Research Methods: Interviews Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are structured interviews
The interviewer is given strict instructions how how to ask the questions. the interview is conducted in the same standardised way each time, asking the interviewee precisesly the same questions word for word in the same order and tone of voice
what are Unstructured interviews
a guided conversation the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the questions, their wording, order and so on from one interview to the next. Additional questions can be asked when relevent and when probing more deeply.
What are semi structured interviews
Each interview has the same set of questions in common but the interviewer can also probe more information.
what are Group interviews
Interviews in a group e.g neo marixst willis lads interviews.
focus groups are a form of group interview in which the researcher asks the groups to discuss certain topics and record their views.
What are some strengths and limitations of group interviews
Strengths: Participants may feel more comfortable and are more likely to open up. Participants can stimulate eachothers thinking producing richer and more reflective data. Useful way of genereating intial ideas to follow up in later research. The researcher can combine questioning with the oppurtunity to observe group dynamics.
Limitations: one or more individuals may dominate a conversation inhibiting others from contributing. skill required for the researcher to keep group focused on topic. peer group pressure to confrom to group norms. datat difficult to analyse.
What are the practical issues and benefits surrounding structured interviews
- Requires cost hiring interviewers
- minimal skill required as following strict instructions
- large sample size
fairly cheap to administer - straightforward factual information
- results easily quantified due to closed ended questions with coded answers. suitable for hypothesis testing.
Response rate on structured interviews
Representative sample of population due to potentially large sample size.
higher response rate e.g wilmott and young 987 only 54 refused.
difficult talking afce to face.
those with time or willingness may be untypical . producing un representative data.
Reliability of structured interviews
Easily repeated standardised and controlled. each interview can be conducted the exact same way,
Validity of structured interviews
often produce a false picture.
close ended questions restrict participants to choosing froma limited number of preset answers. little freedom to explain questions or clarify misunderstandings e.g alternative form of words if participant doesn’t understand tje question.
people may lie or exaggerate hawthorne effect.
questions drawn up in advance. the researcer has already decided what is important. do not reflect interviewees concerns and priorities.
snapshots taken at one momment of time
Feminist criticisms of structured interviews
Hlary Graham argues that survey emthods such as questionnaires and intervies are patriarchal and distorted, invalid picture of womens experiences.
the researcher is incontrol and decides the line of questioning to be followed. this mirrors women’s suboordination in wider society.
treats women as isolated individuals rather than seeing context of the power relationships that opress them.
surveys impose the researchers cateogories of women making it difficult for them to express their experiences.
researchers need to usemethods that allow the understanding of womens meanings, attitudes and motives.
How is rapport and sensitivity an advantage of unstructured interviews
Informality allows the interviewer to devlop a rapport (relationship of trust and understanding) with the interviewee. putting interviewee at ease and encouraging them to open up.
e.g william labov studing langauge of black american children. they appeared ot have a linguistic tounge but when they were able to sit on the floor with a friend they spoke freely and confidently.
particularly useful for studying sensitive topics e.g dobash and dobash womens domestic violence
How is being able to note the interviewees views an advantage of unstructured interviews
No set questions interviewees can elabroate and emphasise on what they find important. greater freedom to express views more likley to produce fresh insights and valid data.
e.g dean and peter taylor gooby tabe recorded intervews.
WHy is it an advanatge that in structured interviews you can double check understanding, they are flexible
questions can be explained and follow up questions can be asked for extra clarity.
interviewer is not restricted to set questions and the researcher can fromulate new ideas and hypotheses.
Exploring unfamiliar topics is easier because questions are open ended and exploratory. we can learn as we go along
What are the practical problems surrounding unstructued interviews
time and sample size:: in ddepth so can take a long time affecting sample size.
requires more training so they can promt questions additional cost
interpersonal skills so rapport can be established and honest answers are recieved
issues with the representativeness, quanitification and reliability of unstructured interviews
small sample size means it lacks representativeness making it harder to make genrealisations.
not reliable as each interview is unique
difficult to quanitify due to open ended questions
issues of validity of unstructured interviews
genreally seem as valid however because thre is more interaction ebtween individuals it could lead to hawthorne affect
Positivists and interpretevists views on interviews
Positivists favour structured interviews because they achieve the main positivist goals of reliability, generalisability and representativeness:
Standardised questions and answers produce reliable data because other researchers can replicate the interview.
Pre-coded responses allow us to produce quantitative data, identify and measure behaviour patterns, and establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Structured interviews are often large scale and thus more representative.
Interpretivists reject structured interviews because they impose the researcher’s framework of ideas on interviewees.
Interpretivists favour unstructured interviews because they achieve the main interpretivist goal of validity:
Absence of a pre-set structure means interviewees can discuss what is important to them.
Open-ended questions allow interviewees to express themselves in their own words, thereby producing qualitative data that gives us an insight into their meanings.
Positivists reject unstructured interviews because each one is unique and cannot be replicated.
Issues of interviewer bias
The interviewer may ask leading questions where the wording tells the interviewee how to answer, interviewers may conciously or sub conciously influence the answer they recieve by their facial expression , body language or tone of voice.
ann oackley found it difficult ot remain detatched as a mother herself when interviewing other women.
risk of artificiality
artifical condiitions can lead to untruthful answers as it isnt a normal converstaion
issues of status and power inequalities in interviews
the bigger the status difference the more the reluctancy to answer and the less vlaid.
josephine rich when interviewing children the childs need to please interviewer will affect response.
structured less suseptable to this
Cultural differences in interviews
misunderstandings of different meanings to the same words. Cultural gap may mean that interviewer cannot tell when they are being lied to
margrated meads research on adolesence in samoa where the girl misled her as she couldnt speak the language.
Social desirability effect
people often seek to win approval and may change their behavior and responses to present them in a favourable light.
ethical issues of interviews
Pressure to answer. researchers should gain informed consent guarantee anonymity and make it clear that they have a right not to answer. vunreable groups sensetive topics and debrief also.
EXamples of researchers improving the validity of interviews
Kinsey- interview about sexual behavior asked questions quickly given short time to think and questions checked later.
becker- 60 chicago school teachers. used aggression disbelief and playing dumb to extract sensitive topic from them.
james nazroos survey on the health of britians ethnic minorities were carried out in language of interviewees choice.
