Getting the Goods: Ten Tips for Interviewing Effectively
As noted in the post, Managing the survey process, researchers must be mindful of the methodology we use to gather data. While a survey containing closed-ended belief statements make it easy to gather input from many people in a timely manner, interviewing allows us to delve deeper, examining the nuances of an organization’s culture and providing context for our work. As the author of InterViews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing notes, “[Interviewing] goes beyond mere fact gathering and attempts to construct meaning and interpretation in the context of conversation.”
If you’ve decided that the right methodology for your project is an interview-based approach, you’ll need to be prepared. After you’ve chosen your sample of participants and designed the interview guide, you can use the following interviewing tips to help make the most of your data.
- Ask questions that require descriptive answers. Start with “Why, how, where, what kind of . . .”
- Make the interview conversational. Don’t worry if you haven’t specifically asked each and every question in the order that it appears in the guide. Focus on getting good and useful data.
- Encourage participants to share – don’t commiserate. Avoid telling your “story.” Rather, listen to what the participant has to say and encourage them to share. When they do share, try not to bias the interview by commiserating with them.
- Ask about what others would say or do. For example, “What do you think are the perceptions of others in your group?” Or, if you think someone is holding back… “It may not surprise you to hear that other people feel X. Do you know people with this perception?”
- Let a good story be told. Don’t interrupt because you have thought of a question or because the participant is straying from the outline. If the information is pertinent, jot down your question so you will remember to ask it later.
- Stick to the topic. If the participant strays into irrelevant subjects, try to pull him/her back as quickly as possible. Example: “Before we move on, I’d like to find out . . .”
- Listen for inconsistencies. Probe to uncover detail and determine reality.
- Probe early and often. Some examples you might use:
- Would you explain that further?
- Can you say more?
- Why do you say that?
- How often does that happen?
- Is that the norm / usual practice?
- I’d like to hear more about this
- What’s your assessment of how this came about?
- Can you give me an example?
- Pause to probe. Don’t let periods of silence fluster you. Give the person a chance to think of what he/she wants to add before you move into the next question.
- Recap throughout. By doing this after each section, you will help to clarify thoughts and make sure that you’ve captured the intended messages.
(Source: Kvale, Steiner (1996). InterViews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.)
