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Northern Illinois University

Office of Research, Evaluation and Policy Studies

Interview

An interview is a qualitative research method designed to gather information from another person for the purpose of deepening understanding, finding important themes and exploring new perspectives. Qualitative interviews are uncommon when the goal of a study is to broadly generalize about a population. An interview may be conducted in person, over the telephone, and by e-mail. Factors such as time constraints, research questions, purpose of the study and desired depth of information will determine what type of interview is most beneficial for the researcher.

Topical Interview

     A one-time interview that focuses on facts and sequences of an event or reconstructing an experience.

In-Depth Interview

     One or a series of interviews that deeply explore the respondent's point of view, feelings and perspectives.

Oral History (Life Histories)

     A method of historical documentation, using interviews with living survivors of the time or event being investigated.

Evaluation Interview

     Examines new programs or school developments and uses the interview as a basis to suggest improvements.

Cultural Interview

     One or a series of interviews that focuses on the norms, values, understandings, and rules of behavior of a group or society.

Establishing Validity: Triangulation

When a qualitative study is conducted, there are methods of establishing validity. Validity in interviewing is usually established by triangulation.

There are four basic types of triangulation (Denzin, 1978)

  1. Data triangulation: involves time, space, and people.
  2. Investigator triangulation: involves multiple researchers in an investigation.
  3. Theory triangulation: involves using more than one theoretical scheme in the interpretation of the phenomenon.
  4. Methodological triangulation: involves using more than one method to gather data.

Interview Process

            The interview process is defined by seven basic steps:

    1. Thematizing: Interviewer defines purpose and key points to be covered in the interview.
    2. Designing: During this stage the interviewer develops an interview guide or a list of questions and follow-ups. An interview guide is a list of questions and probing follow-ups that guide you through the interview.
    3. Interviewing: The interviewer guides the respondent through the interview process until all relevant topics have been covered. A method of recording the interview must be used.
    4. Transcribing: The transcription process is the process during which the recorded data and/or interview notes are put into written form.
    5. Analyzing: In this step, the meaning of the data collected is determined. Data is analyzed and coded for themes and patterns. As a result of what is found in this stage, additional interviews may be ppropriate.
    6. Verifying: In interviews the most common verification or validation process is triangulation.
    7. Reporting: The reporting stage is where conclusions and findings are discussed with stakeholders. These reports could take a variety of forms such as:
        • Report of findings
        • Report of accomplishment or published needs assessment findings, and
        • Oral Reports.

Technology Considerations

            Recording Interviews

Tape or Digital Recording Devices-Records interviews verbatim and requires post-interview transcription.

Note-Taking-Notes can be a compliment to verbatim transcripts or can substitute for them in situations where recording is not possible.

            Holding Interviews

Telephone interviews: When respondents are removed geographically or want to remain anonymous. This type of interview often yields a higher response rate. However, body language and other non-verbal cues cannot be recorded. Also, it is more difficult to establish rapport due to the limited time-frame for the interview.

Computer Assisted Qualitative Interview Applications-The selection of these applications depends on whether the interview is conducted in real-time or delayed-time. It is important to remember that any written interview form will require participants to have few limitations with written expression.

Analyzing Data

MaxQDA and other software-This software is especially designed for textual analysis and is a valuable tool for organizing large texts with many codes and/or stages of analysis.

 

Resources

Denzin, N. (1978) Sociological methods: A sourcebook (2nd ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill.

Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (1998). The landscape of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Grele, R., Terkel, S., Vansina, J., Tedlock D., & Benison S. (1991). Envelopes of sound: the art of oral history. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Rubin, H. & Rubin, I. (1995). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.