1. Interviewing for Thesis Research
But these ideas apply to many types of interviewing

2. Gathering Evidence Ethnography Narrative Phenomenology Case Study
Rituals, beliefs (norms), and artifacts
Narrative
Personal stories
Phenomenology
Lived experiences
Case Study
Anything that leads to assertions about the case

3. Gathering Evidence Depending on the purpose of your study:
Interviews
Observations
Document analysis
Each source has its own methodology for data gathering and analysis, although there are commonalities among them.

4. Interviews

5. Some Purposes of Interviews
Hiring or Admission
News interviews
Product evaluation or development
Activity feedback
Teacher evaluation
Polling or opinion research
Hearing life stories

6. Interviewing
While all interviews are used to get to know the interviewee better, the purpose of that knowing varies according to the research question and the disciplinary perspective of the researcher.
The purpose of the qualitative research interview is to contribute to a body of knowledge that is conceptual and theoretical and is based on the meanings that life experiences hold for the interviewees.
(DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006)

7. Where to Start Interviews have to be tied to research questions
You need a grounding in the topic before interviewing
Institutional Review Board

8. Think of This as Three Stages
Figuring out what information you need. (Purpose Statement and Lit Review)
Figuring out the procedures for gathering the information. (Methods)
Figuring out how to summarize the information once you have it. (Coding)

9. Interview Types Structured Semi-Structured Unstructured Focus Group
Adherence to an interview protocol
Semi-Structured
Allowing for follow-up questions
Unstructured
Guided conversation
Focus Group
Usually semi-structured with a moderator

10. Who to Interview? What is the purpose of your study?
Who has the data you need?
Do you feel like all points of view have been explored?
Are you continuing to hear new ideas?
Particularly at first, try to talk with people who are likely to be comfortable responding.

11. Interview Questions
Eliciting individual’s experiences and understanding (Can you tell me about …)
An interview protocol is a must
Beware the grand tour question
Broad and open-ended (avoiding yes or no)
Avoid bias (communicating a correct answer)
Question order is important
Maybe end with a question about the interview?

12. Interview Setting Privacy (Quiet) Convenience Go to the interviewee
Make the interviewee comfortable before beginning questions
Look professional

13. Conducting the Interview
Designed opening and closing
Minimize frowning or negative reactions
Body language is everything
Be careful not to ask follow-up questions if you already have the information
Follow-ups and probes including silence
Using the informant’s own language
Avoiding why questions
Prepare to reframe questions
Do not interrupt

14. Spradley’s Stages of Rapport (1979)
Apprehension
Uncertainty
Exploration
Engaged in the description: still apprehensive
Co-operation
Comfort: trust
Participation
Guiding the interview: taking charge

15. Narrative
Memos

16. Field Notes Record the interview Notes while interviewing (memos)
Notes about the setting (attribute coding)
Any communication that will not be obvious in the recording
Notes for follow-up questions
Notes about ideas for analysis
Notes about the process
Theoretical notes
Review notes immediately after the interview

17. Ethics of Interviews Reducing the risk of unanticipated harm
Protecting the interviewee’s information
Effectively informing interviewees about the nature of the study (IRB again)
Reducing the risk of exploitation
Enhancing the interviewee’s life more than the interviewer’s

18. Interviewing Summary (Seidman, 2006)
Listen more, talk less
Ask questions when you do not understand
Use your intuition to know when to ask to hear more about a subject
Cautiously explore, do not probe
Ask real questions
Avoid leading questions
Ask open-ended questions
Follow up, but do not interrupt
Tolerate silence

19. Reflections on how you did
Voice tone
Eye contact
Nonverbal communication (body language)
Interest level
Flow of the interview
Did the opening and closing work?
Rapport (was it established and how)

20. Exercise
The topic you are studying is public perceptions of homeless camps in Portland.
Design a series of questions for an interview that will last around 5–10 minutes—do not forget to design an opening and closing.
Find a partner. Interview your partner using the questions. Take field notes during the interview.
After the interview have your partner respond to the interview reflections (3 slides ago). Take notes on the reflections.
Switch places.

21. Recording Interviews
You must have permission to record. Stop if you do not. Thank the respondent and say you are open to coming back another time if he or she has a change of heart.
Or, take a second person who is good at writing verbatim notes. It is almost impossible to do this yourself.

22. Recording Interviews Know your equipment!
Pick settings with minimal background noise
Make the respondent comfortable about recording
Most people quickly forget about the recorder

23. Transcription You must do this
1 hour interview = 6 hours of transcription
Good quality recording is a must
Field notes should be combined with the transcription as soon after the interview as possible

26. Software Audio Control Free software Commercial software Quicktime
Audacity
Commercial software f5
InqScribe
DragonDictate

28. Interviewing as an Iterative Process
Design the best questions you can
Review the interview for:
Quality of answers
New topics
Problematic questions
What you still need to know
Problems in conducting the interview
Redesign for better questions and make notes
This will be important when you get to coding

29. What goes wrong in interviews
Problems are usually your fault
Not enough time or taking too much time
Equipment failures
Interruptions
Rapport is not developed

30. Pilot Test Your Interview
And do not forget to
Pilot Test Your Interview
Practice with a friend