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INTERVIEWS & QUESTIONNAIRES
Both these methods are directed at getting information directly from other people (called 'subjects' in this context). The methods merge into eachother: an interview is usually carried out by talking to the subjects, and it may be quite free-ranging or 'open-ended'. A questionnaire is usually filled in by the subject, and is commonly very limited in the types of answer that can be entered ('closed-ended').
Closed or open?
Closed: multiple choice answers
Open: interviewees can give any answer they like
Structured or unstructured?
Structured: You ask only set questions, and in a fixed order
(select an order which flows naturally, and with relaxing/easy questions first)
Unstructured: You may have a list of topics you intend to cover,
but you may vary the order and allow topics to flow if they are raised by the interviewee
When planning interviews, consider these steps:
Connection of the interview questions to the research questions
Go over your research questions and work out how best to answer each.
From the research questions select those to which interviewees' experience or opinion is the best information.
Consider the need to get approval of the Human Research Ethics Committee (see Timelines.)
DON"T ask interviewees YOUR research questions: ask them about what they know
Making contact and arranging the interview
How you make contact will depend on the people you are interviewing
Consider sampling (see more on sampling at Inference):
how can you get a representative group? - not just people you know
how and where do you find people of the type you need to interview?
Give the interviewees enough information so they can make an informed choice about whether to be involved in the interview:
why you are doing it;
confidentiality;
what they will get out of it (will you tell them about your results afterwards?)
what you will get out of it.
Some interviewees will want to see the questions you are going to ask:
fax or e-mail them
The type of interviewee and the setting
Find a setting for the interviews which will be relaxing for the interviewees and easy for you (see documenting reesponses). It should be
convenient
not distracting
(This will depend in part on how involved the questions are: just a few yes/no answers may be done more readily than a thoughtful, in-depth interview)
Consider whether to do interviews by phone or e-mail
Documenting the responses
Make sure your interviewee will be comfortable with the way you document
eg: ask if you can take notes or record;
if people could have trouble reading or writing, don't expect them to fill in forms
Notes or tape?
Think about how long you will have to listen to tapes and transcribe them
Consider the feelings of interviewees: will they feel constrained by a tape?
If you take notes make sure you are comfortable and can maintain dialogue with the interviewee
suggestions:
take brief notes at the time (include any verbatim quotes that are really useful)
then sit down and fill in the gaps immediately afterwards
Note: telephone interviews can be a good way to take notes while staying engaged with the interviewee
(you can use a desk and not worry about eye contact)
Again, consider e-mail interviews (depending on your interviewees!)
Punch, Keith F. Introduction to Social Research. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. London: Sage, 1998. section 9.1, pp 174-184
Other references
Wadsworth, Yoland. 1997. Do It Yourself Social Research. 2nd ed. St Leonard, NSW: Allen & Unwin. Chapter 5
Bell, Judith. 1993. Doing Your Research Project. 2nd ed. Buckingham: Open University Press. Chapter 7-8
Rubin, Herbert J., and Irene S. Rubin. 1995. Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.