interviews

Question 1

what is a research in depth interview?

Answer 1

a conversation/dialogue with structure and a purpose (a set of topics)

Question 2

what is the difference between research in depth interviews and normal ones?

Answer 2

1. can be long
2. open questions
3. based on an interaction
4. aims to investigate varieties of human experience

Question 3

how are scientific research interviews different than others?

Answer 3

scientific interviews are concerned with reliability, validity, sampling, public relevance and accountability

Question 4

why is qualitative research described as richer data?

Answer 4

data collection methods do not place as many constraints on the form and content of the data, the range of data sources is far wider

Question 5

what is interpretivisim?

Answer 5

human behaviour is a product of the way people interpret their world

Question 6

what is relativism?

Answer 6

there are a multiplicity of worldviews and not everyone shares the same world view

Question 7

why are interviews phenomenological?

Answer 7

they relate to someone’s awareness or experience

Question 8

what are the advantages of interviews in med and comms research?

Answer 8

1. reveals the everyday micro-tactics of appropiation that reshape and remediate media forms and goods
2. challenges theories of political economy and media imperialism
3. helps explain why the universalistic claims of media effects theories only ever apply contingently

Question 9

what is the positivist tradition?

Answer 9

the truth is out there to be learned

Question 10

what is the constructivist tradition?

Answer 10

the meaning is co-constructed

Question 11

who should you sample?

Answer 11

1. are they likely to want to talk about the topic?
2. how will they relate to me as an interviewer?
3. can i reach them?

Question 12

how to sample?

Answer 12

1. have a criteria for the selction of respondents (depends on your aims)
2. are you going to do theoretical, snowball, or convenience sampling?

Question 13

how to interview?

Answer 13

1. go from simple to complex questions
2. from factual questions and routines to emotions and meanings
3. avoid jargon

Question 14

what is informed consent?

Answer 14

clearly states responsibilities of researcher and rights of respondent

Question 15

to deceive or not?

Answer 15

in nearly all cases there are not grounds to deceive the participants

Question 16

what are the researcher’s responsibilities towards the participants?

Answer 16

1. protecting interests and well being
2. respecting privacy
3. fair return and involvement
4. considering unintended consequences of the research

Question 17

what are the headings for a topic guide?

Answer 17

1. briefing
2. self introductions
3. warm up questions
4. topic 1,2,3 questions
5. closing questions
6. debrief

Question 18

what sort of things should you consider then selecting themes for your interview?

Answer 18

1. research questions
2. personal involvement/knowledge
3. observations
4. literature review
5. informal pilots (role playing)
6. colleagues

Question 19

what are the different types of questions?

Answer 19

1. closed questions
2. open questions
3. probes
4. follow up questions

Question 20

what are the limitations of interviews?

Answer 20

1. many factors may affect the outcome: recruiting, question design, interview process, analysis, interpretation
2. time consuming
3. human factor
4. require skill to receive meaningful answers