Interviews
- Created by: Milly struthers
- Created on: 17-01-18 14:52
Types of Interviews
- Structured/formal interviews - Very similar to questionnaires, strict way to ask the questions. Interview is conducted in same standardised way. e.g word for word, same tone
- Unstructured/informal interviews - Guided conversations. Interviewer has freedom to vary the questions, wording, order.
- Semi-structured interviews - Each interview has same set of questions, but interviewer can also probe for more infomation. e.g Cicourel always follows up asking ' how do you mean?'
- Group Interviews - People are interviwed together e.g Willis used this to research into the lads and schooling. Focus groups are where the researcher asks the group to discuss certain topics.
Strengths - 1)parcipants may feel more comfortable being with others so open up. 2) Parcticpants stimulate eachothers thinking which produces richer and more reflective data. 3) Useful way of generating initial ideas. 4) Researcher can combine questionning with opportunity group dynamics/norms.
Weaknesses - 1) one or two individuals may dominate the discussion, stopping others from contributing. 2) Researchers ability to keep the group focusses on the topic of discussion. 3) Peer group pressure to conformm to group norms may prevent participants to saying what they actually think. 5) data generated from group interaction is more complex and difficult to analyse.
Structured Interviews : Usually close-ended and pre-coded questions
1) Practical Issues
- Training interviewers is relatively straighforward and cheap but is more costly than posting or emailing questionnaires.
- Surveys cannot reach the potentially huge numbers reached by postal questionnaires.
- Are useful for gathering straightforward factual infomation.
- Results are easily quantified because theyre close ended with coded answers. Making them suitable for hypothesis testing.
2) Response rates
- Usually have a high response rate, this may because people may find it harder to turn down face to face request. e.g out of 987 people only 54 refused with Young and Willmott.
- Response rates can be increased if the interviewer can make call backs to pursue those who fail to respond but this can increase the price.
- High response rates produce a better representation and can make more accurate generalisations.
- Those who have time and are willing to being interviewed may be untypical.
3) Reliability
- Seen as reliable because its easy for researcher to standardise and control them
- Can then compare answers to easily identify similarities and differences
4) Validity
- Some argue that they also produce a false picture of the subjects
- Restrict…
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