INTERVIEW

AS A METHOD
FOR
QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH

THRES TESSA B. DEL ROSARIO

EdD-Educational Mgt. Student
At the end of the report, we are
expected to know the ff.:
1. Interview Method;
2. Aspects of Qualitative
Research Interview ;
3. Types of Interviews;
4. Types of topics in question;
5. Sequence of Interview;
6. Stages of Interview;
7. Focus Group Discussion
The qualitative research interview seeks to
describe the meanings of central themes in
the life world of the subjects. The main task
in interviewing is to understand the meaning
of what the interviewees say. (Kvale,1996)
A qualitative research interview seeks to
cover both a factual and a meaning level,
though it is usually more difficult to
interview on a meaning level. (Kvale,1996)
Interviews are particularly useful for getting the
story behind a participant’s experiences. The
interviewer can pursue in-depth information around
the topic. Interviews may be useful as follow-up to
certain respondents to questionnaires, e.g., to further
investigate their responses. (McNamara,1999)
ASPECTS OF QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH INTERVIEWS
 Interviews are completed by the interviewer based on what
the respondent says.
 Interviews are a far more personal form of research than
questionnaires.
 In the personal interview, the interviewer works directly
with the respondent.
 Unlike with mail surveys, the interviewer has the
opportunity to pro be or ask follow up questions.
 Interviews are generally easier for respondent, especially
if what is sought is opinions or impressions.
 Interviews are time consuming and they are resource
intensive.
 The interviewer is considered a part of the measurement
instrument and interviewer has to well trained in how to
respond to any contingency.
 TYPES OF
INTERVIEWS
INFORMAL, CONVERSATIONAL INTERVIEW

 No predetermined questions are asked, in order to

remain as open and adaptable as possible to the
interviewee’s nature and priorities; during the
interview the interviewer “goes with t he flow”.
GENERAL INTERVIEW GUIDE APPROACH

 The guide approach is intended to ensure that t he

same general areas of information are collected
from each interviewee; this provides more focus
than the conversational approach, but still allows
a degree of freedom and adaptability in getting the
information from the interviewee.
STANDARDIZED, OPEN-ENDED INTERVIEW

 The same open-ended questions are asked to all

interviewees; this approach facilitates faster
interviews that can be more easily analyzed and
compared.
CLOSED, FIXED-RESPONSE INTERVIEW

 Where all interviewees are asked the same

questions and asked to choose answers from
among the same set of alternatives. This format is
useful for those not practiced in interviewing.
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
 Telephone interviews enable a researcher to gather
information rapidly.
 Like personal interviews, they allow for some personal
contact between the interviewer and the respondent.
 Disadvantages:
• Some people may not have telephones.
• People often dislike the intrusion of a call to their home.
• Telephone interviews need to be relatively short or people
feel imposed upon.
• Many people don’t have publicly listed telephone
numbers.
Since the interviewer can control the quality of
the result his/her training becomes crucial.
TRAINING OF
It is important to organize in detail and rehearse
THE
the interviewing process before beginning the INTERVIEWER
formal study.
 POINTS FOR INTERVIEWER TRAINING

• Describe the entire study - interviewers need to know more than

simply how to conduct the interview itself. They should have
background of the study and why the study is important.
• Explain the sampling logic & process - naive interviewer may not
understand why sampling is so important. They may wonder why
you go through all the difficulties of selecting t he sample so
carefully.
 Choose a setting with t he least distraction.
 Explain the purpose of the interview
 Address terms of confidentiality.
 Explain the format of the interview.
 Indicate how long the interview usually takes. PREPARATION FOR
INTERVIEW
 Provide contact information of t he interviewer.
 Allow interviewee to clarify any doubts about the
interview.
 Prepare a method for recording data, e.g., take
notes.
• Knowledgeable - being familiar with the topic.
• Structuring - outline the procedure of the interview.
• Clear - simple, easy and short questions which are spoken
distinctly and understandably.
• Gentle - being tolerant, sensitive and patient to provocative and
unconventional opinions. QUALIFICATION
• Steering - to control the course of the interview to avoid CRITERIA FOR THE
digressions from the topic. INTERVIEWER
• Critical - to test the reliability and validity of what the interviewee
tells.
• Remembering - retaining the subject information from the
interviewee.
• Interpreting - provide interpretation of what is said by the
interviewee.
 Types of Topics in Questions

• Behaviors - what a person has done or is doing.

• Opinions/values - what a person thinks about the topic.
• Feelings - what a person feels rather than what a person thinks.
• Knowledge - to get facts about the topic.
• Sensory - what people have seen, touched, heard, tasted or smelled.
• Background/demographics - standard background questions, such
as age, education, etc.
 Sequence of Questions

o Get the respondents involved in the interview as soon as possible.

o Before asking about controversial matters, first ask about some facts.
o Intersperse fact-based questions throughout the interview.
o Ask questions about t he present before questions a bout t he past or
future.
o The last questions might be to allow respondents to provide any
other information t hey prefer to add and their impressions of t he
interview.
 Thematizing - the why and what of the investigation.
 Designing - plan the design of t he study.
 Interviewing - conduct the interview based on a guide.
 Transcribing - prepare the interview material for analysis.
 Analyzing - decide on the purpose, the topic, the nature and STAGES OF
methods of analysis that are appropriate. INTERVIEW
INVESTIGATION
 Verifying - ascertain the validity of the interview findings.
 Reporting - communicate findings of t he study based on
scientific criteria.
 Procedure of the Interview

 Occasionally verify the tape recorder (if used) is working.

 Ask one question at a time.
 Attempt to remain as neutral as possible.
 Encourage responses.
 Be careful about the appearance when note taking.
 Provide transition between major topics.
 Don’t lose control of the interview.
 After the Interview

 Verify if the tape recorder, if used, worked throughout the

interview.
 Make any notes on your written notes.
 Write down any observations made during the interview.
 Convergent Interviewing as Action
Research
 Each pair of interview, including the review session
immediately following them, constitutes an action
research cycle. The review sessions interpret the data
emerging from the interviews.
 During the review session you also plan the questions
which will give a better understanding of the situation.
 The process and the sampling are checked. They can be
modified in the following attempt.
 Agreements which were listed by seeking exceptions
 Disagreements for which explanation are sought.
 You challenge the interpretations arising from early
interviews.
 Ask more specific questions, pursuing deeper understanding as you
follow up the explanations and disagreements.
 By seeking exceptions, you allow disconfirmation of your data and
interpretations. The disagreements guide you into the pool of
potentially available data.
 Probes become more specific, each interview begins with a very
open ended question.
 Each informant is given a chance to contribute data
uncontaminated by your interpretations.
 FOCUS GROUP
DISCUSSION AS A
METHOD FOR
QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
 What is a focus group discussion?

 Focus Group is a type of in-depth interview accomplished in a

group, whose meetings present characteristics defined with respect
to the proposal, size, composition, and interview procedures.
 The focus or object of analysis is the interaction inside the group.
The participants influence each other through their answers to the
ideas and contributions during the discussion. The moderator
stimulates discussion with comments or subjects.
 The general characteristics of the Focus Group are
people's involvement, a series of meetings, the
homogeneity of participants with respect to research
interests, the generation of qualitative data, and
discussion focused on a topic, which is determined by the
purpose of the research.
 A focus group discussion is a form of group interviewing
in which a small group – usually 10 to 12 people – is led
by a moderator (interviewer) in a loosely structured
discussion of various topics of interest. The course of the
discussion is usually planned in advance and most
moderators rely on an outline, or moderator’s guide, to
ensure that all topics of interest are covered.
 A focus group discussion (FGD) is a good way to gather
together people from similar backgrounds or experiences
to discuss a specific topic of interest. The group of
participants is guided by a moderator (or group
facilitator) who introduces topics for discussion and helps
the group to participate in a lively and natural discussion
amongst them.
When focus groups are used

 Focus groups are used for generating information on collective

views, and the meanings that lie behind those views. They are also
useful in generating a rich understanding of participants'
experiences and beliefs. Suggested criteria for using focus groups
include:

 As a standalone method, for research relating to group norms,

meanings and processes
 In a multi-method design, to explore a topic or collect
group language or narratives to be used in later stages
 To clarify, extend, qualify or challenge data collected
through other methods
 To feedback results to research participants.
Morgan suggests that focus groups should be
avoided according to the following criteria:

• If listening to participants' views generates expectations for the

outcome of the research that cannot be fulfilled.
• If participants are uneasy with each other, and will therefore not
discuss their feelings and opinions openly.
• If the topic of interest to the researcher is not a topic the participants
can or wish to discuss.
• If statistical data is required. Focus groups give depth and insight,
but cannot produce useful numerical results.
 CONDUCTING FOCUS
GROUPS: GROUP
COMPOSITION AND SIZE
• The composition of a focus group needs great care to get the best
quality of discussion. There is no 'best' solution to group
composition, and group mix will always impact on the data,
according to things such as the mix of ages, sexes and social
professional statuses of the participants. What is important is that
the researcher gives due consideration to the impact of group mix
(e.g., how the group may interact with each other) before the focus
group proceeds.
GROUP SIZE

• The optimum size for a focus group is six to eight

participants (excluding researchers), but focus groups can
work successfully with as few as three and as many as
participants. Small groups risk limited discussion
occurring, while large groups can be chaotic, hard to
manage for the moderator and frustrating for participants
who
When is it appropriate to use focus group
discussions?

• Focus group sessions should be considered as a means to

explore unknown territory. They are excellent as tools for
explaining consumer attitudes and for clarifying and
providing a better understanding of the subject matter.
Focus group discussions are often used for:

 Understanding the marketplace and obtaining an insight

into how people think and behave.
 Generating ideas for new products.
 Developing marketing or advertising themes.
 Screening or evaluating new product concepts.
 A disaster check, using prototype products if appropriate,
before the introduction of a new product, or before the change
of an existing one.
 Focus groups discussions should not be used as a substitute for
quantitative research.
• The research in management, especially in marketing,
frequently considers Focus Group and other qualitative
methods as exploratory tools, its results needing to be
verified by a quantitative study, in a representative sample.
From the point of view of a researcher in the social Focus Group as
sciences, FG is usable alone or as a complement to
quantitative research methods. a Qualitative
• The application of the FG technique, allows us to collect an Research
appropriate amount of data in a short period of time Method
• some of the information gathered during a FG session
potentially will be of great worth, because it will be
collected with great difficulty through the simple
observation of reality
• FG permits a richness and a flexibility in the collection of
data that are not usually achieved when applying an
instrument individually; at the same time permitting
spontaneity of interaction among the participants.
• FG demands a better preparation of the place itself (where it
will happen), as well as more elaboration of the results, since
we will probably collect less data than individual interview
Advantages

• It is comparatively easier to drive or conduct.

• It allows to explore topics and to generate hypotheses.
• It generates opportunity to collect data from the group
interaction, which concentrates on the topic of the
researcher’s interest
• It has high “face validity” (data).
• It has low cost in relation to other methods.
• It gives speed in the supply of the results (in terms of
evidence of the meeting of the group).
• It allows the researcher to increase the size of the sample
of the qualitative studies.
Disadvantage
• It is not based on a natural atmosphere.
• The researcher has less control over the data that are
generated.
• It is not possible to know if the interaction in group
he/she contemplates or not the individual behavior.
• The data analysis are more difficult to be done.
• The interaction of the group forms a social atmosphere
and the comments should be interpreted inside of this
context.
• It demands interviewers carefully trained.
• It takes effort to assemble the groups.
• The discussion should be conducted in an atmosphere
that facilitates the dialogue.
Focus Group is a qualitative research method
whose application is mainly useful in the social
sciences. It has been used in areas such as
management, marketing, decision and information
systems, among others. Its general characteristics
stand out: the homogeneity of the group, the
sequence of the sessions, the obtaining of
qualitative data, and focus on a topic.
This research method can be used separately
or in conjunction with other methods, to
strengthen a research design. The three phases
of a Focus Group are planning, conduct of the
interviews, and analysis. Careful planning is
fundamentally important.
THANK YOU