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GSSR Research Methodology and Methods of Social Inquiry www.socialinquiry.wordpress.com December 13 , 2010 I. The Interview II. Survey Research. I. The Interview B asic rules: Courtesy, tact, and acceptance; Appearance (d ress ) ; Confidentiality The interview as social situation
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GSSR Research Methodology and Methods of Social Inquiry www.socialinquiry.wordpress.com December 13, 2010 I. The Interview II. Survey Research
I. The Interview Basic rules: • Courtesy, tact, and acceptance; • Appearance (dress); • Confidentiality The interview as social situation Structured (scripted) & Unstructured intreviews; semi-structured interviews - Advantages - Disadvantages
Procedures in Conducting an Interview - Gaining entry (trust) • Introduction (explaining the study; confidentially, voluntary participation) • Asking the Questions (structured/semi-structured/ unstructured) • Probing • Recording the Response - Concluding the Interview
Focus Groups Functions: - exploratory: test methodological techniques, try out definition of concepts; identify key informants; pre-testing question wording; measurement scales, ... • triangulation: used to complement survey; but also participant observation Methodological challenge: Interviewer also moderator - Avoid that 1/few person(s) dominate the group; - Encourage recalcitrant respondents; - Obtain responses from entire group to have fullest coverage of topics
Advantages: inexpensive; data rich; flexible, stimulating to respondents, recall aiding, cumulative and elaborative, over and above individual responses Problems: - emerging group culture interferes with individual expression; - threat of domination - group format makes inquiry on sensitive topics difficult - interviewer skills must be v. high due to group dynamics
II. Survey Research Survey Designs Cross-sectional studies: data are collected from a sample at one point in time; - Contextual studies; - Social network studies. Longitudinal Studies: - Trend studies - Panel Studies
Polish Panel Survey, POLPAN, conducted in 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008 - supported & administered by the Polish Academy of Sciences; 1st wave (1988): national random sample of adult population, aged 21-65 (N=5,817). For 2nd wave (1993): random sample from the sample of 1st wave (N=2,500) For the next waves (1998, 2003, and 2008) the same people were followed + samples of new cohorts. 1988-2008 panel: n = 938 respondents, aged 46 – 84 years in 2008