Interviewing


 * Things to Consider**

There are several things you should consider when planning an interview:

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 * What do you hope to learn from your interview?
 * Do you have a focused set of questions and potential probes that you will use to ensure that you explore the topics that are important to your research?
 * Have you obtained necessary permissions from the appropriate people (principal, classroom teacher, parents, students, etc.)?
 * Have you scheduled the day, time, and place where you will conduct the interview?
 * Have you scheduled the interview in a location that is quiet and where interruptions are unlikely?
 * Have you situated yourself and the participant away from air conditioning vents and fans (both for physical comfort and to minimize noise)?
 * Have you made the participant as comfortable as possible? [Comfortable chairs are helpful, and it is a good idea to find out what they like to drink and bring that with you. A small package of Kleenex just in case the participant becomes emotional is never a bad idea either. Try to avoid having food (which will interfere with the participant's clarity of speech).]
 * Did you confirm the interview with the appropriate people the day before?
 * Have you encouraged the participant to remove gum they may be chewing prior to the start of the interview?
 * What do you expect to learn and what implications does that have for the way in which you will attempt to capture the conversation?
 * How do you think you will use the information that you collect and what implications does that have for the kinds of notes you will take?
 * Will you take notes on a clipboard, in a notebook, or on a laptop computer? Have you thought about ways to take notes that will not disrupt the interview or make the participant nervous?
 * Will you take notes on a template of some sort (such as a copy of your interview protocol with big spaces after each question)?
 * Will the notes that you take consist of codes, description, diagrams, scripting what people say, tally marks or a combination of these? Have you developed some standard abbreviations to make it easier for you to capture information quickly and accurately?
 * Will you audiotape, photograph, or videotape the interview and/or the surrounding environment? If so, do you have the necessary equipment (including cables, cords, extra batteries, memory cards, microphones, tapes, etc.) and back-ups in case something malfunctions? Does the recorder have a counter? (This will facilitate locating key segments of the interview later.)
 * Did you test the equipment prior to beginning the interview?
 * How will you monitor the time? (It is a good idea to position yourself so that you can see a clock in the room and/or to wear a digital watch that you can glance at unobtrusively in order to jot in your notes the time that key statements were made.)

[|Interview How-to] - An outstanding, yet brief guide that outlines the steps to determining what kind of interview you will conduct, conducting an interview, drafting the interview questions, conducting the interview, and transcribing and analyzing the data you collect. The site is designed for practitioners in K-12 schools who are interested in conducting research for assessment purpose.


 * Interview Template**

//__**Introduction**__//

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 * **Name -** I am . ..
 * **Affiliation** - I am from . . . (name of institution you represent)
 * **Title of Project -** I am working on a project called . ..
 * **Purpose of Project -** The purpose of my research is to . ..
 * **Participant Selection/Purpose of Interview -** I have chosen to talk with you because . ..
 * **Confidentiality -** I want you to know that I consider the things that you might tell me today to be confidential.
 * **Recording -** I will take some notes about our conversation, but with your permission, I would like to tape record our conversation too. I and the other members of my research team will be the only people who hear the tapes. After the interview, I will probably transcribe sections of our conversation so that I can think more carefully about them. However, I will not include any personally identifying information in my final report. If I need to quote you, I will use a fictitious name when doing so.
 * **Questions -**Do you have any questions?
 * **Permission to Record -** Is it okay with you that I record our conversation?

//__**Interview Questions**__//

> > >> Analysis (of a condition, issue, or situation) >> Background Information (regarding the history of the institution, the situation, or the participant) >> Definitions of Terms >> Descriptions (of current conditions, events, practices, or prior experiences) >> Explanations (of conditions, events, issues, processes, situations, or systems)
 * Avoid asking questions that can be answered with a single word or a short response (Questions that begin with //Who? What?// or //When?// tend to produce these kinds of responses, so try to begin your questions with //How?// or //Why?// instead.)
 * It is a good idea to make a list of the questions you plan to ask, in the order you plan to ask them. This is called an "Interview Protocol." Depending on the nature of your research and your relationship to the participant(s), you may wish to provide participants a copy of the protocol in advance of the interview.
 * Ask some opening questions that will help the participant relax, get used to the tape recorder, and feel confident that they will have something to say in response to whatever you might ask
 * Continue by asking questions designed to help you better understand things related to your research topic. Such questions might ask for:
 * Feelings
 * Future Plans (for action or behavior)
 * Hypotheses or Predictions (about what might have happened, what might be going on, or what is likely to happen)
 * Information Regarding Expertise/Qualifications
 * Observations
 * Personal or Professional Opinions

//__**Probes**__// - Things that you say that are designed to elicit clarification, description, elaboration, or explanation from participants so that you can better understand their responses
 * Avoid judgmental or evaluative responses to the things the participant says. Some of the following acknowledgements might help let the participant know that you are listening and encourage him or her to continue talking:
 * Huh.
 * I never thought of that.
 * I see.
 * Mmm.
 * Oh.
 * Really.
 * That's interesting.
 * Uh huh.
 * Wow.
 * Potential probes might include:
 * Can you give me an example?
 * Can you tell me a story about that?
 * How did you feel about that?
 * I want to be sure I understand what you mean. Can you describe that for me again?
 * Tell me more.
 * What did you do next?
 * What did you think about that?
 * What do you mean by that?
 * Why?

//__**Conclusion**__//

>
 * Is there anything that we haven't talked about today that you'd like to mention before we conclude our time together?
 * Is there anything you would like to ask me?
 * If I need clarification about the things we've talked about today, is it okay if I call you?
 * Thanks! I really appreciate the time you have spent talking with me today!

__//**Follow-up**//__


 * Transcribe the interview
 * Consider sending a copy of the transcript to the participant, inviting them to read it, and encouraging them to let you know if there is anything there that didn't come out the way they meant it. (This is called "member checking.")


 * Interview Tools**


 * [|Audacity]** - Phenomenal, free, digital recording and editing software that allows you to filter out background noise, etc., after you have recorded the interview. You can also export the audio file in MP3 format so that you can download it into an iPod and listen to it at your convenience. http://www.sourceforge.net/audacity


 * [|Hyperresearch]** - Very nice, commercial, qualitative data analysis software that includes tools that make transcription from audio and video easier. You can download a free demo that allows you to do everything the "for purchase" version does, with the exception that it limits the number of codes and cases you can use. http://www.researchware.com/


 * [|Skype]** – Free software that allows you to talk to anyone in the world (up to 4 people at once) through your computer for free with a cheap headset mic (like the telemarketers wear) as long as the other person also has the software. You can also call landlines or cell phones, but there is a charge for that [|http://www.skype.com]


 * [|Transana]** - Free, open source qualitative data analysis software that includes tools to make transcription from audio and video easier. http://www.transana.com/