Interviews

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Semi-structured
Semi-structured interviews are the most common technique of data collection. This is because the data can be analysed through a variety of theoretical approaches. It makes use of both open and closed questions as the researcher works through the themes that they have established will be discussed during the interview. The wording of the questions is not established before hand, but general themes are. This makes it more like conversation than an interview.

· Works best when the interviewer knows in advance what areas to cover but is open and receptive to unexpected information from the interviewee. · Works well with sensitive topics · Richer data is obtained - compared to structured interviews · Allows for analysis in a variety of ways.
 * Strengths **

· Reliability is questionable · Still may be inappropriate to glean information about a personal or traumatic event. · One-to-one conversation can be somewhat artificial · Data analysis can be time consuming
 * Limitations **

Focus group
A focus group is a small group of people that is interviewed. They can share features (homogenous) or can be different (heterogeneous). They have a moderator and focus guide. The recommended size is around 6-10 people, a smaller group limits information while a large group makes it difficult for all to participant equally. Several focus groups should normally be used to develop conclusive evidence. Researchers require a range of skills; groups skills in facilitating and moderating, listening, observing and analysing.

· Encourages openness and complex information · Relatively quick and convenient · Researcher can ask for clarification · Provided it is a natural setting, high ecological validity · High face validity
 * Advantages **

· They might be reluctant to participate or not interact well · The presence of others may inhibit some individuals · A mood of 'keeping your mouth shut' may infect some groups. o Basically group think - they all had an opinion, but nobody wanted to be the first to say something or broach a topic - they all start behaving the same way · Can be very difficult to analyse · Difficult to record everything - people might talk over each other · Pre-existing biases · Not appropriate for sensitive research methods because of confidentiality concerns
 * Limitations **

Narrative
The aim of narrative interviews is to get someone to tell you a story, this is created because the assumption that human beings are storytellers. This assumption says that humans construct narratives to understand the world and their selves. The purpose of narrative interviewing is to see how people impose a kind of order on their experiences so as to make sense of events in their lives. The narratives are representations of an individual's life - a mix of facts and interpretations - and they help to create identities and construct meanings in individual lives.

· Valuable means of exploring the complexity of individual experiences, as well as how these relate to wider social and cultural contexts, because narratives provide an in-depth understanding of how people construct meaning in their lives · Encourage people to talk freely and use everyday language.
 * Advantages **

· Narrative interviews results in an enormous amount of data
 * Limitations **

Before an interview takes place there are a number of things that the researcher should investigate. Firstly the ** technique in which they intend to construct a sample **. Which technique would given them the best sample to interview. The interviewer themselves needs to make sure they are ** appropriately trained ** and aware of the problems with interviewer bias and suggestion and the correct way to deal with sensitive material. The ** choice of interviewer ** could also be a valid consideration, should a male or female interviewer be used? Culture, sex, age and ethnicity could all be factors to consider. The ** way the interview is going to be recorded **, should they take notes? Or rely on the recording? Also t** he way the recording is then converted into a transc **ription, what method and level of detail should this include? Also a ‘guide’ should be created with a rough script on how the interview is going to progress. When making this questions should be based on previous research or theories and ethical problems with questions should be considered.

During the interview the researcher needs to develop a rapport with the participant to be able to relax the participant and get relevant information. They also need to make sure that the participant is comfortable and not worried. They should also make sure that they are able to maintain eye contact - like a conversation and not constantly taking notes and referring to the interview guide.

Once this has been completed the participant needs to be debriefed and the transcripts of the interview should be provided so that they can give feedback on them. If after reading the transcript they feel uncomfortable with the information they have given, they still have the right to withdraw it.

Analysis of the interview transcripts is used to determine the key ideas, concepts and categories that have emerged from the interview. One technique is called interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which allows researchers to help understand how the participants make sense of their world. This is of course an interpretation of the participants experience but it should be based on ideas from the interview rather than outside views. This can be checked if other researchers make sure that your analysis of the data is based on the interview content. To conduct IPA, firstly the ** interview transcripts must be read, and re-read ** to gain an understanding of the text. Notes could be made in the margins about key phrases, language use, and statements that were being made. ** Themes ** should then be examined from each section of the interview. Once these themes have been indentified they should ** then be structured ** how they relate to the question and each other. The themes and their structure should then be ** supported by quotations ** that illustrate each of them.

= PAPER # 3 Markschemes related to Interviews: =

=**I****nterviews**=
 * Evaluate semi-structured, focus group and narrative interviews.

Evaluate the use of a semi-structured interview method in the context of this research. Syllabus point: Evaluate semi ‑ structured, focus group and narrative interviews. The semi-structured method permits some control of the direction of the interview by the researcher. Usually this will be in the construction of piloted questions that elicit responses relevant to the aim of the research. The method also allows for the interviewee to exert some degree of control since he or she can answer questions in ways that are not foreseen by the researcher. In the hands of a skilled interviewer this type of response may also reveal valuable information that may otherwise not have been revealed. The research can be conducted in a small group interview or as individual interviews. If the semi-structured interview is to be conducted with the group of four students together, one must ensure that no one individual dominates responses and that the more reticent group members are encouraged to contribute.

__ Conversational __ __ Semi-structured __
 * 2. Contrast the use of a conversational interview with the use of a semi-structured interview for investigating the musical preferences of young people in their early adulthood. //[10 marks]// **
 * Make reference to the context provided of musical preferences of young adults
 * In conversational interviews there is a greater reciprocity in the exchange of ideas and the direction that the interview takes.
 * Conversation implies turn-taking.
 * There is a mutual handing over of initiative as each conversationalist relinquishes speech and allows the other to speak in turn.
 * A conversational interview occurs in a more natural manner and therefore has greater ecological validity.
 * Because the interviewer and interviewee perceive themselves to be at the same level of control, the rapport will be greater between them and therefore richer data about musical preference is more likely to be obtained.
 * Conversational interviews do tend to present more material that may not be relevant to the researcher’s aims, and they are generally more time-consuming to analyse.
 * Although semi-structured interviews follow the same order of presentation and the same wording for the main questions in the interview schedule, they permit some control of the direction of the interview by the researcher through the use of sub-questions in response to the interviewee’s answers.
 * A degree of creativity is required by the interviewer since sub-questions have to be thought out instantly in responding to the interviewee’s replies to the main questions.
 * In the hands of a skilled interviewer this type of response may also reveal valuable information that may otherwise not have been revealed.
 * It is possible, for example, that many young people will state that rock music is their musical preference since their peers prefer this music.
 * If the interviewers have noted that one of their sub-questions is to be on listening to classical music, the young interviewee may indicate that they also listen to classical music. This statement may never have arisen in a conversational interview.


 * Discuss considerations involved before, during and after an interview (for example, sampling method, data recording, traditional versus postmodern transcription, debriefing).

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 * Explain how researchers use inductive content analysis (thematic analysis) on interview transcripts.