Chapter Twelve - Interviewing Methods

1

What are the key things to avoid when formulating and ordering questions for an interview?

    • Avoid introducing a personal viewpoint or personal evaluation in the wording of a question
    • Avoid double-barrelled questions
    • Avoid technical or theoretical words that a participant might not understand
    • Avoid leading questions
    • Avoid overly general or abstract questions
    • Order questions in a logical and connected way in an interview schedule
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2

What are the different benefits and drawbacks of structured and unstructured interviews?

    • Structured benefits: Information is easily quantified, ensures comparability and consistency of questions and responses, makes certain that necessary topics are covered, can be conducted with large numbers of participants
    • Structured drawbacks: Leaves little room for unanticipated discoveries, respondent may feel constrained by fixed questions leading to poor disclosure, interviewer may miss salient issues that aren't in preset questions
    • Unstructured benefits: Questions can adapt to new and interesting emerging themes, allows interviewees to relax, greater possibility of rich, in-depth data, more investigative approach
    • Unstructured drawbacks: comparability of interviews not as good as structured, analysis is time-consuming and potentially difficult, key questions may be missed
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3

How do you establish the validity and reliability of data gathered in an interview?

          • Make sure respondent has no reason to lie or fabricate - build trust and rapport
          • Assessing internal consistency of interviews, then exclude interviews which show internal contradictions or lack of consistency
          • Cross-checking interview data against other data sources, e.g. observation, diary techniques, to monitor veracity of interview data
          • Maintain consistency in data collection, e.g. using the same interviewer for all interviews
          • Use many interviewers and allocate them randomly to respondents, in order to avoid any strong interviewer effects or biases of one individual
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