Qualitative Interviewing

Research Purposes To access a phenomenon that cannot be directly observed To access a phenomenon that cannot be directly observed To access in-depth thoughts and feelings about a phenomenon To access in-depth thoughts and feelings about a phenomenon To understand the participants’ meaning of a phenomenon To understand the participants’ meaning of a phenomenon To identify participants’ language use To identify participants’ language use To triangulate other sources of data To triangulate other sources of data To understand the participant’s code of communication To understand the participant’s code of communication

Types of Interview Protocols Structured interviews (Chapter 8) are not generally used in qualitative interviewing) Structured interviews (Chapter 8) are not generally used in qualitative interviewing) Semi-structured interviews are sets of questions used to guide the interview Semi-structured interviews are sets of questions used to guide the interview –The questions may be rephrased. –The order of the questions is not fixed. Unstructured interviews are guided by a set of topics for discussion (e.g. “talking points), but questions are often freely created during the actual interview. Unstructured interviews are guided by a set of topics for discussion (e.g. “talking points), but questions are often freely created during the actual interview.

Types of Questions (Spradley, 1979, p.60) Descriptive Questions Descriptive Questions –Grand-tour questions and Mini-tour questions –Experience questions –Natural language questions Structural Questions Structural Questions –Verification questions –Cover-term questions –Included Term questions –Substitution-frame questions –Card-sorting structural questions Contrast Questions Contrast Questions –Contrast Verification questions –Directed contrast questions –Rating questions –Dyadic contrast questions and triadic contrast questions –Contrast set sorting question –Twenty-questions game

Executing the Interview Interviewers should remember that rapport is a relational quality jointly established between the interviewer and interviewee throughout the interview. Interviewers should remember that rapport is a relational quality jointly established between the interviewer and interviewee throughout the interview. Informants should be allowed to use their own words and speak at their own pace. Informants should be allowed to use their own words and speak at their own pace. Interviewers should probe for more information. Interviewers should probe for more information. Use transitions to make connections between parts of the interview. Use transitions to make connections between parts of the interview. Interviewers should paraphrase often to check for understanding. Interviewers should paraphrase often to check for understanding. Interviewers should demonstrate supportiveness. Interviewers should demonstrate supportiveness. Interviewers must remain flexible and adaptive. Interviewers must remain flexible and adaptive.

Genres of Qualitative Interviewing The Ethnographic Conversation The Ethnographic Conversation The Depth Interview The Depth Interview The Group or Focus Interview The Group or Focus Interview The Narrative Interview The Narrative Interview The Postmodern Interview The Postmodern Interview