Chapter 4

Before we start the interview process, we need to be aware of different techniques and styles of interviewing. This chapter emphasizes symbolic interactions (dramaturgy), meaning that each interaction is a performance in which the researcher and subject play off each others actions to obtain a common end. Most research done by qualitative researcher is called field research which is usually divided into two phases data collection and data analysis. Data collection is different techniques and procedures used to secure access to settings, its participants, and knowledge about phenomena and activities observed. Analysis on other hand makes sense of all information obtain in data collection. Both of these phases are dependent on social interactions in other words encounters by the researcher and participants and undergo a social performance or an organized by the idea that every interaction is guided by the situation around them.

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Interviewing can have many different styles and formats. We as researcher need to decided what type of interview we want to have and which will be most beneficial to our study. The three leading structures or styles are standardized, semi standardized, and unstandardized interviews. For standardized interviews are those that are conducted in a way that is formal, there is no deviation from the questions, everything need to be precise, there is no wiggle room. Next we have semistandardized interviews which are those that can be more or less structured, there is room for implementation of questions, probing for clarification more wiggle room. Unstandardized interviews care completely unstructured, no wrong way of doing can add or remove questions as it become relevant, no rules. Before selecting a style be aware of the kind of research you are conducting what would be the most beneficial to your findings. Once have selected a style its time to settle on questions that will pertain to your research. Best practices is to outline by listing all the broad categories you think will need to be answered in your study. As these formulate you might want to then rearrange them by similarities such as demographic and main points in separate piles. When starting the sequencing questions, we always want to start with demographics these are important because you can get a feel for the participant. The next set of questions to address would be those that initiate the the study, continuing on to those questions that might be a bit more invasive or more specific to your study. We would want to continue to questions that are more invasive, these are important because they are usually the same questions that have been presented but reworded to test if the subject will answer them the same. Then you should repeat these last two step over and over for the remaining topics in the study. Make sure when changing from topic to topic there is a smooth transition you might want to place question that are more interrelated near each other so transitioning is more easily achieved. When wording questions be mindful of tone you would not want to come off as judgmental or arrogant.

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Telephone interviews are another style from which you can chose instead of face to face, but keep in mind they are not a main way or major way of conducting interviews. There are certain instances where it would be beneficial to do a phone interview such as formal interviewing where there isn't any deviation from questions and there is no need to notate the subjects expressions or movements. For my project telephone interviews are not ideal since I need to see those social queues. If you decide to do an phone interview be sure of to place a specific time or appointment for the interview, so that the participant can be prepared, sometimes phone participants can be multitasking or distracted, be aware of those instances. Another type of interview would be web and email based interviews, these interviews can be beneficial because you can have open end answers that once sent can not not be modified or changed also there is no need for transcribing because you have documentation of their answers. The biggest issue is that of time for responses.

Before you do interviews be aware of all the different styles and organizational status of your questions.