This article aims to provide methodological explanations into the most common method of primary data collection, interviews. We will briefly discuss the methodological ideology, including the context of the interviews, the types of interviews, the importance of the interview guide, and the pilot study.
Research Paradigm & Where The Qualitative Researcher Sits?
Before we move on to the topic of interviews, it is essential to understand its place within the broader methodological discussion. Understanding the paradigmatic position of the researcher, in other words, how the world is viewed by the researcher (ontology-subjective and objective dimension) and the nature of the knowledge and possible ways of producing the knowledge (epistemology- positivist & anti-positivist dimension). As Burrell & Morgan (1979) explain, objective researchers view the world as hard, tangible, and immutable structures, while reality exists independently of people’s viewpoints and can be captured by the neutral researcher. This leads the researcher to take a more systematic approach, resulting in a quantitative and deductive method.
Subjective researchers viewed the world through individual interpretations of their unique experiences. Subjective researchers epistemologically think they are part of the research in creating and disseminating new knowledge. Therefore, the subjective researcher sits at the anti-positivist/interpretive end of the spectrum, adopting a more qualitative methodological approach to explore the research subject’s detailed life history, background, and experiences. Methodological terminology refers to such researchers as interpretivists. This understanding of the researchers’ worldview and how they construct reality underpins reasons for selecting specific methods.
There are three types of interviews, mainly,
- Unstructured interviews or in-depth interviews
- Structured interviews
- Semi-structured interviews.
Unstructured Interviews
Unstructured interviews can be used in situations where you need to gain an in-depth understanding of the subject matter. The interviewer intends to gain a lived experience of the participants, allowing them to freely express their experiences and interpretations of a situation. This type of interview can be used in situations where the researcher has little to no knowledge of more complex and traumatic phenomena. For instance, in the Health research context, the lived experience of a person who is suffering from a particular illness.
Although the name suggests unstructured interviews, it is difficult to conduct an interview without some structure. The research question aims to answer, and the literature review provides an overall idea of how this interview should be conducted, including the type of open-ended questions that should be asked as the interview unfolds. This is the vague structure we discussed earlier, as this type of interview is not entirely devoid of structure.
The interviewer will begin the unstructured interview with a ‘grand tour’ question, which has no relevance to or leads to the discourse intended to study. E.g. Tell me about your experiences living in this beautiful city. The subsequent questions are based on what the participants reveal, and the interviewer uses prompts to help participants tell their stories. Hence, this is loosely structured; more freedom lies in the hands of the participants rather than the interviewer, and often, more dynamic and unexpected lived experiences emerge. For methodological rigour as an interviewer, avoid asking leading questions and refrain from sharing your opinions and experiences. This dilutes the reliability, credibility and trustworthiness of the research findings.
Structured Interviews
Structured interviews follow the same set of questions in a particular order. The interview consists of a rigid set of predetermined questions created based on the research question we aim to explore. The interviewer seeks to achieve consistency and comparability across all the interviews. This standardised approach reduces bias and improves reliability and validity. However, it lacks the natural flair of being able to emerge into new, unexpected themes freely. This type of interview is more often conducted in market or product research within a commercial environment.
Semi-Structured Interviews
A semi-structured interview includes a set of questions that each participant expects to answer; however, the sequence of these questions can be adjusted for each participant. As an interviewer, you cover the same set of questions with each participant, but you have the ability to probe when needed.
Ethical considerations
At the start of the interview, you can explain the right to withdraw from the interview by the participant at any time and agree to keep the anonymity of the information collected during the interview at all stages of the research (data collection, analysing and disseminating the findings). This topic warrants a more detailed discussion in a separate article.
You can send the consent forms and details of how you intend to conduct the interview and the purpose of the research via email. This email should also briefly include information on how the participant can withdraw from the interviews at any point in time and that the participant has the right to refuse to answer any question (s). For instance, explaining traumatic life experiences. This way, the participant has time to read and get prepared for the interview.
Also, mention that you are taking notes and voice recordings during the interview and will transcribe the interview scripts to be sent to the participants later for them to review and raise any concerns they may have at this point. It is generally good practice to provide a timeframe (e.g., a week or a month) for follow-up if there are any concerns or if the individual wishes to withdraw from the process. This is a good practice to ensure that consent is obtained from the participant before proceeding to the data analysis part. When recording devices are used for interviews, such as iPads, it is advisable to have a recorder as a backup. Technology fails, and human errors can also occur; you do not want to find yourself in a situation at the end of the interview where the interview is not recorded.
Time is a subjective matter; as an interviewer, you should inform the participant of the approximate time the interview will take when you are scheduling the appointment. This will help you to conduct your interviews without interruptions. However, in reality, it often lasts longer than expected once you are able to build a genuine rapport.
The Interview Guide Is A Must-Have
Having an interview guide is vital for conducting semi-structured interviews; without one, if you step into the fieldwork, you may often find yourself in troubled waters (particularly with semi-structured interviews). It acts as a guide and sense of direction for the interview; without such, it is always challenging to determine when you have sufficient information from some participants while others have not even discussed some of the essential strands of themes. An interview guide is a set of questions based on which you collect data. Then, how can we develop the interview guide?
The aim and objectives of the research provide the structure of the interview guide, which needs to have a flow, in other words, taking the participant on a journey. It often starts with a cooling-off question. For example, you can ask an entrepreneur to explain their business and how it began after initial niceties. This approach set the foundation for the interview to start smoothly. Then, look at which themes are related and flow together, and questions related to those themes should also follow close together.
Why You Need to Conduct A Pilot Study
Conducting a pilot study is crucial, as it helps to understand whether participants understand the questions, obtain the relevant answers, and how long the interview takes. This does not mean that we have prescriptive predetermined answers for each question. On many occasions, I have observed participants deviating while answering questions. Still, as an interviewer, you need to allow them to express themselves freely without disturbing their train of thought. It is a matter of finding the right opportunity to get them back to the question. A pilot study also helps to understand whether the questions flow without effort.
Practice Makes You Better
If you’re new to interviewing, give yourself time to master the art of interviewing. Each time you interview, you may realise you are getting better at it. The ground rule is not interrupting and not asking leading probing questions from the participant.
Additionally, not being part of the ideas or information that a participant shares with you by joining a conversation and adding your opinion. This violated the golden rule of impartiality; in other words, the interviewer’s opinions and ideas should not cloud the participant’s viewpoints. Listening, if needed, you can ask probing questions, not leading questions.
You can read research methods books written by Professor David Silverman and Alan Bryman for a more detailed understanding of the topics discussed here.
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