52 marker- Interview

Types of Interviews

You need an awareness of the varieties of interviews:

• Structured interviews- follow a very tight interview schudule- almost like reading out a questionnaire.
• Unstructured interviews- a near converation between sociologist and respondent with little or no guidelines pre-established.
• Semi-structured or focused interviews- uses a loose schedule of topics/questions, but allows the researcher to choose order, pace, etc.

Other important issues in classifying interviews:

• Formal interviews- the sociologist will assume authority.
• Informal interviews- the setting is kept as informal as possible, possibly in the respondent's own home with attention paid to seating, etc.

Practical Issues associated with interviews:

1) Establishing rapport- important in understanding the world view of those interviewed.

2) Clarifying questions- questions may be asked in ways that make sense to those interviewed- a flexible schedule may enhance this.

3) Interviewer effect- respondents may simple give the interviewer what he/she wants- demand characteristics. Fatherhood/parenting is a sensitive issue which will make respondents careful or even competitive in how they present…