Jenna

Mittelmeier

24 Jan 2017INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

TYPES OF QUALITATIVE

INTERVIEWS

Why do we do

qualitative

interviews?

- To explore individual views, experiences,

beliefs, motivations, etc

- To gain a deeper understanding of observed

phenomenon

- To explore sensitive topics

- To explore a topic on a more micro, personal

level

- To confirm or expand quantitative findings

- To provide a foundation for designing studies

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

UnstructuredSemi-

structuredStructured

Pros:

- Easily replicable

- Can compare large

sample sizes

- Can do a quant

analysis of answers

Cons:

- Inflexible

- Doesn’t bring up

unknown concepts

- Can’t be personalised

to the interviewee

Pros:

- Allows for flexibility

- Can clarify statements

Cons:

- More difficult to

compare across a

large sample size

- More difficult to

generalize findings

Pros:

- Allows you to explore

new concepts or

constructs

- Good for early stage

research

Cons:

- Very difficult to

compare across a

large sample size

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

Focus Groups

Pros:

- Increased reach

- Interaction effects

- Time effective

Cons:

- Dealing with group

dynamics

- Bias towards the

outspoken

•Pros: can see expressions, easier build trust

•Cons: must be within proximity to meet in personFace to face

•Pros: Can meet with people far away, can still see expressions

•Cons: a bit more awkward, technical issuesVideo (skype)

•Pros: Can meet with people far away, offers some level of anonymity

•Cons: difficult to read expressions or build trustPhone

•Pros: Automatic transcription, high level of anonymity, can still adapt questions

•Cons: shorter responses, many verbal cues lost (sarcasm)Chat

•Pros: Automatic transcription, no need to arrange time, high level of anonymity

•Cons: waiting for a response, no social cues, cannot adapt questionsEmail

INTERVIEW FORMATS

RESEARCHER BIAS

Research Questions

What do I really want to ask?

What can I ask to get there?

When the researcher already has a hypothesis and uses the

interview to confirm their views

Example:

‘What fears do you have when you walk home alone at night?’

‘What dif ficulties have you faced in your PhD?’

CONFIRMATION BIAS

Using words that are misunderstood or misinterpreted in the

cultural or social setting

Example:

American in the UK asking – ‘How would you describe your

instructor’s classroom techniques?’

CULTURAL OR SOCIAL BIAS

Asking questions that impact an interviewee’s feelings on the

next question

Example:

‘What dif ficulties have you experienced when communicating

with immigrants?’

THEN

‘How do you feel about immigrants living in the UK?’

QUESTION ORDER BIAS

When a question conditions the interviewee to respond in

certain ways

Example:

‘You said you dislike group work. Is it because you’ve had

dif ficulties communicating?’

‘Some people think eating sugar is bad. What do you think?’

LEADING QUESTIONS

Assuming experiences are positive in all areas because they

are positive in one area

Example:

Interviewee talks about positive experience with one MOOC, and

you assume all MOOC experiences have been positive

HALO EFFECT

Things to avoid:

Sharing your hypothesis with the interviewee

Yes or no questions

Behaviours that signal what the interviewee has said is ‘good’

(jumping to take notes, positive responses, etc)

Avoid double barrelled questions

Asking too many ‘why’ questions

Things to do:

Use neutral language

Ask open questions (‘Where’ ‘When’ ‘How’)

TIPS

Easy questions before hard questions

Positive questions before negative questions

General questions before specific questions

Unstructured questions before structured questions

Always have a transition between topics

QUESTION ORDER

Thing you want to know:

What do parents think should be improved about their

child’s education?

PRACTICE:

Silence

Stay silent and wait for the interviewee to keep going

Take a moment to take a drink or write notes

Echo

Repeat the last thing the person said

‘Uh -huh’

Filler words that show you’re interested

Ask for an expansion or more details

‘You said XYZ. Can you expand on that?’ or ‘Why was that important to you?’

Ask for variations

‘Have you experienced that in other circumstances?’

Accommodate emotional expressions

‘What parts of this issue do you think prompted such strong feelings?’

Steer diversions back to the topic at hand

‘How does this issue relate to the topic we started on?’

INTERVIEW PROBES

CASE STUDY APPROACH

SPOTTING INTERVIEWEE

BIASES

Tendency to agree with or speak positively about something.

Reluctance to give criticisms

Example:

‘I think group work is wonderful!’

To avoid:

Replace any questions that imply there is an answer

Position the interviewee as the expert at the start of the interview

ACQUIESCE BIAS

When an interviewee answers a question by saying what the

interviewer wants or expects them to say

Example:

‘I ’ve never had any problems working with people from dif ferent

backgrounds because I love multiculturalism’

To avoid:

Indirect questions (What do you think your classmates feel about

XYZ)

Using lead-ins (XYZ research study has found XYZ. How do you feel

that fits your situation?)

SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS

When the interviewee starts saying the same answer to

dif ferent questions (sign of fatigue)

Example:

‘Yeah, as I said before….XYZ’

How to avoid:

Keep interview questions to a minimum

Vary question wording

Don’t stay on one topic for too long

HABITUAL RESPONSES

When the researcher knows who is backing the research or what the intended outcomes are, and tailors their response to match it

Example:

Interviewee knows you’re interested in whether social events impact student retention

‘I love the social events here and think I wouldn’t have stayed at the university if it weren’t for the friends I made there’

How to avoid it:

Maintain a neutral stance, avoid expressing your hypothesis

Avoid positive feedback and reinforcement

Leave questions about the goals of the research project until the end of the interview (when ethically possible)

SPONSOR BIAS

PRACTICAL AND

LOGISTICAL

CONSIDERATIONS

Informal? Formal?

CREATING A VIBE

• Is the seat comfortable?

• Are there distractions? (posters, window, people walking by)

• Are there annoying noises or lights?

• Is it too cold or too hot?

• Can you record easily here?

WHERE TO SIT?

Good introduction

Good interview

THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES

Things to introduce:• Yourself and your background

• The project and its aims

• The interviewee and why they are there

• The format of the interview

• Address confidentiality

Make small talk

Self-disclosure of shared experiences, if relevant

Introductory questions (How long have you been at this

university? What experiences have you had so far with XYZ)

Offering water/tea/coffee/etc

Make confidentiality transparent

BUILDING TRUST

BODY LANGUAGE

Closed body language Open body language

Crossed arms Open arms

Slouching Good posture

Looking down, no eye contact Eye contact

Crossed legs Uncrossed legs

Touching face, playing with hair Hands at the desk or on notes

Stoic expression Engaged expression

Ask if there’s anything else they’d like to add

End on a positive note

Thank the participant

Ask if they have any further questions about the research

Reiterate what they’ve contributed to

Explain how they can see results

ENDING THE INTERVIEW

LOGISTICAL THINGS TO CONSIDER

Factoring in time for intros and conclusions

Food. Water.

Timekeeping

Notetaking

Mental breaks

Know how to rephrase questions

Maintain awareness of both sides of the conversation