Transcript INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS Presenters: Robert Farnsworth Roshani Shrestha Ardis Holldorsdottir Hannah Schechter Introduction Benney and Hughes (1970) stated that “An interview is the “favored digging tool” of social researchers. They rely largely on verbal accounts to learn about social life.” Historical Men… Charles Booth 1840-1916 -Combined census data with interviews, observations and notes from the London School Board -Determined social class -Produced poverty maps of London Sigmund Freud 1856-1939 -Psychoanalysis More Historical Men… William Isaac Thomas 1863-1947 -Studied in Germany -Interests in ethnography -Studied Polish immigrants -Wrote book with Florian Znaniecki “The Polish Peasant” George Gallup 1901-1984 -The Gallup Poll -Interviewing public opinion -Global survey in 1976 of Quality of life around the world -Market research Original & Current Techniques Past- War Torture & Interrogation Present- Ahhhh- War…. Torture & Interrogation Disciplines Conservation Social Sciences Landscape Architecture Sociology Anthropology Psychology Education Business Media Medicine • War Types of Interviews Structured Interviews Semi-structured Interviews Unstructured Interviews Structured Interviews Quantitative Approach Definition Interviewer gives a set of predetermined questions or “probes” to the interviewees Aim Measures facts, attitudes, knowledge, behavior Finding accurate information without influences from the researcher Structured Interviews Relationship between interviewer and interviewee Minimize interaction No distractions No flexibility strict control over interview Structured Interviews Concern While Conducting Interviews Keeping control of how questions are asked Using the same questions for all interviewees Following a fixed order Using a rating scale or tick box Ethical considerations Structured Interviews Strengths Control Reliability Speed Structuring reduces variability Efficient use of time Weaknesses Close of theoretical avenues Limit freedom to talk Miss what interviewees think is important Does not allow complexity of answers Structured Interviews Quality of Data Framing interview with tactics Data collection process Interpreting interview Types of Interviews Telephone Face-to-face Mail (usually associated with survey research Structured Interviews Types of characteristics Definition Quality of data Face to face interviews Type of interview where the interviewer has direct contact with the interviewee Trained interviewer Telephone interviews Type of interview where the interviewer has an indirect contact with the interviewee. Trained interviewer Samp ling From telephone or address From a telephone directory Data collection The interviewer contacts each member of the sample to conduct the interview in person Peop le are interviewed at the time of the first phone call or at another , more convenient time Data recording Involvement of researcher Video, tape recorder, notes The researcher has direct contact with the interviewee, but does not influence the interview Enables the interviewer to establish rap p ort with the resp ondent Tape recorder The researcher has phone contact with the interviewee. Strength Weaknesses Higher cost of the survey Exp ensive Time consuming Less costly than p ersonal interview Produce results quickly The interviewer has control of the interview More effective when the number of the questions is relatively small and time avail able to gather data is short Not all peop le have telephone Telephone directories could be incomplete Necessity of knowledgeable sup ervisor M ail interviews Type of interview where the interviewer doesnΥt have any contact with the interviewee. Well defined and administrated questionnaire From a complete list of p opulation Eachh member of the sample receives a notice letter in advance, followed by a questionnaire. Then within a week they receive a p ostcard reminder Questionnaire The researcher is comp letely separated from the interviewee Do not need trained interviewers Minimiz e samp ling error at relative low cost They are sensitive to non coverage error Some people are less likely to resp ond to the questionnaire than others The researcher has little control over what hap pens to the questionnaire after it is mailed. Semi-Structured Interviews Everyone gets the same questions asked, but there is flexibility in how they are asked. Particularly useful for exploring the views of a subject towards something Semi-Structured Interviews Strengths Well suited for exploring attitudes, values, beliefs, and motives…. Sensitive areas (Barriball, 1993) Non-verbal indicators assist in evaluating truthfulness/validity and urgency (Farnsworth, 2006) Facilitates getting every question answered Ensures the respondent is working on his/her own Can potentially increase response rate… Semi-Structured Interviews Weaknesses ‘Equivalence of meaning’ difficulties may arise ‘Preferred social response’ Non-response/particular groups being unrepresented Invasion of privacy Extenuating circumstances Prejudices, stereotypes, appearances and/or perceptions of researcher may alter response Semi-Structured Interviews Getting Beyond the Constraints Constructing the questionnaire is critical (Lazarsfeld, 1954) All questions must comply with three principles Specification Division Tacit Assumption Semi-Structured Interviews Training for the interviews Developing competency and understanding of the study Developing an awareness of potential errors or biases Unstructured Interviews Also known as… Qualitative interviewing Non-directive interviewing Non-standardized interviewing Open-ended interviewing In-depth interviewing Unstructured Interviews Qualitative approach Definition “…repeated face-to-face encounters between the researcher and the informants directed toward understanding informants’ perspective on their lives, experiences, or situations as expressed in their own words” (Taylor & Bogdan, 1998, p. 88) Unstructured Interviews Aim/Logic Learn what is… Important to the participants What meaning the phenomenon under study has to them Their point of view Their understanding and experiences Types of in-depth interviews Life History Learn about events and activities that cannot be observed directly To yield a broad picture of a range of settings, situations, or people Group interviews Unstructured Interviews Create trust between researcher and participant Anonymity and confidentiality Follow cultural rules “nice and gentle” Show interest Be understanding Unstructured Interviews To conduct a good interview You need to… Be nonjudgmental Ask open questions Allow people to speak Be a good listener Tolerate the silence Probe when it is appropriate Make sure you have the right understanding Unstructured Interviews Strengths Rich data Understand what is important to the participant General understanding of provided when little is know about the issue Important concepts are uncovered that can eventually guide future enquiries Weaknesses People say and do different things in different situations Language barriers Time consuming Researcher’s bias Little control Attention not focused on a given issue Very little factual information provided Ethics Informed consent Make sure the participants understand what the research is for and where it will be published Protecting participants by changing names and places when necessary Nonjudgmental interviewers Trustworthy interviewers Confidentiality Member-checking Examples in CSS Alicia De la Cruz-Novey Peruvian Tourism Comparing three protected areas- rainforest, coast, and highlands Semi-structured interviews & archival data How tour operators and local tourist initiatives can reduce negative impacts on the ecosystem Questionnaires & archival data Evaluate socioeconomic changes in communities with tourism plan Questionnaires, archival data, & literature analysis Evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of different types of participation for the development and implementation of tourism plans Examples in CSS Shannon Amberg Perception of risks and benefits of eating fish Will use semi-structured interviews to understand how media affects people’s choices Will use the results to write a survey Conclusion Remember… Be like Oprah! Current Techniques Interviewing for dating services… And now for some dating fun...