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Interviews for Data Gathering

A cornerstone of qualitative research, an interview consists of a researcher talking with another person in order to gather data about a phenomenon of interest. The individual responding to the researcher’s questions, often referred to as the study participant, may be asked to share experiences, ideas, interpretations, perceptions, and suggestions, known as data, to assist in answering the research questions guiding the study. The following entry provides information about preparing for, conducting, and following up an interview.

Before the Interview

Developing the Interview Protocol

Emerging from the study’s research questions, the interview protocol outlines the questions the researcher plans to ask during the interview. The nature of the questions may depend on the type of interview the researcher plans to conduct (e.g., structured, semi-structured, or unstructured).

Structured interviews follow an interview protocol with limited-to-no additional probing or conversation. Once the participant answers one question, the researcher then moves to the next question in the protocol. Structured interviews may be helpful when the researcher is looking to obtain a broad overview of a phenomenon and to make comparisons across participants. The drawback of structured interviews is that they may feel formal and insensitive, leaving the participant feeling guarded in their responses.

Semi-structured interviews follow an interview protocol with opportunity for additional probing and conversation. If the researcher wants to learn more about a story, theme, or idea mentioned by the participant, he or she may ask the participant to expand. This type of interview provides both an overview of a phenomenon as well as in-depth information regarding areas of interest to the researcher. The drawback of semi-structured interviews is that they can be time-consuming—covering a lot of ground in-depth can take time.

Unstructured interviews follow an interview protocol highly subject to change through additional probing and conversation. An unstructured interview is flexible; the researcher aims to follow the participant’s lead in terms of the subject matter addressed. Unstructured interviews can be crucial in exploring the depths of a phenomenon grounded in a participant’s unique experience. A drawback is that the conversation may not cover a broad range of topics and the researcher maintains minimal control over the conversation.

Connecting With the Participant

After the researcher has developed the interview protocol, he or she can begin preparing to conduct the interview by connecting with the recruited participants to schedule a time and location to meet.

It is important that the researcher selects a location for an interview that the participant can reach easily and where the participant feels comfortable sharing information, as well as where the interview can be conducted safely and recorded with few interruptions. Some of these criteria may conflict (e.g., the participant may feel most comfortable sharing information at home, but the researcher may feel unsafe visiting the home unaccompanied). Public places—a study room at a library, a conference room at an office, a (very) quiet corner of a coffee shop—may be locations that satisfy all of the criteria.

When the researcher connects with a participant about setting up a time to talk, he or she includes the consent form with the communication so that the participant can review the study goals, confidentiality assurances, risks/benefits, and withdrawal options before meeting with the researcher. The researcher is advised to emphasize to the participant how long the interview will take and how the researcher plans to use the data to answer the research question.

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