Considerations before, during, and after an interview

1. Considerations before, during, and after an interview Chris Kil Midas Rhoda Claire Park Caroline Suh

2. Considerations before an Interview • Training of the interviewer to avoid interviewer affects • Choice of interviewer • Planning an interviewer guide

3. Questions during an Interview • Descriptive- invite participant to give a general account of something • Structural- invite participant to give a general account of something • Contrast- Compare events and experiences • Evaluative- asks about the participants feelings about someone or something.

4. Data Recording • Taking notes during interview interferes with eye contact and non-verbal communication • Tape/Video recording is used today • Taping may affect the situation and the participant may feel uncomfortable • Considerations • ask participant in advance before the recording • offer a copy of the transcript of the interview if possible • explain how the interview is going to be used

5. Transcription of the Data • How to change the interview into written text • Professional transcribers are often used • Methods of transcription • Verbatim • word for word • thematic analysis • Post modern transcripts • Includes pauses • Intonation • Incomplete sentences • Etc.

6. Continued • After these postmodern transcripts are followed, the researcher should explain the experiment and get a consent form signed by the participants • The debriefing of the participants that takes place should include the aim of the study, methods employed in the study, and the inconveniences that may occur.

7. The Interview • A rapport must be consistent throughout the interview so that trust and open circumstances allow the participants to be honest and feel safe. • This goes along with the ethical conduct of experiments • This laid back atmosphere however, should not be used to persuade the participant to reveal things he/she would not reveal otherwise (no taking advantage of the informalities)

8. Recording • Should the interview be recorded, the recording device should be put somewhere it can record clearly and eye contact must be maintained between the interviewer and participant.

9. The Interviewer • The interviewer should use the interview guide flexibly, but ensure that all important themes are addressed. • Active listening technique: restate the participants comments and integrate them in later questions in order to show that the interviewer is listening • Overall, the interviewer should be a good listener, empathic, non-judgmental, and should encourage the participants to develop their viewpoints in their own words.

10. The Interviewee • Most people like to be cooperative in a face-to-face situation. • This can affect their answers (they may conform and respond as they think the researcher would like them to respond • It is important to be aware that people may adjust their responses according to what they consider to be relevant. • Participant expectancy effects of this kind need to be taken into consideration in any interview study

11. After the Interview • Participant must be debriefed • Includes information about how results will be used and reassuring participants that ethical considerations will be observed (confidentiality and anonymity) • Can also include researcher asking participants to read transcripts of interview and give feedback • Post-interview situation – important part of research process and should ensure that participant is fully informed and feels confident • Researcher must accept that the participant has right to withdraw information • example: if participant feels uncomfortable about revealing very sensitive information during interview

12. Conclusion • Before -choosing and training interviewer • Creating questions for interviewee • Data processing and transcription • During - establish rapport between interviewer and researcher • After - participant debriefed (ensure)