( survey)

2. Semi-structured interview

3. Unstructured Interview

Unstructured interviews

are highly flexible. The researcher will only develop a general list of topics he or she would like to cover

Oral history

An unstructured or semi-structured interview in which people are asked to recall their experiences in a specific historical ear or during a particular historical events

Life history interviews

are similar to oral histories in

that they also record events that happened over the course of an individual's life

life course

the study of human development over

the life span, taking into account how individual lives are socially patterned and affected by historical change

Cognitive interviews

used primarily to pretest survey questions, as they involve participants thinking aloud about their responses

What are cognitive interviews useful for ?

They are useful for learning about how participants interpret questions being planned for a survey, and they also allow the researcher to develop new survey questions based on the feedback from participants.

Steps for Conducting an Interview Study

(4)

1. Deciding whom and how many people to interview.

2. Writing the interview schedule.

3. Conducting the interview.

4. Writing field notes and transcribing the interview

What must researchers first decide?

whether they are seeking informants or respondents

informant

has special knowledge about the research

question, based on their social or professional position

respondent

is simply an ordinary person who is being

interviewed

case-study logic

An approach to research in which the goal is to understand the case or the person in depth, not as representation of a wider population

sampling for range

A purposive sampling strategy in which researchers try to maximizes respondents range of experiences with the phenomena under study

Snowball sampling

is the most commonly used sampling strategy for in-depth interviews

When using this sampling strategy, the researcher starts with one respondent who meets the requirement for inclusion and then asks him or her to recommend other people to contact

Saturation

is a rule of thumb

used by researchers to decide

when they have learned all

they can from an interview

study

What other factors must researchers consider?

the study's budget

and whether they have

obtained equal representation

from all subgroups of the

population being studied.

What is the key to an effective interview

a good interview schedule

How do Researchers prepare an interview schedule?

by designing questions that will allow respondents to give in-depth, conversational responses, and then organizing them questions by topic to ensure that the interview will flow smoothly

What is Howard Becker's rule?

ask how, not why

What should Questions should elicit ?

stories, not simple answers

Other strategies for getting interviewees to talk

(5)

1. Asking for respondents' opinions as experts

2. Prompting respondents with stories about fictional interviewees

3. Playing devil's advocate

4. Probing with follow-up questions

5. Using vignettes or photos

It is typically best to record an ______________, but

this can only be done with the respondents' _________?

in-depth interview, permission

If a researcher is gonna record the interview what should they bring ?

The recorder's batteries should be checked before every interview, and the researchers should bring spare batteries or a charger cord.

What other precautions should researchers take?

(3)

1.Researchers should do a sound check before the

interview begins.

2. After the interview, researchers should check that the beginning, middle, and end of the interview were recorded.

3. If the interview was not successfully recorded,

researchers should create a written record while the details are still fresh

What may some participants get for doing in-depth interviews?

be paid a small fee

In order to avoid making participants feel coerced into being interviewed the payment .....

should not be so high that it is difficult to turn down, and participants must be informed that they will be compensated even if they decide not to complete the interview

Steps to take after an interview is completed

(2)

1. Write field notes to capture the researcher's experiences and observations.

2. Type a transcription of the interview by playing back the recorded audio.

How does this help interview?

Listening to and transcribing a recorded interview will help the researcher gain further insights into the interview and develop new questions to ask future respondents

Vignette

A short description of characters or situations that is presented to respondents in order to elicit a response

Validity

A quality of measure concerning how accurate it is

Why do interviews typically not have very good reliability?

because different interviewers may elicit

different responses from the same respondent

Why do in-depth interviews usually have high validity ?

because the interviewer can probe respondents with follow-up questions to get a complete and detailed understanding of their thoughts.

What have in-depth interviews been criticized for ?

1. for their use of nonrepresentative samples

2. Another criticism is that they are less useful than surveys for uncovering honest cultural attitudes.

3.Ethnographers also argue that interviews are less able to uncover motivations for behavior

focus group

A is a group interview, led

focus group by a moderator,

on a specific topic.

• Advertising agencies have

long used focus groups for

market research in order to

create the most effective

advertisements.

Ways in which focus groups differ from interviews

(2)

1. They are designed to capture interaction.

2.They tend to focus more narrowly than in-depth interviews

Focus groups are led by a______?

moderator

what does a moderator do ?

asks questions and manages the flow of the discussion

Responsibilities of the moderator

(4)

1. Asking the designed questions

2. Keeping participants on topic

3. Making sure all participants take part

4. Ensuring no single participant dominates the conversation

What kind of sample do focus groups use?

non-representative samples that are constructed using case study logic

What do researchers rely on when choosing their final focus group ?

homogeneity

Ex. Would you have a focus group that included

professors and students?

A focus group is ideally comprised of ?

6-10 individuals who

do not know one another

What does the social nature of focus groups mean for researchers?

esearchers cannot promise anonymity or confidentiality to participants, though they can emphasize that any information that participants reveal should not be mentioned outside the group.

Why are audit recordings difficult?

because participants may interrupt or speak over one another

What can researchers do instead of the audit recording?

Researchers instead may use a video recording to help identify who is speaking