Advantages and disadvantages of four interview techniques in qualitative research raymond opdenakker abstract. Semistructured interviews and focus groups using the right techniques ensures that data are collected in a scientific and standardized manner results in highquality research and thus, credible findings primary data collection is an important piece of many research projects. Guide to organizing semistructured interviews with key informant. Mar 16, 2012 use in criminological research of observation, semi structured interviewing, and analysis of personal documents has been commonplace for more than a century. Similarly, those who conduct and analyse data primarily from semistructured interviews or focus groups can benefit from information provided by survey research. While participant observation can benefit from semi structured data collection templates and other types of tools for focusing attention covered in chapter 3, in applied research, it is. What rationale do gps use to choose a particular antibiotic. Interviews are completed by the interviewer based on what the respondent says. This chapter places emphasis on the historical context of the subject and on updating readers on the ksadse.
The writer experienced deeper understanding of the data and intense satisfaction with results when using this technique in a research project involving new teachers. The overall purpose of using semistructured interviews for data collection is to gather information from key. One of the most common problems with semi structured interviews done by program staff is that the interviewer mixes in their personal opinions when they are taking notes. Pdf the use of semistructured interviews for the characterisation. This allows the interviewer to be prepared and appear competent during the interview. Recording semi structured interviews typically, the interviewer has a paperbased interview guide that he or she follows. They will ask more openended questions, allowing for a discussion with the interviewee rather than a straightforward question and answer format. A semistructured interview is a meeting in which the interviewer does not strictly follow a formalized list of questions. To achieve optimum use of interview time, interview guides serve the useful purpose of exploring many respondents more systematically and comprehensively as well as to keep.
A structured interview is a type of interview that is completely planned, which means every interviewee gets the same interview questions. The semi structured interview is a qualitative data collection strategy in which the researcher asks informants a series of predetermined but openended questions. Semi structured interviews and focus groups margaret c. Semistructured interviewing in primary care research. While a structured interview has a rigorous set of questions which does not allow one to divert, a semi structured interview is open, allowing new ideas to be brought up during the interview as a result of what the interviewee says.
A reflection on the use of semi structured interviews christine dearnley based on the her experiences of completing a doctoral study in which semi structured interviews featured as the primary data collection method, christine dearnley offers a reflective insight into using semi structured interviews as a method of data collection. Semistructured interviews are often preceded by observation, informal and unstructured interviewing in order to allow the researchers to develop a good. Using interpretive qualitative case studies for exploratory. Mastering the semistructured interview and beyond offers an indepth and captivating stepbystep guide to the use of semistructured interviews in qualitative research.
The diagnostic interviews currently available have several commonalities as well as significant differences. Interviews, however, can be nonscheduled, though still partly standardised. For many, the whole concept of a semistructured or an unstructured interview could be seen as simply a qualitative interview, though the difference between the two is vast and therefore have been given their own titles bryman, 2008. They provide more rigour than an entirely unstructured interview, allowing the interviewer to attempt to answer a number of predefined questions and allowing common themes between interviews to be established. The case study method is a popular research method that is particularly appealing for applied disciplines since processes, problems, andor programs can be studied to engender understanding that can improve practice. The chapter discusses reallife experiences in using semistructured interviews in qualitative research. One could argue that msn messenger and telephone interviews are characterised by synchronous communication in cyberspace. Semistructured interviews are superbly suited for a number of valuable tasks, particularly when more than a few of the. Project muse mastering the semistructured interview and.
The interviews purpose was to use conversation, discussion, as well. While participant observation can benefit from semistructured data collection templates and other types of tools for focusing attention covered in chapter 3, in. This method typically consists of a dialogue between researcher and participant, guided by a flexible interview protocol and supplemented by followup questions, probes and comments. Unlike with mail surveys, the interviewer has the opportunity to probe or ask follow up questions. The use of semistructured interviews for the characterisation of. Qualitative research methodinterviewing and observation. In your area what is an example of a research question where this method might be applicable and an example where it is not applicable. Presents a rationale for graduate students use of semistructured interviews to enhance the interpretation of data derived from questionnaire returns. This is sometimes called a semi structured interview. Using interviews in a research project introduction the interview is an important data gathering technique involving verbal communication between the researcher and the subject.
Project muse mastering the semistructured interview and beyond. Interviews are a far more personal form of research than questionnaires. One of the most common problems with semistructured interviews done by program staff is that the interviewer mixes in their personal opinions when they are taking notes. The purpose of these interviews was to discuss the intent or objectives of the assign. We invited participants who used our pep program to engage in semi. If you are unclear about the differences between them or unsure which one to use, youve come to the right place. Recording semistructured interviews typically, the interviewer has a paperbased interview guide that he or she follows. Dec 20, 2019 semistructured interviews of gps were conducted. Use adobe acrobat reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. Abstractthis paper examines the values of the che principles of connectivity, humanness and empathy as a guiding framework for maximizing the ethical and methodological advantages of semistructured interview research practices. The aims of this study were to develop a bilingual version of the semistructured assessment for drug dependence and alcoholism ssadda in english and samoan and determine the reliability of assessments of alcohol dependence in american samoa.
Here, i give special attention to the selection of methods of data collection, particularly the use of semi structured interviews. The study consisted of development and reliabilitytesting phases. Structured and semistructured interviews sciencedirect. The suggested solution, derived from the literature, was the use of semi. Pdf the use of semistructured interviews in qualitative. The studies described above demonstrate improvements in method by using existing data to generate subsamples for semistructured interviews. In this study, we applied this approach to two districts in the northern indian state of uttar pradesh to study irrigation water use, and the results are presented as a case study in sect. Feb 27, 2012 similarly, those who conduct and analyse data primarily from semistructured interviews or focus groups can benefit from information provided by survey research. Pdf generating information on the behaviours, characteristics and drivers of users, as well on the resource itself, is vital in. The semistructured interview is a qualitative data collection strategy in which the researcher asks informants a series of predetermined but openended questions. This guide provides an overview and comparison of different job interview types and explains how to conduct each of them in a few simple steps. Guide to organizing semistructured interviews with key. There are a range of approaches to interviewing, from.
This document provides an annotated version of the course material, which includes an overview of semistructured interviews and focus groups, two techniques that are commonly used in policy. This involves a clear and concise explanation of the purpose of the research, what the interview will involve, and how you are going to use and. Pdf conducting semistructured interviews researchgate. Difference between structured, unstructured and semi. Exploring qualitative methods the use of semistructured interviews the interview is a. A rationale for the use of semistructured interviews. The authors draw from two separate educational studies and apply the che principles to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of. Rationale and procedures for nesting semistructured interviews in surveys or censuses enid schatz university of missouri demographers who use survey data and census data from health and demographic surveillance areas can gain substantially from expanding their repertoire of methods to make use of qualitative methods. Example of research using semistructured interviews befriending is a term for developing a friendly relationship between a volunteer and a befriendee, i. Since semi structured interviews often contain openened questions and discussions may diverge from the interview guide, it is generally best to taperecord interviews and later transcript these tapes for analysis. By tracing the life of an actual research projectan exploration of a school districts effort over 40 years to address racial equalityas a consistent example threaded across. Translating the semistructured assessment for drug. Semistructured interviews and focus groups rand corporation. In a semistructured interview, the interviewer uses a set of predetermined questions and the respondents answer in their own words.
Six london comprehensive schools were selected, chosen because they served workingclass areas suffering from severe economic and social deprivation. The advantages and disadvantages of each method will be dealt with, briefly. It is semistructured for an interview and questions might be added at the moment. Semistructured interviews, documentary data and field notes, observations and quantitative data. Chapter 1 qualitative research 5 more inductive and flexible compared to its quantitative cousin, direct observation. Semistructured indepth interviews are commonly used in qualitative research and are the most frequent qualitative data source in health services research. By tracing the life of an actual research projectan exploration of a school districts effort over 40 years to address racial equalityas a consistent example threaded across the volume, anne galletta shows in. Semistructured interviews are the most common primary qualitative research methods used in education. In a semi structured interview, the interviewer uses a set of predetermined questions and the respondents answer in their own words. Structured interviews use a questionnaire format with closed questions and can be beneficial, particularly when participants have either a speech or language impairment. The authors developed an introductory short course on qualitative research methods. I also illustrate how semistructured interviews allow for the exploration of lived experience as narrated in the interview in relation to theoretical variables of interest. Based on our findings, it appears as though instances of condomless sex were atypical and unplanned, they occurred due to contextual factors e. Th ese techniques are commonly used in policy research and are applicable to many research questions.
This provided an initial list of the reasons why gps choose a particular antibiotic in a clinical situation. Here, the interviewer works from a list of topics that need to be covered with each respondent, but the order and exact wording of questions is not important. However, they are frequently used to generate quantitative rather semistructured interviews. Explain the use of a semistructured interview in this study. Rationale and procedures for nesting semistructured. This paper presents a systematic mixedmethods modeldatalinked nested studiesfor sampling respondents for semistructured interviews from survey or census lists.
Semistructured interviews are a useful tool for gathering qualitative information. Many researchers like to use semistructured interviews because questions can be prepared ahead of time. Interviews are commonly used in survey designs and in exploratory and descriptive studies. Using interviews in a research project simmons university. Bradley th is course provides an overview of two types of qualitative data collection methodologies. This paper briefly explicates how they were used in studies. Facetoface interviews have long been the dominant interview technique in the field of qualitative research. These research techniques can be employed to develop and test theoretical explanations and to examine the process of policy implementation. This paper briefly explicates how they were used in studies of the decision making and criminal.
Some interviewers use a topic guide that serves as a checklist to ensure that all respondents provide information on the same topics. The chapter presents some recommendations that can be. Advantages and disadvantages of four interview techniques in qualitative research place. Relevant literature was perused in the hope that guidance would be found in dealing with lack of expertise in interviewing, and at the same time, encourage the beginner to undertake the task. Pdf structured versus semistructured versus unstructured. A reflection on the use of semistructured interviews.
Ipr framework is most suitable for refining structured or semi structured interviews. The use of semistructured interviews requires a certain level of previous study in the research topic area wengraf 2001, rwjf 2008, kelly 2010 because the interview questions are based on previous knowledge. Structured versus semistructured versus unstructured interviews. Semi structured interviews are based on semi structured interview guide, which is a schematic presentation of questions or topics and need to be explored by the interviewer. Both studies are available free for download on the rand web site. The chapter presents some recommendations that can be considered when constructing an ssi guide. Use in criminological research of observation, semistructured interviewing, and analysis of personal documents has been commonplace for more than a century. The researcher has more control over the topics of the interview than in unstructured interviews, but in contrast to. Semistructured interviews are based on semistructured interview guide, which is a schematic presentation of questions or topics and need to be explored by the interviewer. First, data was collected from 89 pupils aged 14 to 16 using semi structured interviews. Furthermore, as with most interviews, assuring confidentiality is essential but also difficult to achieve. This is sometimes called a semistructured interview.
The semi structured interview is best defined as a n method of data collection which n involves an interaction between an interviewer and the interviewee for which n the purpose is to obtain valid and reliable information. The ipr framework, however, may also support development of non structured interview guides, which have topics for discussions or a small set of broad questions to facilitate the. Rationale and procedures for nesting semistructured interviews in surveys or censuses. In the personal interview, the interviewer works directly with the respondent. The ipr framework, however, may also support development of nonstructured interview guides, which have topics for discussions or a small set of broad questions to facilitate the. Nov 30, 2019 a semi structured interview is a meeting in which the interviewer does not strictly follow a formalized list of questions. Semistructured interviews and focus groups margaret c. Since semistructured interviews often contain openened questions and discussions may diverge from the interview guide, it is generally best to taperecord interviews and later transcript these tapes for analysis. The reasons for using semistructured interviews, the design and development of the questionnaire used, the process of interviewing and choice of interviewees, and some of the problems encountered and overcome are presented in the chapter. A semi structured interview is a method of research used most often in the social sciences.
An unstructured interview is the opposite of structured interview, because it tends to be more informal and free flowing and it is more like an everyday conversation. The method allows the researcher to collect openended. Advantages and disadvantages of four interview techniques. The practicalities of conducting semistructured interviews are considered with a view to sharing new understandings of the process and its management based on the her experiences of completing a doctoral study in which semistructured interviews featured as the primary data collection method, christine dearnley offers a reflective insight into. Pdf the use of semistructured interviews in qualitative research. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using a sociotechnical coding matrix, combined with additional themes that emerged from the data. They are more flexible and freeflowing than questionnaires or. As cyberspace is defined as the noplace morse, 1998, communication in a virtual place brings.
1420 396 755 497 132 1063 201 169 1322 1244 704 588 702 812 214 1272 951 532 1349 30 386 1458 587 1238 128 803 148 763 812 10