![Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Use Open-Ended Questions Closed Questions: Questions for which the answer choices are either given to the respondent or understood by the respondent Examples: What are three ways to prevent a cold [Implies limited correct answers] Do you talk to people about your experiences as a student at Eastern? [Choice implied: yes/no] Do people here want more or less government intervention? [Implies limited choices] Closed questions limit the breadth of information that a respondent has to offer. Open Questions: Questions that allow the respondent to answer without presented or implied choices Turn the above closed questions into open questions Open Question Words: What? Where? Who? When? How? Why?* OR Tell me about… * Wh y? Limit the use of “ Why?” questions because it implies that there is a right answer and because there is not always a re ason for behavior (at least not one respondents can identify).](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/3principlesandpracticesofssi-100226191520-phpapp02/85/Principles-And-Practices-Of-S-S-I-2-320.jpg)
Principles And Practices Of S S I
- 1. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Things We Do in Qualitative Interviews Use open-ended questions Avoid leading questions Probe issues in depth Let the informant lead
- 2. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Use Open-Ended Questions Closed Questions: Questions for which the answer choices are either given to the respondent or understood by the respondent Examples: What are three ways to prevent a cold [Implies limited correct answers] Do you talk to people about your experiences as a student at Eastern? [Choice implied: yes/no] Do people here want more or less government intervention? [Implies limited choices] Closed questions limit the breadth of information that a respondent has to offer. Open Questions: Questions that allow the respondent to answer without presented or implied choices Turn the above closed questions into open questions Open Question Words: What? Where? Who? When? How? Why?* OR Tell me about… * Wh y? Limit the use of “ Why?” questions because it implies that there is a right answer and because there is not always a re ason for behavior (at least not one respondents can identify).
- 3. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Avoid Leading Questions Allow people to answer in their own terms voicing their own views, values and experiences. Leading questions are phrased to suggest a particular answer or to imply that one answer is expected or more correct: What do you like about the distance learning portion of the program? Why is the election process such a problem here? How good has your experience at Eastern been? Non-leading questions on the same topics could be asked this way: Turn the above into non-leading questions
- 4. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Probing “ Th e key to successful interviewing is learning how to probe effectively … ...that is, to stimulate an informant to produce more information… ...without injecting yourself so much into the interaction that you only get a reflection of yourself in the data. ” Bernard, H. R. (1995). Research methods in anthropology : qualitative and quantitative approaches. Walnut Creek, CA., AltaMira Press.
- 5. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Types of Probes Echo - repeat the last thing the respondent said with a slight rise in the voice..."I think x is good... You think x is good...?" Re-question - "What else do you think about x...?" Silent – wait, just remain quiet and wait for the respondent to continue Re-cap - "Could you repeat what you said about x..?" The repeat will likely yield new information Encouragement - Verbal probe with noises such as uh-huh, I see, etc. Non-verbal - Such things as smile, click, head shake, etc. Phased Assertion - When you act as if you know something in order to get people to open up.
- 6. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Letting the Informant Lead “ In unstructured interviewing, you keep the conversation focused on a topic, while giving the informant room to define the content of the discussion. Th e rule is: Get an informant on to a topic of interest and get out of the way. Let the informant provide information that he or she thinks is important.” Bernard, H. R. (1995). Research methods in anthropology : qualitative and quantitative approaches. Walnut Creek, CA., AltaMira Press.
- 7. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Some Tips for Interviewing--Asking Questions Do not begin interviewing right away Friendly greeting and explanations Establish “c u ltural ignorance”—interviewer as learner Listen and express interest in what the informant tells you More of a friendly conversation Not a strict question & answer exchange But remain neutral: don’t approve or disapprove Try to encourage informant to expand on their answers and give as many details as possible —informants have a tendency is to abbreviate answers Use “d e scribe” or “t e ll me more about that…” Don’t rush through questions--explore! Let informant’s answers determine the direction the interview takes ( keeping within topics of interest ) Use informant’s own language to ask new questions Do this as you learn informant’s “l a nguage ” Crude measure of success is the volume of response 80% at least “their” words Most problems are the fault of the interviewer Learn how to re-phrase/re-think questions Avoid using “w h y?” questions as much as possible. Informants will try to give you a ‘right’ answer Informants may have to “i n vent” an explanation/justification
- 8. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Some Tips for Interviewing--Openings and Closings Greetings/Explanations: Describe reasons for interview Describe confidentiality/Receive consent (as appropriate) Explain the types of questions/content (their ability to opt out) Explain your method of recording information Provide any special task instructions (if any, e.g. pile sorting) Closing comments: Thank the informant Express a desire to meet again (as applicable) Set a time for next meeting (if applicable) Invite the informant to ask questions
- 9. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Types of Interview Questions Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Descriptive Questions Grand Tour Example Questions Experience Questions “ Native Language” Questions Structural Questions Contrast Questions
- 10. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Descriptive Questions These questions seek to open the door and start to get an idea of how things work Grand Tour Typical - “D e scribe a typical day here. ” Specific - “D e scribe what happened yesterday, beginning with when you woke up. ” Guided - “ Could you show me around your community/office/campus? ” Task - “I would like to ask you to draw a map for me of the surrounding community and explain to me what it is like here. ” Example Question “ Y o u mentioned challenges your church faces in helping returning vets integrate into your church. I would like to hear some examples of these challenges? ” Experience Questions “ T e ll me about some of your experiences of trying to help homeless men in this community. ” “ Native-Language” Questions “ Y o u mentioned how ‘mniha’ has changed here. Tell me more about how ‘mniha’ works. ” D e scriptive questions form the basis of all ethnographic interviewing .
- 11. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Structural Questions Verify terms learned via descriptive questions and the relationships between them “ W h at are some of the different kinds of ‘loha’ that occur here?” “ I’m interested in knowing all the different symptoms of ‘mambo-layo’ that you talked about. ” “ Y o u said that women here are afraid to go out alone because of ‘teasing’. What are some ways you have seen ‘teasing’ take place? ”
- 12. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Contrast Questions These questions also seek to find out what an informant means by various terms: “ W h at are the differences between the ‘hardcore homeless’ and ‘newbies’? ” “ E a rlier you said that the ‘second generation’ of Hmong immigrants view violence differently than the ‘first generation’. Give me some examples of the difference between the two. ”
- 13. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Putting it All Together: A Checklist to Guide the Interview Process
- 14. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Field Guides (experiment with a style that works for you) Purpose: to help us identify and explore relevant topics with key informants. Length: 10-20 Questions/Question Elements, plus instructions Should focus on the research topic May be subdivided into subtopical areas Introductory Statement: Purpose of study, confidentiality, disclosure statement Types of questions: Begin with descriptive, open-ended questions to explore/identify terms and concepts Move from descriptive to structural and contrast questions Ways to use EFG: As a starting point - a set of cues NOT to be followed like a structured survey TYPICAL PROBLEM OF INEXPERENCED INTERVIEWERS: STICK SLAVISHLY TO GUIDE
- 15. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Note Taking Process Collect Raw Field Notes Notebook for raw field notes Small notebook for informal observations Write Expanded Field Notes Write up immediately after interview/observation Hand write clearly in notebook for expanded notes or, Type up expanded notes, if possible Code Field Notes
- 16. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Writing Raw Field Notes Write in a “r a w notes ” notebook All team members should take notes Exception is during an activity where the person facilitating the activity does not take notes. Record questions as well as answers Jot down cue words, probes or phrases you used to encourage more Usually not word for word, as much as possible however Record especially appropriate quotes Keep track of key terms/phrases Make Sketches, Diagrams, Maps Keep in Mind: THESE NOTES ARE THE RAW DATA--THE “EVIDENCE BASE”
- 17. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Writing Expanded Field Notes Allocate time the same day 1 hr interview --> 2-4 hours expanding Place identification information at the top Topic, date, informant(s) (pseudonym) Description of setting and informant(s) Include contextual information Who recommended the informant(s) How you found the informant(s) How this interview fits in with other information Main body of expanded notes Majority of your notes here Scripting method preferred (not summary but actual words “v e rbatim ” ) Record non-verbal behavior Summary (process & content) How did the activity go? Informant(s) truthful/frank? Informant(s) participate? willingly? Biases? Conclusions related to study questions? Important issues to follow-up
- 18. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Coding Management and Analysis Tool -- based on learning objective AND emerging themes Classifies words Functions: Organize data Retrieve data Reduce data Find patterns Forces you to read your data Types of codes: Numbers (with codebook) Letters or mnemonic (help to remember code meaning) Words Colors Where to code: Usually in the margins of expanded notes Adjacent to last line of the relevant text When to code: Start with a coding list that can change as you go (add, drop codes, re-coding) Can wait until a significant amount of data has been collected or wait until the end of the study
- 19. Semi-Structured Interviewing: Principles and Practices Examples of Codes Letter Codes for Food Security Interviews FS--Food Source SL--Seasonal Differences in Food Intake PV--Poverty (description) HP--Hope WR--Worry or Insecurity CH--Changes Over Time CP--Community Problem HP--Household Problem KP--Child Problem WP--Woman’s Problem MP--Man’s Problem CA-Cause EF-Effect