1. Qualitative Interviewing
朝陽科技大學　應用外語系
Dr. Hsiu-Hui Patricia Su

2. Research Framework Introduction Literature Review
Research Design & Methodology
Findings of the Research
Analysis of the Findings and Discussion
Conclusions and Comments

3. What is qualitative research?
It does not rely on numbers or statistical inferences as the primary means of answering questions.
It is not concerned with making generalizations.
Collecting and analytic procedures are usually cyclic.

4. What is an interview? A formal encounter
The interviewer initiates contact.
The interviewee consents.
Both parities know broadly what it is going to be about.
The interviewer structures the interview in advance by planning the main questions.
The interviewer controls the interview as it happens by prompting and probing.
It is on the record.

5. Why use interviews? Advantages & Disadvantages
Interviews give high-quality data.
Interviewing people takes time.
Processing interviews takes time.
Interviewing requires skills.

6. Structured Interview (1)
The respondent is asked a series of pre-established questions, with preset response categories.
All respondents receive the same questions in the same order.
Flexibility and variation are minimised.
The interviewer attempts to play a neutral role with rational, rather than emotional.

7. Structured Interview (2)
Oral questionnaires
Interviewer has very tight control.
Interviewee has little freedom in of expression.
Dealing with Pp who are difficult in reading (young children, visually handicapped, adult non-readers).
Dealing with Pp who may feel threatened by something looks official (elderly people, disadvantaged groups, children with low achievement or low attention span)

8. Structured Interview (3)
Only possible to interview participants for a limited period of time
Each interviewee is asked essentially the same questions.
Interview questions are written out in advance exactly the same.
Carefully wording. Probing are placed in the interview.
Advantage: minimize interviewer effects by asking same question of each respondent.

9. Semi-structured interview
Encourage people to talk at some length and in their own way.
Interviewer’s control
Let the interviewee decide on the ‘key features’.

10. Semi-structured interview questions
Close-end questions:
e.g.:How many years have you been a principal teacher? One year? two years? Or more than five years?
Open-end questions:
e.g.:Could you tell me what you think about this
project?
Two can be mixed.
There are two kinds of subordinate questions- prompt and probe.

11. Unstructured interview
Ethnographic interview
Non-standardised, open-ended, in-depth
Prolonged, intimate conversation
Used as a way to understand the complex behavour of people.
Without imposing any pre-categorisation
Need to be flexible, esp. for oral history and life history projects.
(Punch, 2005)
Understanding the language and culture of respondents
Gaining trust
Establishing rapport

12. Semi-structured v.s Unstructured Interview
1. interviewer creates a structure mapping
topics.
2. interviewer controls the interview

13. Semi-structured v.s Unstructured Interview
Unstructured (Ethnography)
1. Let the interviewee map out the topic.
eg. “Tell me about what teachers do..?”
2.Interviewers probe to check their own
understanding; often using respondent’s
own language.
eg.:” You said ‘sneaking out’. What did you
mean?”

14. Group interview: focus groups (1)
The researcher works with several people simultaneously.
The researcher is more like a moderator or facilitator, and less as an interviewer.
The researcher will be facilitating, monitoring, moderating and recording group interaction.

15. Group interview: focus groups (2)
The group interaction directed by questions and topics supplied by the researcher.
Use group interaction to produce data and insights.
The group situation can also stimulate people in making explicit views, perceptions, motives and reasons.

16. Dream Bank Focus Group
Who is the moderator /facilitator?
Business Focus Group Research
How does the moderator conduct the focus group interviw?
What’s on the table?

17. Interview Guide
A list of questions or issues to be explored in the course of an interview.
Provides topics, subject areas where interviewer is free to explore, probe.
Interviewer remains free to build a conversation within a particular subject.
Suitable for group interviews

18. Interview Schedule (1)
To guarantee consistency of treatment across a set of interviews
Allow interviewer to compare people’s answers to questions, if more than one interviewer
To embody the semi-structured framework you want (main questions, prompts, probes, short check-lists to ensure coverage of important details)
A short check-list to ensure coverage of important details
embody（具象化）

19. Interview Schedule (2)
Interviewer can read out questions, mark off points covered, make extended notes from interview schedule.
To guide the interview
To remind the interviewee of the discussion
To avoid drying up, missing out questions
May constitute a part of the research evidence

20. Research Questions
To organize the project, giving direction and coherence
To delimit the project, showing the boundaries
To keep the researcher focused
To provide the framework for writing up the project
To point to the data that will be needed
(Punch, 2005)

21. Research Questions (examples)
Is there evidence that Ss regress in mathematics in the early stage of secondary school?
Are different teaching methods used in mathematics in primary and secondary schools?
Is there poor communication between primary and secondary schools about Ss’ attainments in math?

22. Interview Questions To form a logical sequence
Put the more general questions first
The first question is important to set up the rapport. The final question
e.g.: Is there anything else you want to
say about this topic that I haven’t
asked you?
(Drever, 1995)
1. Logical sequence: so that the interview ‘flow’ naturally. Do not jump from one topic to another.

23. Interview Questions (poor examples)
(?) Do you find that Ss regress in math at the start of secondary school?
(?) Are there differences in teaching methods in primary and secondary schools?
(?)Is there poor communication between the schools about Ss’ attainments?
(prejudices)

24. Interview Questions (better examples)
What topics do you cover in the first term?
Probe: How do you know about this?
Do all Ss cover it?
How do you teach this in primary school?
Probe: Is this different from what you
do in secondary school?

25. Prompt (1) Prompts are often open questions.
To invite different answers of the same kind
When to use it?
1. If the person seems not to understand the
question..
- repeating the questions, but do not suggest
answers.
2. If the Pp seems ready to continue..
e.g. Any other reasons?
3. If they appear to have finished..

26. Prompt (2) Prompt 1: to encourage interviewee to answer.
e.g.: A: They say it provides a ‘scheme’.
What do you think about it?
B: (silent)
A: Well, they say ‘Pupils find their own
level and ….’
** The interviewer provides another phrase to
encourage the interviewee to answer.

27. Probe (1) Probes usually close down the focus:
e.g.: What did you do during the lesson that
helped ?’
To confirm: what interviewee meant.
To clarify: make interviewee to express more clearly.
To explain: make interviewee to give reasons behind what they said.
To connect: what interviewee said to link with something.

28. Probe (2)
To extend: linking to something interviewee has not mentioned previously.
To ask for answers to be developed
Probe 1: to get the interviewee to explain in detail
e.g.: You’ve mentioned how you use quick quizzes.
How do you use ‘end-of-section’ test?
Probe 2: to explain more further
e.g.: Do you allocate Ss to level once for all or might
then change at he end of semester?
(Drever, 1995)

29. Examples of Prompt & Probe
Scan of Cultural Teaching Materials\Eric Drever. Using-Semi-Structured Interview in Small-Scale Research\10 11.jpg
Scan of Cultural Teaching Materials\Eric Drever. Using-Semi-Structured Interview in Small-Scale Research\12 13.jpg

30. Prompt and Probe Can be general or specific
Should be low-key and neutral
Neither leading nor challenging the interviewee
Can be put in your interview schedule

31. The first question Should allow interviewee to talk at some length.
Should not be threatening.
It allows you to judge what kind of respondent you have got (nervous, talkative, opinionated?)

32. The final question
Is there anything you want to say about this topic that I haven’t asked you ?
Is there anything you want to add to this topic?
Is there anything you want to ask me?
Thank you for your time. You have been very helpful.

33. Wording the questions What’s wrong? e.g.: ‘What are your views on the
mainstreaming of pupils with learning
difficulties, or with behaviour problems,
in the later years of secondary
education? ’

34. Wording the questions What’s wrong? ‘mainstream’- unfamiliar term
Double-barreled
Too long, too complicated

35. Leading questions Avoid leading people towards a particular answer.
Avoid phrases: Do you think that…?
Do you agree that…?
Avoid offering people a limited choice:
Do you prefer the phonetic approach..or..?

36. Sampling Random sampling Quota sampling:
1. by obvious relevance to topic of the research
2. divide interviews into groups based on positions in hierarchy, allocation
Snowball sampling: Ask interviewee to suggest other people
Avoiding bias

37. Piloting Get one or two colleagues to ‘shred’ it with you.
Look for the kinds of faults just discussed.
Ask ‘shredders’ to imagine how the interviewees will react to and interpret the questions.
Do not use people who are involved in the research.
Do not defend your wording.
Try to meet all criticisms.
Revising and refining

38. How to conduct an interview?
Presenting yourself
Establishing rapport
Maintaining distance
Non-verbal devices: eye contact, timing, tone of voice
Tape/ video recording and/or note taking

39. Reliability
Degree of consistency- the interview for the persons interviewed
By repeating the interview on a later occasion to find whether the same responses would be obtained.
By examining the extend to which the same questions given in a different form within the same interview would elicit the same response.
(Keats,2000)

40. Validity
Validity refers to how well the research instrument measures. (Keats, 2000)
Qualitative data validity can mean honesty, depth, richness and scope of the data achieved, the participants approached…
(Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000)

41. Some Tips Start early on making arrangement and seeking permission.
Plan interview within a block of time.
Initiate contact by telephone, but also put your request fully in writing.
Be honest about what you are going to do.
May have to travel.
Plan for the worst case scenario.

42. References Cohen, L., Manion,L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research
methods in education (5thed.). London: Routledge
Falmer.
Drever, E. (1995). Using semi-structured interview in
small-scale research-A teacher’s guide. UK: The
Scottish Council for Research in Education.
Keats, D. (2000). Interviewing: A practical guide for
students and professionals. Buckingham: Open
University.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2006). Designing
qualitative research. UK: Sage.
Punch, K. (2005). Introduction to social research:
quantitative & qualitative. UK: Sage.

43. Market Research Interviewing