Chapter 12

Qualitative Research and Analysis

Conducting In-Depth
Interviews
Purpose of Interviews
Generate ideas
Develop hypothesis (prediction)
Gain insight into complex issues
Seek expert opinion
Get people’s opinion; learn how they
look at the world
Collect information
Plan your interview process
 What do you want to learn – what is your purpose for
conducting the interviews?
 Who do you intend to interview?

◦ Exactly who will you interview?

◦ How many?
◦ How will they be selected? Purposive sampling –
select those with rich information
Plan the interview, continued…
 Where will the interview be held?
◦ How long will each interview take?
 Who will do the interviewing?

◦ You?
◦ What do you need to prepare?
 Will there be an incentive for participants?

◦ Food may be helpful!

◦ Or a small gift
Develop the interview questions
 What do you want to know?
◦ Review the purpose of your evaluation and why
you are conducting these interviews
 Decide on the questions you will ask

◦ Brainstorm questions
◦ Prioritize and identify the key questions
◦ Identify possible probing questions
◦ Anticipate how long each question will take to
answer and keep within your timeframe
Develop interview questions
continued…
 Sequence the questions
◦ Opening questions, transition questions, ending
questions
 Write your questions down in an interview guide
that lists the topics or questions to be covered
◦ Remember: the type and specificity of your
questions depends upon whether you are
conducting a structured, semistructured or
unstructured interview
Interview Guide (1/3)

INTRODUCTION
•Good morning/afternoon/evening and thank you for taking
part in this interview. Before we begin, let me just brief on
how this interview will be conducted.

•This interview will take about 1 hour. For your

information, I will be recording this interview but please
let me know if you prefer me not to.

•Ifthere are any questions that you would rather not

answer, just let me know and we can skip those questions.

•Any questions before we start? If yes: what might they be?

If no: can we begin now?
 Interview Guide (2/3)
Questions
  
1. Tioman Island was ranked the world's top 10 most beautiful islands by TIME magazine
during 1970s. However, the ranking seems dropping from year to year. In your opinion, who is
responsible for this?
(If answer ‘gov’ Probe: If you do not mind me asking further question, why do you think so?
Was it due to weak enforcement? Wrong policies?)
(Probe for reasons why they think so)

2. Could you share your thoughts and ideas on how the island has changed compared to a few
years ago?
(Probe: What are the advantages or disadvantages of the changes?)
 
3. What are the problems and challenges currently faced by Tioman?

4. What are other reasons contributing to lesser tourists’ visit to Tioman Island?
(Probe for how Tioman can be made into better tourist destination?)
 
5. What kind of complaints you been received from tourists visiting Tioman?

6. Do you think it's possible to gather all parties in Tioman to involve in decision making
process for Tioman development?
(Probe for reasons)
Interview Guide (3/3)

CLOSURE

•Before I end the interview, is there anything we left out that you
would like to clarify?

•Thank you so much for sharing the information with me.

•I really appreciate you taking time from your very busy schedule
to grant me this interview.

•Would it be alright to call you if I have any unclear questions or

need further help?

•Have a nice day and thank you once again.

Pilot test the questions
 With a colleague, friend,
or family member
and/or
 With a few people like
those you intend to
interview
 Take the comments
from pilot test
respondents and
Improve the “Interview
Schedule”
Practice – Practice - Practice
 Good interviewing requires skill

 Practice interviewing before you begin

◦ Ask a colleague to ‘stand in’ as the respondent, or
solicit someone from the interviewee population

 Know your questions well so the interview flows

smoothly
Contact the respondent
 By telephone or in-person
 Personalize the request
 Explain:

◦ Purpose of the interview – how data will be used

◦ How long it will take
◦ How it will be conducted – when, where, etc.
◦ Solicit participation and arrange date/time for the
interview
 Send the interview questions in advance as appropriate
Introduction
 Create an open, respectful environment
 Ensure the person is comfortable
 Review the purpose of the interview
 Assure Human subjects protection

◦ Distribute consent form

◦ “May I proceed?” “Is it okay to begin”
Date:

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Project title:
Exploring Expectations of “Impression Melaka” Indoor Theatre Performance and
Identifying themes for “Tourist Village”

1. Explanation of the study

The study in which you will be participating is a dissertation research intended to gain a better
understanding of tourists’ motivations and behaviors towards Melaka and some proposed tourism
products. If you are agree to take part in this research, you will be asked to first watch some video clips,
then fill out socio-demographic questions about yourself which consists of 8 broad questions. This study
will show types of motivations, behaviors in travelling as well as types of requirements and expectations
of tourists to visit Melaka. Your participation in this research will take no longer more than 3 hours. In
return for your participation, you will receive RM100.00.

2. Benefits of the study

The study will show types of motivations, behaviors in travelling as well as types of requirements and
expectations of tourists to visit Melaka. The focus of the study on these main three factors will allow us to
develop a deeper understanding of the motivations, behaviors and, requirements and expectation towards
Melaka tourism products among local and international tourists.

3. Your rights as a research participant

You may ask any questions about the research procedures and questions will be answered by Dr Boo
Huey Chern (Associate Professor Faculty Food Science & Technology, hcboo@upm.edu.my, +603 8946
8364) or Dr Serene Ng Siew Imm (Senior Lecturer Faculty of Economics and Management,
imm_ns@upm.edu.my, +603 8946 7573). Your participation in this research is confidential. Only the
researcher and her committee members have access to the data. However, on socio-demographic
questions, you do not have to write your name or anything that can identify you (no identifiers). Your
participation is voluntary. You are free to stop at any time or to decline to answer any specific questions
without penalty. The focus group interview will be recorded and transcribed to ensure that all
responses are captured. Recordings will be destroyed after
transcribing, and transcriptions of the interview will be stored securely in a database on the computer of
the researcher until the completion of the research.

1. Your consent
I agree to participate in focus group interview by Dr Boo Huey Chern and Dr Serene Ng Siew Imm as an
authorized part of education and research program of University Putra Malaysia. I understand the
information given to me, and I have received answers to any questions of this study as described.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, the study does not pose any risk or discomfort. I have no
physical illness or difficulties that would increase the risk of participation in this study. I understand that
my participation is voluntary and that I may withdraw from this study at any time. I am 18 yes of age or
older.

Signature Date

I certify that the informed consent procedure has been followed and that I have answered any questions
from the participant above as fully as possible.

Signature Date
Use probing to gain insight
Probing is the process
of asking follow-up questions
to dig deeper
in order to obtain
useful, meaningful information

See the Quick Tips #34, Probing Questions in Interviews.

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/resources/pdf/Tipsheet34.pdf
Probing - example
Interview question:
“What did you like best about this program?”
Response: “I liked everything.”
Probe 1: “What one thing stood out?”
Response: “Being with my friends.”
Probe 2: “What about the program activities?”
Response : “I liked it when we worked as a team.”
Probe 3: “How come?”
Response : “It was neat to hear each other’s perspectives. I heard
some things I hadn’t considered before.”
Probe 4: “What is one thing that you learned?”
Capturing what people say during the
interview: Options
 Use paper and write down what the person says as
she talks
 Jot down notes during the interview and fill in
immediately after the interview
 Type responses into a computer
 Tape record the interview
(audio or video tape) – for transcription
 Work in pairs: one interviews and the other records
the responses
At the end…
 Check and fill in your notes at the end of each
interview – don’t wait to do this because you will
forget details
 Write a brief summary for each interview –
highlight themes, quotes, key points
Analyzing interview data
 Review notes, listen to tapes or review transcripts
 Organize interviews by question and summarize
across all interviews
 Identify themes, patterns and divergences
 Highlight key points and notable quotes

• Depending upon the amount of interview data you

have, you may do the data processing by hand or by
computer (Word, Excel, qualitative software
programs)
Analyzing interview data
For help with qualitative data analysis see:

PDE booklet, Analyzing qualitative data

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/G3658-12.PDF

Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation

and research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park,
CA: Sage.
Review (Interview) Research Stages
 Thematizing: why and what of the research
 Designing: plan the study (including interview guide)
 Interviewing: conduct based on a guide (best format for 298
research)
 Transcribing: prepare material for analysis, time-consuming
 Analyzing: looks for themes, key points related to research
questions, compare/contrast across interviews
 Verifying: assess validity of findings (multiple sources of
information, another researcher to assess appropriateness of the
coding :inter-rater reliability)
 Reporting: write up report using information/analysis from
interviews
A Simple Thematic Analysis
 One simple approach to qualitative data analysis is to read through all
of the data, and while reading, make a list of all of the themes that
occur in the data. The themes are the key ideas or the key concepts
that strike the researcher identifies as important and relevant to the
research as s/he reads through the data transcripts.

 The researcher continues reading the transcripts and recording themes

until no new themes emerge.

 Then the researcher takes the complete list of themes and explores
them with a view to collapsing themes together. In other
words, the researcher tries to condense the list of themes by fitting
themes together that seem to logically fit together. In this way, the list
of themes becomes shorter, and more manageable, and more abstract.
continued...
 When the researcher collapses themes together s/he needs
to conceptualise a new theme, a theme which will
encompass all the themes collapsed together. This process
is a process of abstraction.

 Through this process, the researcher takes a step away

from the raw data, and a step towards an abstract or
abstracted understanding of the data. The researcher
through this process of abstraction comes closer to the
meaning of the data, the meaning of the data in relation to
overall aim of the research.
 The researcher moves to deeper levels of abstraction in
relation to the data, moving further and further away from
the raw data, as s/he continues to collapse themes
together.
continued...

 The researcher can colour-codes the themes; in colour-

coding the themes, s/he assigns, arbitrarily, for example, the
colour red to the first theme, the colour yellow to the second
theme, the colour green to the third theme, and do on.

 The researcher then reads through the transcripts assigning

the colours to the parts of the data that represent each of the
themes.

 In this way the researcher can see, at a glance, each of the

themes as they are represented in the data.
 The researcher then decides how to tell the story of the data,
based on this thematic analysis, in the written account of the
analysis.
continued...
 In engaging in qualitative data analysis the researcher is above all
concerned with the key concepts, the words or key phrases in the data. It
is important to remember that concepts are the building blocks of theory.
It is from the work of connecting concepts together that theories are
developed, extended or changed.

 The researcher engages in a process of attempting to group concepts

together around key or core concepts.

 Then the researcher groups the key or core concepts together in themes.

 Finally the researcher groups the themes together around key themes.

 This process of analysis takes considerable reflection on and engagement

with the raw data. Eventually, the researcher presents an account of the
data analysis that s/he has engaged in, using the key themes that emerged
in data analysis.
Sample Write Up
 Introduction
4.1 Introduction
This chapter attempts to answer the first research question- What are the problems currently

faced by Tioman Island in developing sustainable tourism? The results of the qualitative semi-

structured interviews, and detailed discussions of the themes extracted from the interviews,

are presented. The interview results, allow a deeper understanding of the problems currently

faced by tourism industry in Tioman Island, based on the answers provided by the four

stakeholder groups.
 RELIABILITY
 Reliability involves demonstrating that the operations of a
study, such as data collection procedures, can be repeated with
the same results (i.e. would a different researcher, using the
same methods, reach the same conclusions?)
 To allay concerns, one documents the steps undertaken and
keeps proper records – for instance, transcribing interviews and
explaining how one “coded” the results. However, no matter
how “linear” one tries to be, there is always a certain amount of
“doubling back.”

. All interview audios were first recorded and notes were taken before, during, and after each

interview. Next, all audio recordings and notes were immediately transcribed and translated to

English after the interviews, so that information remained fresh in the researcher’s mind.

30
 Establishing Reliability
4.2 The Process of Qualitative Data Collection
The interviews took place between the 19th and the 23rd of October 2009. The researcher

visited three villages (kg), namely Kg. Salang, Kg. Air Batang (including Panuba) and Kg.

Tekek. Prior to these interviews, a walking tour to each village was done, in order to become

familiarised with the location and the types of businesses on the island. A semi-structured

interview was designed, with a dual aim of understanding the problems faced on Tioman

Island and the seeking of support for the proposed study. The researcher interviewed the

owner of the chalet where he was staying. Subsequently, the researcher requested the chalet

managers to suggest possible respondents for the study.

On the other hand, the researcher also approached the tourists at restaurants, on the beach, and

in chalets. Before the interviews began, interviewees were briefed on the purpose of the

research and further asked the willingness to participate in the interview. The interviews were

assisted by an interview schedule and as the interview proceeded, notes were taken and audio

was recorded. Most of the interviews with business operators were conducted in the Malay

language; only one was in English. However, all interviews with tourists were conducted in

English.

The second round of the qualitative study was conducted between the 10th and the 14th of

April, 2010, with the purpose of covering the remaining two groups of stakeholders , which

were residents and government officers. Once the research planning was confirmed, the

researcher proceeded to contact the respondent s (government officers and heads of villages)
Basis for Themes
4.3 Qualitative Findings

A total of 46 respondents were interviewed after the first and second round of qualitative data

collection. Participants were asked a total of six questions, with the assistance of an interview

schedule (see Appendix A). Although the interview was guided by a schedule, interviewees

were given the freedom to express their own feelings. The 46 interviews were covered six

main villages (Kg.Salang, Kg.Paya, Kg.Genting, Kg.Tekek, Kg.Mukut, and Kg. Air Batang).

The interview duration varied between 5 to 70 minutes long, giving an average of 16 minutes

per interview. A thematic analysis then took place to identify problems into groups, according

to theme as suggested by Kozak (2001). The basic theme groups under the organising themes

were based on the suggestion from Kozak’s (2001) research work. For example, he classified

cleanliness of beaches and sea, availability of facilities on beaches, overall cleanliness of the

destination under the theme of hygiene-sanitation-cleanliness. In this study, for example,

those basic themes such as bottles, plastics and rubbish scattered at the beach that found in the

interviewees were grouped under the theme of dirty beaches. Some of the common themes

such as economic leakage, shortage or water, overdevelopment issues were used directly in

forming the theme.

Demographic information
Table 4.1 shows the information of stakeholder groups based on the gender and total number

of interviewees. The majority of interviewees were local residents (39%) and tourists (37%).

There were slightly more males than females in the sample, at 56% and 44% respectively.

Table 4.1 Gender and number of interviewee

Male Female
Stakeholder group Frequency % Frequency % Total %
Resident (RS) 12 46 6 30 18 39
Government officer (GV) 2 8 0 0 2 4
Business operator (CH) 5 19 4 20 9 20
Tourist (TR) 7 27 10 50 17 37
Total 26 100 20 100 46 100
Summary of Main Themes
Table 4.6 Problems identified by stakeholder groups
Theme Number Number of Number Number of Total
of government of business
residents officers tourists operators
(n=18) (n=2) (n=17) (n=9)
1. Shortage of water 10 1 4 4 19
supply
2. Interruption on 10 1 1 1 13
electricity supply
3. Ferry issues 15 1 5 9 30
4. Limited phone 1 1 1 1 4
network/internet/public
phone
5. Low cleanliness of 6 1 4 3 14
beaches
6. Poor personal safety 9 1 0 0 10
and security
7. Unattractive duty free 13 2 2 6 23
shop
8. Expensive food and 12 1 2 2 17
beverage
9. Distrust between 9 1 0 8 18
government (TDA)
and local residents
10. Overdevelopment 6 0 0 3 9
issues
11. Poor Marine Park 12 0 0 4 16
management
12. Poor local community 11 0 0 3 14
welfare
13. Limited road access 4 2 0 0 6
14. Economic leakage 9 0 0 7 16
15. Airport issue 7 0 0 5 12
Coding of Respondents
Table 4.7 Code of letters for respondents
Code of letter Respondent
1. CH Chalet operator
2. DS Dive shop operator
3. TL Local tourist
4. TI International tourist
5. RS Resident
6. GV Government officer
4.4.1 Shortage of Water Supply
The problem of fresh water availability on island has been cited by many researchers

(Connell, 2007; Fortuny, Soler, Cánovas, & Sánchez, 2008; García-Falcón & Medina-Muñoz,

1999; Garcia & Servera, 2003; Gikas & Tchobanoglous, 2009; Holmes et al., 2007;

Kokkranikal, McLellan, & Baum, 2003). Similarly, 19 interviewees (41%) agreed water

scarcity as being one of the biggest problems on the island. This problem becomes worse

during September and October, because this is the dry season. To compound this, these

months are the peak tourist season on the island. Therefore, the demand for fresh water is high

and the local community need to share their water resources with the tourists. Some villages,

e.g. Kg. Genting, Kg. Paya, Kg. Salang, and Kg. Juara, experience limited alluvium and only

Kg. Tekek and Kg. Mukut are considered to have more alluvial aquifers.

Water resources on Tioman Island, are mainly derived from underground water extraction.

However, this water extraction and maintenance involves high costs, due to the use of petrol

engines to pump the water from the ground, springs and rivers (see Figure 4.1).

Picture 4.1 Water Extraction from Ground

Source: Author
 Evidences
One chalet operator explained:
“The water is personal water and we need to pump everyday using an engine. This makes the
cost higher, e.g. petrol and engine.” – CH1

Some business operators noted that the water problem affected their business. The following

are two examples derived from two chalet operators:

“The first problem is water. We do not use water from the government. We use the water from
the hill and what we face right now is that the water in the river or hill is dry during the peak
season, if there is no raining for a long time. When there’s no water, we cannot run the
business.” –CH1

“I do not even know what is going on actually, but the water is so slow, so that is a big
problem.” – CH6
 Conclusion
4.5 Conclusion
Specifically, this chapter has examined the problems faced in tourism industry on Tioman

Island. The results of the qualitative semi-structured interviews and detailed descriptions of

the themes extracted from the interviews were presented in order to answer the first research

question. Throughout the fourty six interviews, fifteen problems were then grouped under

themes by using a thematic analysis. The results have found fifteen problems currently faced

by tourism industry in Tioman Island; those problems are perceived differently by four

stakeholder groups. The following chapter will discuss this analysis based on a quantitative

method using the questionnaire survey.