GS2321: Semi-Structured Interviews

Nina Gren, School of Global Studies

Literature
- Bryman (2008), Chapters 18 and 19
- Wikan (1992)

Important Points about Qualitative Interviewing
- This method can yield rich, detailed answers to important and interesting questions.
- It both demands and provides flexibility.
- The researcher is not in full control over the interview or the interview answers.
- Power relations exist in an interview.
- It is advisable to allow the researcher/ interviewee to go off an tangents because this provides opportunities for the discussion of context, values, and what the interviewee sees as important.
- The same person can be interviewed multiple times.
*** The interviewee and his or her knowledge should always be in focus.***
- The interviewee should speak most of the time.
> A researcher must be aware of the above at all times.
> The interviewee should produce the knowledge.

Semi-Structure vs. Unstructured Interviews
- A researcher may conduct semi-structured interviews because time is limited or because he or she must work with and/ or rely on an interpreter.
- It is easier to compare information generated/ constructed in semi-structured interviews than unstructured interviews in the context of multi-case studies.
- The researcher may opt for semi-structured interviews in order to maintain a clear focus or because more than one person will carry out fieldwork in the same study.

Semi-Structured Interviews in Practice: Nina's Fieldwork in Palestine
- Initially, Nina conducted semi-structured interviews according to themes.
- Later, she conducted more informal, unstructured interviews.
- Nina's second set of semi-structured interviews were more focused and pertained to the Occupation.
> This raised the issue of sensitivity. More specifically, Nina had to think about the sensitive nature of this topic and the fact that some of her informants may be related to martyrs.
- Nina's third set of semi-structured interviews were conducted to fill gaps in her previous research. As a result, she primarily interviewed men about gender-related issues.
- Finally, Nina conducted focus-group interviews on provocative, political issues.
> In doing so, Nina had to think about how to form groups to example according to age, gender, vocation, etc.
> Nina found that people were more talkative in focus groups. She believes this was because the situation was less intimidating than one-one-one interviews.

Interview Checklist
- Kind of information
>What do you want to know? Is this information accessible?

- Kind of interviews
> Time? Level of control? Resources?

- Interviewees
> Who? How will you find them?

- Relationships
> What kinds of relationships can you create or already have with the interviewees?

- Adjustments
> How can you improve your relationship / inter-personal skills?

- Setting
> Where and how will you hold the interviews?

- Equipment
> What kinds of equipment will you use? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this equipment?

- Themes
> What types/ kinds of information do you want to gather?
> What are your main ideas/ topics of inquiry?

- Do No Harm
> What precautions can you take to safeguard yourself and your informants?

Preparing for the Interview
- Know your subject.
- Prepare your questions/ interview guide/ themes.
- Learn your questions by heart.
- Test your interview guide on someone else and refine your questions as needed.
- Contact the people you would like to interview.

Before the Interview
- Explain yourself and the purpose of your research clearly and succinctly.
- Tell the interviewee how he or she was selected.
- Ask the interviewee if you can take notes and/ or record the interview.
- Explain how the information generated during the interview will be used and how the data will be handled and stored.
- Explain why the interviewee and his or her knowledge is important.

Interview Guides
- An interview guide typically consists of a list of topics and questions as well as alternate or follow-up questions.
- An interview guide can result from a mind map of the key themes that the researcher would like to explore.
- It is important that the interview guide contains clear, comprehensible language.
- It is important to be aware of leading questions which are sometimes okay.
- Typically, open-ended questions are best.
- Remember to collect biographical data so that information generated during the interview can be contextualized.

Example Interview Guide
- Please see PowerPoint presentation posted on GUL.
- The example interview guide contained eight topics and approximately 3 questions for each topic.

Kinds of Questions, Bryman p. 445-446
- introducing
- follow-up
- probing
- indirect
- structuring
- specifying
- direct
- leading
- silence
- interpreting--- These questions are typically asked at the end of the interview.

Important
- Always take notes! Take notes even if you are recording the interview, your recording device may not work properly.

After the Interview
- Transcribe your interview notes as soon as possible.
- Make notes about the interview setting and your impressions as well as how the interviewee acted.
- Take your time! (Be relaxed and focused. It takes a lot of time to transcribe.)

Sampling
- Be honest/ transparent.
- Consider how many people you will interview and how those people were selected.
- Will you use key informants, snowballing, or random sampling?

Focus Group Interviews
- These interviews must be recorded.
- A focus group typically consists of three or four participants with the researcher acting as the moderator.
- It is important to think about when to intervene when a participant monopolizes the conversation.
- Cases/ provocations/ stimuli are always ways to get people talking.
- It is important to keep in mind that groups often negotiate and create consensus and this can yield misleading results.
- Problems associated with focus group interviews can be addressed through individual follow-up interviews.