CHAPTER 11:

QUANTITATIVE
INTERVIEW
TECHNIQUES &
CONSIDERATIONS

Learning Objectives

• Describe a standardized interview.

• Explain how quantitative interviews differ from
qualitative interviews.
• Explain how to analyze quantitative interview
data.
• Identify the main issues that qualitative and
quantitative interviewers should consider.
• Describe the options that interviewers have for
balancing power between themselves and
interview participants.
• Describe and define rapport.
• Define the term, “probe”, and describe how
probing differs in qualitative and quantitative
interviewing.

Quantitative interviews are similar to qualitative interviews in

Chapter 11: Quantitative Interview

Techniques & Considerations | 273
that they involve some researcher/respondent interaction;
however, the process of conducting and analyzing findings
from quantitative interviews differs in several ways from that
of qualitative interviews. Each approach comes with its own
unique set of strengths and weaknesses. We will explore these
differences in the following sections.

274 | Chapter 11: Quantitative Interview Techniques & Considerations

11.1 Conducting
Quantitative Interviews
Much of what we learned in the previous chapter on survey
research applies to quantitative interviews as well. In fact,
quantitative interviews are sometimes referred to as survey
interviews because they resemble survey-style question-and-
answer formats. They might also be called standardized
interviews. The difference between surveys and standardized
interviews is that questions and answer options are read to
respondents in a standardized interview, rather than having
respondents complete a survey on their own. As with surveys,
the questions posed in a standardized interview tend to be
closed-ended. There are instances in which a quantitative
interviewer might pose a few open-ended questions as well.
In these cases, the coding process works somewhat differently
than coding in-depth interview data. We will describe this
process in the following section.
In quantitative interviews, an interview schedule is used to
guide the researcher as he or she poses questions and answer
options to respondents. An interview schedule is usually more
rigid than an interview guide. It contains the list of questions
and answer options that the researcher will read to
respondents. Whereas qualitative researchers emphasize
respondents’ roles in helping to determine how an interview
progresses, in a quantitative interview, consistency in the way
that questions and answer options are presented is very
important. The aim is to pose every question-and-answer
option in the very same way to every respondent. This is done
to minimize interviewer effect, or possible changes in the way
an interviewee responds based on how or when questions and
answer options are presented by the interviewer.

11.1 Conducting Quantitative

Interviews | 275
 Quantitative interviews may be recorded, but because
questions tend to be closed-ended, taking notes during the
interview is less disruptive than it can be during a qualitative
interview. If a quantitative interview contains open-ended
questions, recording the interview is advised. It may also be
helpful to record quantitative interviews if a researcher wishes
to assess possible interview effect. Noticeable differences in
responses might be more attributable to interviewer effect
than to any real respondent differences. Having a recording of
the interview can help a researcher make such determinations.
Quantitative interviewers are usually more concerned with
gathering data from a large, representative sample. Collecting
data from many people via interviews can be quite laborious. In
the past, telephone interviewing was quite common; however,
growth in the use of mobile phones has raised concern
regarding whether or not traditional landline telephone
interviews and surveys are now representative of the general
population (Busse & Fuchs, 2012). Indeed, there are other
drawbacks to telephone interviews. Aside from the obvious
problem that not everyone has a phone (mobile or landline),
research shows that phone interview respondents were less
cooperative, less engaged in the interview, and more likely to
express dissatisfaction with the length of the interview than
were face-to-face respondents (Holbrook, Green, & Krosnick,
2003, p. 79). Holbrook et al.’s research also demonstrated that
telephone respondents were more suspicious of the interview
process and more likely than face-to-face respondents to
present themselves in a socially desirable manner.

276 | 11.1 Conducting Quantitative Interviews

11.2 Analysis of
Quantitative Interview
Data
As with the analysis of survey data, analysis of quantitative
interview data usually involves coding response options
numerically, entering numeric responses into a data analysis
computer program, and then running various statistical
commands to identify patterns across responses. Chapter 10
describes the coding process for quantitative data. But what
happens when quantitative interviews ask open-ended
questions? In this case, responses are typically numerically
coded, just as closed-ended questions are, but the process is a
little more complex than simply giving a “no” a label of 0 and a
“yes” a label of 1.
In some cases, quantitatively coding open-ended interview
questions may work inductively, as described in Chapter 10. If
this is the case, rather than ending with codes, descriptions
of codes, and interview excerpts, the researcher will assign a
numerical value to codes and may not utilize verbatim excerpts
from interviews in later reports of results. With quantitative
methods the aim is to be able to represent and condense data
into numbers. The quantitative coding of open-ended
interview questions is often a deductive process. The
researcher may begin with an idea about likely responses to
his or her open-ended questions and assign a numerical value
to each likely response. Then the researcher will review
participants’ open-ended responses and assign the numerical
value that most closely matches the value of his or her
expected response.

11.2 Analysis of Quantitative

Interview Data | 277
11.3 Strengths and
Weaknesses of
Quantitative Interviews
Quantitative interviews offer several benefits. The strengths
and weakness of quantitative interviews tend to be couched
in comparisons to those of administering hard copy
questionnaires. For example, response rates tend to be higher
with interviews than with mailed questionnaires (Babbie, 2010).
Quantitative interviews can also help reduce respondent
confusion. If a respondent is unsure about the meaning of a
question or answer option on a questionnaire, he or she
probably will not have the opportunity to get clarification from
the researcher. An interview, on the other hand, gives the
researcher an opportunity to clarify or explain any items that
may be confusing.
As with every method of data collection we have discussed,
there are also drawbacks to conducting quantitative
interviews. Perhaps the largest, and of most concern to
quantitative researchers, is interviewer effect. While questions
on hard copy questionnaires may create an impression based
on the way they are presented, having a person administer
questions introduces many additional variables that might
influence a respondent. However, the interviewer’s best efforts
to be as consistent as possible with quantitative data collection
are key. Interviewing respondents is also much more time
consuming and expensive than mailing questionnaires.
Consequently, quantitative researchers may opt for written
questionnaires over interviews on the grounds that they will be
able to reach a large sample at a much lower cost than were
they to interact personally with each and every respondent.

278 | 11.3 Strengths and

Weaknesses of Quantitative
Interviews
11.4 Issues to Consider
for All Interview Types
While quantitative interviews resemble survey research in their
question/answer formats, similarly to qualitative interviews, the
researcher actually interacts with her or his subjects. The fact
that the researcher interacts with his or her subjects creates a
few complexities that deserve attention. We will examine some
of those in the following sections.

Power

First and foremost, interviewers must be aware of and attentive

to the power differential between themselves and interview
participants. The interviewer sets the agenda and leads the
conversation. While qualitative interviewers aim to allow
participants to have some control over which or to what extent
various topics are discussed, the researcher is in charge (at
least that will be the perception of most respondents). As the
researcher, you are asking someone to reveal things about
themselves that they may not typically share with others. Also,
you are generally not reciprocating by revealing much or
anything about yourself. All these factors shape the power
dynamics of an interview.
A number of excellent pieces have been written dealing with
issues of power in research and data collection. An interesting
paper by Karniell-Miller, Strier, and Pessach (2009) examines
the power relationship from an ethics perspective. As
demonstrated in Table 11.1, they draw from decades of research
to describe a variety of ways to balance power in research in the
three phases of research: before, during and after.

11.4 Issues to Consider for All

Interview Types | 279
 Table 11.1 Balancing the power relationship in research
(adapted from Karniell et al., 2009).

280 | 11.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types

Before the
During the Research After the Research
Research

Check & recheck

your obligation to
Ensure language is
ensure study
Examine goals & tailored to the
population will not
reasons behind interviewee’s
be hurt or
study. capabilities & life
negatively
experiences.
impacted by what
you publish.

Show awareness of Do not distort the

developing power meaning the
Examine personal relationship during participants intend.
commitment to interview, provide Make sure that you
ensure no harm to opportunities for do not only present
the population feedback or objection the voice of the
under study. from participants participant, in
regarding research addition to your
methods, etc. own.

Clarify roles,
responsibilities & Provide reminders
rights of both about the nature of the Protect anonymity
participant and study & publication if of participants.
researcher at the an interviewee begins
various stages of discussing intimate or
the research sensitive issue.
project.

Provide
Commit to the Use participants´
information about
principle of justice, own language in
expected
ensuring the burden of writing to best
distribution of
participating does not reflect what they
knowledge derived
outweigh the benefits. wanted to share.
from study.

Provide thick
description of the
context, your own
Research should
Commit to (and institutional)
ensure the right to
protecting privacy experience, values
collect & use the
& anonymity. and pressures that
collected data.
play a role in how
you interpret &
present the data.

Use reflexology to
be transparent &
accountable for the
limitations of your
methodology.

11.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types | 281

However, Karniell-Miller et al., (2009) warn that permitting
participants to play a significant role in the research can lead
to a variety of ethical challenges, such as the loss of the
researcher´s right to intellectual and academic freedom, and/
or the oversimplification of theoretical constructs that may
arise from the research.
Another way to balance the power differential between
yourself and your interview participants is to make the intent
of your research very clear to the subjects. Share with them
your rationale for conducting the research and the research
question(s) that frame your work. Be sure that you also share
with subjects how the data you gather will be used and stored.
Also, be sure that participants understand how their privacy
will be protected including who will have access to the data
you gather from them and what procedures, such as using
pseudonyms, you will take to protect their identities. Many of
these details will be covered by your institutional review board’s
informed consent procedures and requirements, but even if
they are not, as researchers, we should be attentive to the ways
in which sharing information with participants can help
balance the power differences between ourselves and those
who participate in our research.
As Saylor Academy (2012) observes, when it comes to
handling the power differential between the researcher and
participants, there are no easy answers and no general
agreement as to the best approach for handling the power
differential. It is nevertheless an issue for researchers to note
when conducting any form of research, particularly those that
involve interpersonal interactions and relationships with
research participants.

Location, location, location

One way to balance the power between researcher and

282 | 11.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types

respondent is to conduct the interview in a location of
participants’ choosing, where they will feel most comfortable
answering questions. Interviews can take place in any number
of locations: respondents’ homes or offices, researchers’ homes
or offices, coffee shops, restaurants, public parks, or hotel
lobbies, to name just a few possibilities. While it is important
to allow respondents to choose the location that is most
convenient and comfortable for them, it is also important to
identify a location where there will be few distractions. For
example, some coffee shops and restaurants are so loud that
recording the interview can be a challenge. Other locations
may present different sorts of distractions. For example, the
presence of children during an interview can be distracting for
both the interviewer and the interviewee. On the other hand,
the opportunity to observe such interactions could be
invaluable to your research (depending upon the topic). As an
interviewer, you may want to suggest a few possible locations,
and note the goal of avoiding distractions, when you ask your
respondents to choose a location.
Of course, the extent to which a respondent should be given
complete control over choosing a location must also be
balanced by accessibility of the location to you, the interviewer,
and by safety and comfort level with the location. While it is
important to conduct interviews in a location that is
comfortable for respondents, doing so should never come at
the expense of your safety.

Researcher-respondent relationship

Finally, a unique
feature of interviews is that they require some social
interaction, which means that, to at least some extent, a
relationship is formed between interviewer and interviewee.
While there may be some differences in how the researcher/

11.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types | 283

respondent relationship works, depending on whether your
interviews are qualitative or quantitative, one essential
relationship element is the same: respect. A good rapport
between you and the person you interview is crucial to
successful interviewing. Rapport is the sense of connection you
establish with a participant. Palys and Atchison (2014) define
rapport as the development of a bond of mutual trust between
the researcher and the participant. They add that it is the basis
upon which access is given to the researcher and valid data are
collected.
Saylor Academy (2012) draws attention to the fact that some
misguided researchers have attempted to develop rapport
with their participants to a level that the participant believes
the relationship is closer than it is. She warns against this and
suggests that the key is respect. At its core, the interview
interaction should not differ from any other social interaction
in which you show gratitude for a person’s time and respect
for a person’s humanity. It is crucial that you, as the interviewer,
conduct the interview in a way that is culturally sensitive. In
some cases, this might mean educating yourself about your
study population and even receiving some training to help
you learn to communicate effectively with your research
participants. Do not judge your research participants; you are
there to listen to them, and they have been kind enough to
give you their time and attention. Even if you disagree strongly
with what a participant shares in an interview, your job as the
researcher is to gather the information being shared with you,
not to make personal judgments about it. A research paper
by Ryan and Dundon (2008) provides a variety of strategies for
building rapport with the research participants in a respectful
manner. Case Research Interviews- Eliciting Superior Quality
Data.
The questions you ask respondents should indicate that you
have actually heard what they have said. Active listening
means that you will probe the respondent for more

284 | 11.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types

information from time to time throughout the interview. A
probe is a request for more information. Both qualitative and
quantitative interviewers probe respondents, though the way
they probe usually differs. In quantitative interviews, probing
should be uniform. Often quantitative interviewers will
predetermine what sorts of probes they will use.
In some ways qualitative interviews better lend themselves
to following up with respondents and asking them to explain,
describe, or otherwise provide more information. This is
because qualitative interviewing techniques are designed to
go with the flow and take whatever direction the respondent
establishes during the interview. Nevertheless, it is worth your
time to come up with helpful probes in advance of an interview,
even in the case of a qualitative interview. You certainly do not
want to find yourself stumped or speechless after a respondent
has just said something about which you’d like to hear more.
This is another reason that practicing your interview in advance
with people who are similar to those in your sample is a good
idea.

11.4 Issues to Consider for All Interview Types | 285

Summary

Summary

Many of the considerations related to quantitative

interviews are similar to those of qualitative interviews.
While both types of interviews involve some researcher/
respondent interaction, the process of conducting the
interview, and collecting and analyzing the findings,
differ in a few key ways.

286 | Summary
Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

• The difference between surveys and

standardized interviews is that questions and
answer options are read to respondents in a
standardized interview, rather than having
respondents complete a questionnaire on their
own. As with questionnaires, the questions posed
in a standardized interview tend to be closed-
ended.
• An interview schedule contains the list of
questions and answer options that the researcher
will read to respondents. In a quantitative
interview, consistency in the way that the
questions and answer options are presented is
very important. The aim is to pose every question-
and-answer option in the very same way to every
respondent.
• Researchers must be aware of the power
researchers can hold over respondents,
particularly in standardized interviews, where the
respondent has less control during the interview
process. There are techniques to rebalance the
power.
• Rapport is the sense of connection a researcher
establishes with a participant. A good rapport

Key Takeaways | 287

 between interviewer and interviewee is crucial to
successful interviewing.
• A probe is a request for more information.
Active listening means the researcher will probe
the respondent for more information from time
to time throughout the interview. Both qualitative
and quantitative interviewers probe respondents,
though the way they probe usually differs. In
quantitative interviews, probing should be
uniform.

288 | Key Takeaways

References
Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research (12th ed.).
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Busse, B., & Fuchs, M. (2012). The components of landline
telephone survey coverage bias: The relative importance of no-
phone and mobile-only populations. Quality & Quantity, 46(4),
1209-1225. doi:10.1007/ s11135-011-9431-3.
Holbrook, A. L., Green, M. C., & Krosnick, J. A. (2003). Telephone
versus face-to-face interviewing of national probability samples
with long questionnaires. Public Opinion Quarterly, 67, 79-125.
Retrieved from http://www.business.illinois.edu/shavitt/
BA_531/ Holbrook%20Green%20and%20Krosnick%202003.pdf
Karnieli-Miller, O., & Strier, R., & Pessach, L. (2009). Power
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