Interviewing in qualitative research
Why is it helpful to prepare an interview guide before conducting semi-structured interviews?
So that the data from different interviewees will be comparable and relevant to your research questions
So that you can calculate the statistical significance of the results
In order to allow participants complete control over the topics they discuss
To make the sample more representative
So that the data from different interviewees will be comparable and relevant to your research questions
Preparing an interview guide allows you to gather responses about the same range of topics from everyone in your sample. This means that the interviewee does not have complete control over what they talk about, but as the interviewer can vary the order and phrasing of questions, this technique is still much more flexible than the structured interview. We are not talking about an interview schedule that would be prepared for a structured interview but, rather, a list of the areas that could be covered. These areas are typically generated by ‘interviewing’ yourself about your own research questions. It is also a good idea to consider which topics flow more naturally from others, so that a sequence of topics can be worked out. The tighter the sequence and closeness of topics from interview to interview, the more likely it is that a semi-structured form will be chosen by the researcher.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 469-471
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 469-471
So that the data from different interviewees will be comparable and relevant to your research questions Preparing an interview guide allows you to gather responses about the same range of topics from everyone in your sample. This means that the interviewee does not have complete control over what they talk about, but as the interviewer can vary the order and phrasing of questions, this technique is still much more flexible than the structured interview. We are not talking about an interview schedule that would be prepared for a structured interview but, rather, a list of the areas that could be covered. These areas are typically generated by ‘interviewing’ yourself about your own research questions. It is also a good idea to consider which topics flow more naturally from others, so that a sequence of topics can be worked out. The tighter the sequence and closeness of topics from interview to interview, the more likely it is that a semi-structured form will be chosen by the researcher.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 469-471
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 469-471
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What is a “probing question”?A. One that inquires about a sensitive or deeply personal issue
B. One that encourages the interviewee to say more about a topic
C. One that asks indirectly about people’s opinions
D. One that moves the conversation on to another topic
What can you do to reduce the time consuming nature of transcribing interviews?
A. Use a transcribing machine
B. Employ someone to transcribe for you
C. Transcribe only selected parts of the interviews
D. All of the above
Which of the following is a disadvantage of qualitative interviewing relative to participant observation?
A. It has a more specific focus
B. It is more ethically dubious, in terms of obtaining informed consent
C. It may not provide access to deviant or hidden activities
D. It does not allow participants to reconstruct their life events
Which of the following is an advantage of qualitative interviewing relative to participant observation?
A. It allows you to find out about issues that are resistant to observation
B. It is more biased and value-laden
C. It is more likely to create reactive effects
D. None of the above
How does Oakley suggest that qualitative interviewing should be used as an explicitly feminist research method?
A. By creating a more equal relationship between interviewer and interviewee
B. By invading the privacy of women and treating them as objects
C. By imposing academic interpretations upon women’s accounts of the world
D. None of the above
Which of the following is not a type of qualitative interview?
A. Unstructured interview
B. Oral history interview
C. Structured interview
D. Focus group interview
Which of the following makes qualitative interviewing distinct from structured interviewing?
A. The procedure is less standardized
B. “Rambling” off the topic is not a problem
C. The researcher seeks rich, detailed answers
D. All of the above
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