Qualitative Social Research Methods

1
Qualitative Social Research Methods

• Using Interviews in Research.
• Leah Wild.

2
Overview

• Field Research and Interviewing
• Ethical Considerations.
• Risk in the field
• Reflexive approaches to research
• Lying the groundwork for interviews.
• What Kind of Interviews?
• Practical Matters.
• Preparing for interviews
• Conducting the interview
• After the interview.
• The use of focus groups, group interviews,
  Participant Observation and documentary resources.

3
Field Research and Interviewing

• Why conduct field research?
• What is ethnography?
• The ethnographic self.
• The use of Interviews.
• Different kinds of Interviews.
• Participant observation.
• Questions to ask yourself before conducting
  qualitative research.

4
Ethical considerations

• The safety of researcher and respondent.
• Anonymity and confidentiality
• Informed consent
• Participant observation and ethics.
• Research ethics and the law.
• The uses of your research.
• Researching sensitive topics.
• Vulnerability and power
• The constraints of ethical considerations.

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Risk in the Field

• Considering your own safety.
• The safety of respondents.
• Clothing and appearance.
• Interviewing alone.
• How to deal with aggression or hostility during
  the interview.
• What to do when things go wrong.

6
Reflexive Approaches to Research

• Considering other peoples values/ cultural
  practices.
• How do my own values/ history/ cultural practices
  impact on my interpretations?
• Giving meaning to social interaction.
• Critically evaluating your own motivations.
• Asking the why, how and what questions.
• Challenging your own ideas and assumptions.
• Research as a learning experience
• Objectivity, neutrality and bias.

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Laying the Groundwork for Interviews

• Why am I using interviews?
• What can interview data contribute to existing
  knowledge?
• What has already been done?
• What resources can I utilise?
• Using fieldwork diaries.
• Involving your respondents.
• Pilot interviews.

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What Kind of Interviews?

• Structured interviews.
• Semi structured interviews.
• Unstructured interviews.
• The use of vignettes.
• Group interviews.
• Thinking about the interview setting.

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Preparing for Interviews

• Creating a topic guide
• Use objectives and literature review to help
  design it
• A memory aid
• Objective of study
• General and specific areas of research
• But
• Cannot interview from topic guide alone
• Need to be flexible in terms of order and content

10
Practical Matters.

• Equipment checklist. Tape recorder, tapes, spare
  batteries.
• Writing material.
• Names and addresses.
• Consent forms.
• Asking permissions.

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Conducting the interview

• Starting the interview
• Physical conditions, clothing!
• Seating arrangements
• Initial introduction, confidentiality
• Tape recording
• The topic guide
• Closing the interview
• End on a positive note
• Thank and affirm confidentiality
• Remind how information will be used

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Conducting the Interview 2.

• The silent probe
• The go on, Im listening probe
• Journalists probes When? Who? Where?
• The immediate elaboration probe
• Can you tell me more about that?
• The retrospective probe
• Can I take you back to something you said
  earlier?

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After the Interview

• Check material
• Transcription
• Write up ASAP.
• Things to include in writing up
• -body language/ atmosphere/ tone and context.
• Recording personal experiences.
• Have I forgotten anything?
• Letters of thanks.

14
Using Other Methods.

• Participant observation.
• Focus groups.
• Video interviews.
• Using documentary resources.

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Final Words.

• What if you dont get the information you wanted?
• The changing direction of research.
• The best laid plans!
• Rescuing your research when things go wrong.