INTERVIEW METHOD

References
Systems Analysis and Design By Kendall and Kendall
Eighth Edition
Preparing
and conducting interviews to collect data By
Doody O, Noonan M
Interviewsas a valid empirical tool in economics By
Trueman F. Bewley
 Question format
 Interviewing types
 Interviewing techniques
 Recording the interview
 Good practices

MAJOR TOPICS
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 Interviews are one the most common
methods of data collection in qualitative
research.
 A method of collecting data in which
quantitative or qualitative questions can be
asked.
 Researchers can follow a line of questions to
gain information about a topic or further
explore responses or findings.

INTERVIEWING
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 Interviews reveal information about
 Interviewee opinions
 Interviewee feelings
 About the current state of the system
 Organizational and personal goals
 Informal procedures
 Before you interview someone else, you must in
effect interview yourself. You need to know your
biases and how they will affect your perceptions.
Your education, intellect, upbringing, emotions,
and ethical framework all serve as powerful
filters for what you will be hearing in your
interviews.

INTERVIEWING
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  Five steps in planning the interview
are
 Reading background material
 Establishing interview objectives
 Deciding whom to interview
 Preparing the interviewee
 Deciding on question types and structure

PLANNING THE INTERVIEW

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 There are two basic types of interview
questions:
 Open-ended – used in Qualitative questions
where participants responds in their own
words
 Closed – used in Quantitative question

QUESTION TYPES
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  Open-ended interview questions allow
interviewees to respond how they wish,
and to what length they wish
 Open-ended questions are appropriate
when the analyst is interested in breadth
and depth of reply

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
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 Benefits of open-ended questions
 Putting the interviewee at ease
 Allowing the interviewer to pick up on the
interviewee's vocabulary
 Reflect education, values, attitudes, and
beliefs
 Providing richness of detail
 Revealing avenues of further questioning
that may have gone untapped
 (continued)

ADVANTAGES OF OPEN-
ENDED QUESTIONS
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 Benefits of open-ended questions
(continued)
 More interesting for the interviewee
 Allows more spontaneity
 Makes phrasing easier for the interviewer
 Useful if the interviewer is unprepared

ADVANTAGES OF OPEN-
ENDED QUESTIONS
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 The drawbacks include:
 May result in too much irrelevant detail
 Possibly losing control of the interview
 May take too much time for the amount of
useful information gained
 Potentially seeming that the interviewer is
unprepared
 Possibly giving the impression that the
interviewer is on a "fishing expedition”

DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN-
ENDED QUESTIONS
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 Closed interview questions limit the
number of possible responses
 Closed interview questions are
appropriate for generating precise,
reliable data which is easy to analyze
 The methodology is efficient, and it
requires little skill for interviewers to
administer

CLOSED INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
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 The benefits are
 Saving interview time
 Easily comparing interviews
 Getting to the point
 Keeping control of the interview
 Covering a large area quickly
 Getting to relevant data

BENEFITS OF CLOSED
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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 The drawbacks of closed interview questions
include
 Boring for the interviewee
 Failure to obtain rich detail
 Missing main ideas
 Failing to build rapport between interviewer and
interviewee

DISADVANTAGES OF
CLOSED INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
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 Bipolar questions are those that may be
answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ‘agree’ or
‘disagree’
 Bipolar questions should be used
sparingly

BIPOLAR QUESTIONS AND

PROBES
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 Probing questions elicit more detail about
previous questions
 The purpose of probing questions is
 To get more meaning
 To clarify
 To draw out and expand on the
interviewee's point

PROBING QUESTIONS
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 Avoid double-barreled questions, asking
two questions at once
 These questions should be avoided
because interviewees may answer only
one question, leading to difficulties in
interpretation

QUESTION PITFALLS
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 Structured
 Each participant is asked the same questions using the
same wordings and in the same order as all the other
participants.
 Unstructured
 An unstructured interview often starts with a broad, open
question concerning the area of study, with subsequent
questions dependent on the participants responses.
 Semi-structured
 Most common type of interviews used in qualitative
research.
 Involve use of predetermined questions, where the
researcher is free to seek clarification.

INTERVIEW TYPES
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 There are three basic ways of structuring
interviews:
 Pyramid, starting with closed questions
and working toward open-ended questions
 Funnel, starting with open-ended
questions and working toward closed
questions
 Diamond, starting with closed, moving
toward open-ended, and ending with
closed questions

QUESTION SEQUENCING
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 Begins with very detailed, often closed
questions
 Expands by allowing open-ended
questions and more generalized
responses
 Is useful if interviewees need to be
warmed up to the topic or seem reluctant
to address the topic

PYRAMID STRUCTURE
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 Begins with generalized, open-ended
questions
 Concludes by narrowing the possible
responses using closed questions
 Provides an easy, nonthreatening way to
begin an interview
 Is useful when the interviewee feels
emotionally about the topic

FUNNEL STRUCTURE
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 A diamond-shaped structure begins in a
very specific way
 Then more general issues are examined
 Concludes with specific questions
 Is useful in keeping the interviewee's
interest and attention through a variety
of questions

DIAMOND STRUCTURE
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 A completely structured interview is
planned and the plan is strictly followed
 Closed questions are the basis of
structured interviews
 An unstructured interview is
conversational

STRUCTURED AND
UNSTRUCTURED
INTERVIEWS
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 Interviews can be recorded using gadgets
 Audio recording should be done with
permission and understanding

RECORDING THE
INTERVIEW
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 The advantages are
 Providing a completely accurate record of
what each person said
 Freeing the interviewer to listen and
respond more rapidly
 Allowing better eye contact and better
rapport
 Allowing replay of the interview for other
team members

ADVANTAGES OF AUDIO
RECORDING THE
INTERVIEW
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 The disadvantages are
 Possibly making the interviewee nervous
and less apt to respond freely
 Possibly making the interviewer less apt to
listen since it is all being recorded
 Difficulty in locating important passages
on a long tape
 Increasing costs of data gathering

DISADVANTAGES OF AUDIO
RECORDING THE
INTERVIEW
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 Keeping the interviewer alert
 Aiding recall of important questions
 Helping recall of important interview
trends
 Showing interviewer interest in the
interview
 Demonstrating the interviewer's
preparedness

ADVANTAGES OF NOTE
TAKING DURING
INTERVIEWS
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 Losing vital eye contact
 Losing the train of conversation
 Making the interviewee hesitant to speak
when notes are being made
 Causing excessive attention to facts and
too little attention to feelings and
opinions

DISADVANTAGES OF NOTE
TAKING DURING
INTERVIEWS
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 Write as soon as possible after the
interview
 Provide an initial summary, then more
detail
 Review the report with the respondent

INTERVIEW REPORT
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 Contact the interviewee and confirm the
interview
 Dress appropriately
 Arrive a little early
 Affirm that you are present and ready to
begin the interview

GOOD PRACTICES
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
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 Shake hands
 Remind them of your name and why you
are there
 Take out note pad, tape recorder
 Make sure tape recorder is working
correctly

GOOD PRACTICES
BEGINNING THE INTERVIEW
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 Start with pleasant conversation, open-
ended questions
 Listen closely to early responses
 Look for metaphors

GOOD PRACTICES
OPENING QUESTIONS
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 The interview should not exceed 45
minutes to one hour
 Make sure that you are understanding
what the interviewee is telling you
 Ask for definitions if needed
 Use probing questions

GOOD PRACTICES
DURING THE INTERVIEW
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 Always ask “Is there anything else that
you would like to add?”
 Summarize and provide feedback on your
impressions
 Ask whom you should talk with next
 Set up any future appointments
 Thank them for their time and shake
hands

GOOD PRACTICES
CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
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Any Questions ?

THANK YOU
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