A Qualitative research method

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Depth/intensive interviewing

• A Qualitative research method

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Depth/intensive interviews

• An interview is a conversation between a
  researcher (someone who wishes to gain
  information about a subject) and an informant
  (someone who presumably has information of
  interest on the subject).
• (Berger, Media and communication research methods)

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Intensive interviews

• Intensive interviewing relies on open-ended
  questions to develop a comprehensive picture of
  the interviewees background, attitudes, and
  actions
• Open-ended questions
• Varies from structured to unstructured
• Interviews tend to be lengthy
• May be hours in length
• Becomes like a directed conversation
• Requires active probing of responses

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Why use depth/intensive interviewing?

• When you are uncertain what the most significant
  issues in an area of study are, a depth interview
  with an expert or a typical group member can be
  especially valuable
• Few assumptions prior to gathering data
• Get as much information as possible from
  especially valuable sources
• Information-rich method

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Why use depth/intensive interviewing?

• Can gain insights you had not imagined prior to
  the interview
• Often respondents will hit you with something you
  had not expected
• Can follow the internal logic of respondents
  thinking rather than imposing one from outside
• Map the ways that people form their understanding
  of the topic
• Can learn the actual language, etc. respondents
  use to discuss topics

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Why use depth/intensive interviewing?

• Depth interviews allow for the development of the
  greatest levels of rapport between interviewer
  and respondent
• If respondent is uncomfortable or unwilling to
  provide information in other formats, this may be
  the best way to gather that info
• Greatest interviewer ability to help/guide the
  respondent
• Respondents with limited language skills,
  uncertainty of research protocols, etc.

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Why use depth/intensive interviewing?

• Experts/famous people, etc. may be unwilling to
  sit still for traditional closed-ended
  questionnaire
• The depth interview format often suits them,
  allows them to demonstrate their expertise
• Much of what they gain from the research is that
  opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge
• Recognition of their knowledge and expertise

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Whats the catch?

• The intensive interview demands a great deal of
  time and effort
• It is not easily passed along to professional
  data collection providers
• Need for significant knowledge/understanding to
  carry out the interview
• Potential for bias is great
• Safety concerns are real in some cases
• Data analyses are difficult and time-consuming
• No two interviews are identical, so adding up
  responses is difficult and perhaps invalid

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Preparing for the interview

• Study the topic
• Know the language used to describe the content
  area
• Know about the respondent, if possible
• Plan an outline of topics to cover in an
  interview
• Grand tour questions open ended questions that
  are designed to elicit lengthy narratives

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Preparing for the interview

• Be ready to begin interviewing at any point from
  initial contact on
• Provide a compelling reason why the person should
  be willing to talk to you
• Expert respondents could tell you I make 1,000
  an hour and you are on the clock

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Sampling

• Random selection of informants is rare
• Typical group members
• Experts
• Demanding respondents
• Select interviewees who
• Are knowledgeable on the subject of interest
• Are willing to talk
• Represent a range of perspectives from within a
  group

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How many interviews do I need?

• Selection of new respondents should continue
  until a saturation point is reached, that is,
  until new interviews yield little additional
  information

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Establishing and maintaining rapport

• Do not violate standards of social behavior
• Show respect for interviewee
• Do not react in a negative manner to what she/he
  says
• Demonstrate your appreciation for the time and
  effort the respondent provides you
• Assure the informant of confidentiality
• Early in the interview, explain clearly the
  purpose of the interview

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Asking questions and recording answers

• Plan questions around an outline (but be flexible
  in order)
• Make questions short and to the point
• Use nondirective probes
• Follow-up questions should be tailored to answers
• Clarifications should be specificnot What do
  you mean?
• When a respondent is on a roll do not try to
  change direction
• Unless the respondent is simply repeating
  himself/herself

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Data collection

• Tape recorders are a good idea and usually are
  ignored
• Constant note-taking is a distraction
• However, some respondents will give away good
  information when the tape recorder gets turned off

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Triangulation

• Combining participant observation and intensive
  interviewing can deepen understanding
• May follow up experiment with depth interviews
• May call back selected survey participants to
  conduct depth interviews
• Etc.

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• Sources used
• Schutt, R. K. (2004). Investigating the Social
  World, (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA Pine Forge.