In-depth interview
Jan Osička
In-depth interview
(1) Qualitative research technique that involves (2)
conducting intensive individual interviews with a (3)
small number of respondents to explore their (4)
perspectives on a particular (5) idea, program, or
situation.
Perspectives on interview
• Interview as a tool to reveal the knowledge which is
considered given (positivism)
• Interview as an (collective) activity to develop
knowledge and meaning (constructivism)
• The middle ground:
• The researcher is not simply a knowledge-transfer tool
• The knowledge of the social world beyond the
interaction can be obtained
When to use in-depth interview
• To get detailed information about a person’s
thoughts and behaviors
• To explore new issues in depth
• To provide context to other of data
Advantages and disadvantages
• Detailed information
• Prone to bias
• Time-intensive
• Demands appropriate interview training
• Not generalizable
The process
• Planning
• Preparing the instrument
• Training
• Data collection
• Analysis
• Reporting
Planning
• Target group identification
• What information exactly is needed?
• List of interviewees
• International and national ethical standards
The research instrument
• Interview protocol
• Setting up the interview
• Beginning of the interview + informed consent
• What to do during the interview (tape, notes)
• Concluding the interview
• Interview guide
• Different guides for different groups
• Up to 15 main questions + probes where needed/helpful
• MQ: Please describe your position in the institution.
• P: Would you give me an example?
• P: Would you explain that further?
Training of the interviewers
• Review of data collection techniques and
instruments
• Practice in using the instruments
• Discussion of research ethics
• Objectives of the research and interview
• Understanding of the interview protocol and
interview guide
Data collection (the interview)
• Setting the interview up (purpose, selection,
expected duration)
• Informed consent (anonymity, the use of the data)
Questions
• Content mapping
• Content mining
Content mapping questions
• Ground mapping
• Widely framed to encourage raising important issues
• What kind of work does your job involve in a day-to-day
basis?
• Dimension mapping
• Bring the focus on particular issues/topics mentioned in
response to ground mapping question
• What does it mean to be flexible?
• Perspective-widening
• Different perspectives on the issue add more layers of
meaning and richness
• What other factors influence your working routine? I am
thinking of things like switching between languages, late
meetings and so on.
Content mining questions (probes)
• Amplificatory
• Encouraging to elaborate further
• When you say the cooperation did not work, what gave you that impression?
• What was is exactly that found difficult in that task?
• Exploratory
• Explore the views and feelings that underlie descriptions of behavior, events or
experience
• Why did you think it was important to close that deal?
• How did your approach change when you found out these details?
• Explanatory
• Reasons, motivations and explanations for views, decisions, behavior...
• What was it about the deal that made you decide to opt out?
• Clarificatory
• To clarify terms and language, or details, sequences or inconsitencies
• You said it was very difficult to get all those people onboard. In what way it was
special?
Formulating questions
To follow
• Use broad x narrow (open-ended, closed-ended)
questions correctly
• Content mapping x controlling
• Clear and simple questions
To avoid
• Leading questions
• Were you furious when the project failed?
• Double-barreled questions
• Too abstract/theorised questions
Processing
• Transcription
• Analysis
• Reporting