Interview as Qualitative

Methodology
 Presentation Outline
• What – What is an Interview?
• Why – Why use interviews as
methodology?
• How – Best Practices
 What is an interview?
• 1. Thematizing
• 2. Designing
• 3. Interviewing
• 4. Transcribing
• 5. Analysing
• 6. Verifying
• 7. Reporting
 What is an interview?
• 1. Thematizing
• 2. Designing
• 3. INTERVIEWING
• 4. Transcribing
• 5. Analysing
• 6. Verifying
• 7. Reporting
 Definitions
• The qualitative research interview seeks to
describe and discover the meanings of
central themes in the life world of the
subjects. (Kvale,1996)
Interviews – A Micro-history

- Use of interviews as a
means of data collection
for academia
- Life and Labour of the
People in London by
Charles Booth
- 19th century London
Interviews – A Micro-history
 Interviews – A Micro-history
• Ethnography 1950s
• Interviews became as much about the relationship
between interview and interviewee, and the
context of the interview ‘in the field’ as they were
about the data being gathered.
• “it asked ‘how social experience is created and
given meaning’. Through participant observation
and field notes taken during the interview these
researchers hoped to develop deeper insights into
the interviewee’s perspective and experiences.”
(Denzin and Lincoln, Handbook of Qualitative
Research, 8).
 Why Interview?
• Record-keeping
• Personal
• Subjectivity
• Narrative
• ‘Beyond Numbers’
• Follow-Up
 Why Interview?
• Interviews are particularly useful for
getting the story behind a participant’s
experiences. The interviewer can pursue
in-depth information around the topic.
(McNamara,1999)
 Pros Cons
• ‘More than • Time consuming
numbers’ • Resource heavy
• Ideal for opinions • Requires thorough
and impressions training
• Ability to
diversify/differenti
ate/accessible
 Types
• Structured Interview
– Closed Interview
• Semi-Structured Interview
• Unstructured Interview
– Open Interview
• Informal Interview
• Focus Group
What is the best grade of school
to teach?
• Structured: ask your partner word for word,
“What is the best grade of school to teach?”
Only this question.
• Semi-Structured: ask your partner word for
word, “What is the best grade of school to
teach?” and then ask a follow-up question
• Unstructured: Please find out from your
partner what the best grade of school is to
teach.
 Best Practices
• What makes a good interviewer?
 Best Practices – Preparation
• Choose appropriate interview location
• Describe the entire study
• Explain the sampling and process
 Best Practices – Preparation
• Choose appropriate interview location
• Describe the entire study
• Explain the sampling and process
• Explain any confidentiality or ethics
• Describe the format of the interview
• Estimate how long the interview will take
• Provide contact information
• Ask if they have any questions
 Best Practices - Questions
• Knowledgeable
“Can you compare
• Structured this movie to all
• Clear other movies
made?”
 Best Practices – Questions
• Behaviours
• Opinions/Values
• Feelings
• Knowledge
• Sensory
• Background/demographics
• Open question at end
 Best Practices
• The interview is always a social interaction
and is influenced by that context.
 Best Practices
• Good interviewers are sensitive to how
interaction can influence response.
 Best Practices
• The interviewer should establish a
‘balanced rapport’- s/he must be casual
and friendly on the one hand, but
directive and impersonal, on the other.
 Best Practices
• Ideally the interviewer should perfect a
style of ‘interested listening’ that rewards
the respondent’s participation but does
not evaluate these responses.
It is not enough to understand the mechanics of
interviewing; it is also important to understand
the respondent’s world and forces that might
stimulate or retard responses.
(Kahn and Cannell, 1957)
 When things go wrong…
• What could go wrong when it comes to
interviews?
 Best Practices
The interviewer should try not to:

• Repeat, interpret, clarify or expand on

questions
• Get into any long explanations of the
research or its purposes
• Suggest an answer or agree or disagree
with an answer
 Mitigating Disaster
• Clear instructions (read aloud, hand out)
• Option to leave
• Thinking on your feet
• Ask the same question five different ways
• Responsive but not TOO responsive
• Accents, Colloquialisms,
Misunderstandings
• Avoiding Bias
 Analysis
• The purpose, process and technique of
interviews will shape the kind of research
produced and is always informed by some
ideological, theoretical or philosophical
presuppositions. The more self-conscious
these can be the more accurate the data
and its transcription will be.
 Analysis
Qualitative = Verbatim Transcript
Quantitative = Numerical
Mixed = Combo
Analysis
• How could you incorporate interviews
into your own work?
– Desired data?
– Type?
– Questions?
In Practice…
 1600s 2014

From Folgers’ Shakespeare Library From SGLA

Further Reading

• Delyser, D. Teaching Qualitative Research, Journal of Geography in

Higher Education, 32.2, 2008, 233-24.
• Fasick, F.A., ‘Some uses of untranscribed tape recordings in survey
research, Public Opionion Quarterly, 41, (2001), 549-552.
• Hammersley, M, ‘Reproducing or constructing? Some questions
about transcription in social research’, Qualitative Research 10.5, 2010,
533-570.
• Johnson, B.E., ‘The speed and accuracy of voice recognition
software-assisted transcription versus the listen-and-type method: a
research note, Qualitative Research, 11.1, 2011, 91-8.
• Lapadat J.C., and Lindsay, A.C, ‘Transcription in research and
practice: From standardisation of technique to interpretative
positioning, Qualitative Inquiry, 6, (1999) 64-86.
• Lindsay, J. and O’Connell, D.C. ‘How do transcribers deal with
audio recordings of spoken discourse?’ Journal of Psycholinguistic
Research 24.2, 1995, 101-115.
• MacCormack C, ‘From interview transcription to interpretative
story: Part 1. Viewing the transcript through multiple lenses’, Field
Methods, 12.4, 282-297.
• Wengraf, T. Qualitative research interviewing: Biographic narrative and
semi-structure methods, London: Sage Publications, 2001.
Good Fences

All Images Courtesy of Downstage

"Good Fences is a must-see show for anyone
connected with either farming or the oil and gas
industry - which is to say, everyone in Alberta.”
Avenue Magazine Review

"This play is a great way to peer into this

relationship, sometimes contemptuous, always
controversial, that has far-reaching effects on
everyone who calls this province home." -
Getdown.ca Review

"A genuine Alberta story "

Louis Hobson, Calgary Sun
“A Balanced Approach”
“Good that they kept it to the real situation.
And uh tried to portray points of view and
various things that happened… so yes uh I
did appreciate the realness.”
“It’s good to see a different perspective”

“I think it was
“What are the real…I think it “Decent job of
good and bad just promoted a showing both
points of the good discussion” sides…debata
other side of the ble topic”
discussion”
Further Reading

• Delyser, D. Teaching Qualitative Research, Journal of Geography in

Higher Education, 32.2, 2008, 233-24.
• Fasick, F.A., ‘Some uses of untranscribed tape recordings in survey
research, Public Opionion Quarterly, 41, (2001), 549-552.
• Hammersley, M, ‘Reproducing or constructing? Some questions
about transcription in social research’, Qualitative Research 10.5, 2010,
533-570.
• Johnson, B.E., ‘The speed and accuracy of voice recognition
software-assisted transcription versus the listen-and-type method: a
research note, Qualitative Research, 11.1, 2011, 91-8.
• Lapadat J.C., and Lindsay, A.C, ‘Transcription in research and
practice: From standardisation of technique to interpretative
positioning, Qualitative Inquiry, 6, (1999) 64-86.
• Lindsay, J. and O’Connell, D.C. ‘How do transcribers deal with
audio recordings of spoken discourse?’ Journal of Psycholinguistic
Research 24.2, 1995, 101-115.
• MacCormack C, ‘From interview transcription to interpretative
story: Part 1. Viewing the transcript through multiple lenses’, Field
Methods, 12.4, 282-297.
• Wengraf, T. Qualitative research interviewing: Biographic narrative and
semi-structure methods, London: Sage Publications, 2001.