ENGL-C1000 Mattos

Interviews are a central method in qualitative research, enabling researchers to gather rich, detailed insights into people's lives, beliefs, and experiences.

Information in this tab was adapted from Utah State University Libraries' "Guide to Oral History Interviews and Qualitative Fieldwork," which is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. and https://aultman.libguides.com/c.php?g=974169&p=7042441

Oral History Interviews

• Definition: Oral history interviews are open-ended conversations designed to document personal experiences, memories, and narratives, often with a focus on voices that are underrepresented or marginalized.
• Purpose: These interviews aim to preserve individual and collective memories, particularly of events, cultural traditions, or lived experiences that may not be well-documented in mainstream narratives.
• Characteristics:
  • Open-ended and exploratory, allowing interviewees to guide the conversation.
  • Often cover life histories, significant events, or reflections on cultural and social issues.
  • Typically conducted to preserve voices for archival, educational, or historical purposes.
• Role in Fieldwork:
  • Oral history is part of broader qualitative fieldwork but often more structured.
  • Informal conversations and other interviews outside the oral history setting may inform the research but are not usually included in formal documentation.
  • Focuses on amplifying marginalized voices and creating a record for future generations.

In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)

• Definition: IDIs are structured or semi-structured interviews focused on a specific topic, idea, or experience.
• Purpose: These interviews aim to delve deeply into a particular subject, exploring the nuances of beliefs, opinions, or behaviors.
• Characteristics:
  • Often use pre-determined questions or themes but allow flexibility for deeper exploration.
  • Focus on a narrower scope compared to oral history.
  • Typically used to understand patterns or phenomena within specific contexts.
• Examples:
  • Interviews with community members about their use of local resources.
  • Conversations with experts about a specific cultural practice.

Structured Interviews

• Definition: Structured interviews follow a strict set of pre-designed questions and do not deviate from the script.
• Purpose: These are used when consistency across interviews is critical, such as in surveys or studies requiring comparability of responses.
• Characteristics:
  • No flexibility for follow-up questions or exploration.
  • Responses are often standardized for easier analysis.
• Examples:
  • Demographic surveys.
  • Interviews assessing knowledge of a specific program or initiative.

Semi-Structured Interviews

• Definition: Semi-structured interviews use a guide with specific questions but allow flexibility for follow-ups and tangential exploration.
• Purpose: Combines the benefits of both structure and openness, making it ideal for nuanced topics.
• Characteristics:
  • Balances the researcher’s agenda with the interviewee’s perspective.
  • Encourages storytelling within the framework of a topic.
• Examples:
  • Interviews with stakeholders in a community project.
  • Conversations about personal experiences with cultural practices.

Informal Interviews or Conversations

• Definition: Informal interviews are unplanned, casual interactions that can occur organically during fieldwork.
• Purpose: These interactions provide insights that may not arise in formal settings and often help build trust or inform future interviews.
• Characteristics:
  • Unscripted and spontaneous.
  • Not typically recorded but may inform field notes or research context.
• Examples:
  • Conversations with locals during participant observation.
  • Casual discussions that reveal underlying social dynamics.

Focus Group Interviews

• Definition: Focus groups involve multiple participants discussing a topic together, moderated by the researcher.
• Purpose: This method gathers diverse perspectives on a single issue and highlights group dynamics.
• Characteristics:
  • Encourages interaction between participants.
  • Generates collective insights but may lack depth compared to individual interviews.
• Examples:
  • Community discussions about development projects.
  • Group reflections on shared cultural events.
• Note:
  • While focus groups can efficiently capture multiple perspectives in a single session, they are susceptible to the "loudest voice in the room" phenomenon, which can marginalize quieter participants.
  • A more reliable approach to gathering qualitative data involves combining in-depth, one-on-one interviews with participant observation and informal information gathering.

Formulating Questions

• Factual Questions: Focus on bare facts (Who, What, When, Where, Why). 
  • Example: "When did you first move to Cache Valley?"
• Reflective Questions: Move beyond facts to explore meaning and significance.
  • Example: "How did moving to Cache Valley shape your sense of identity?"
• Exploratory Questions: Foster open-ended, reflective dialogue.
  • Example: "You mentioned the sense of community here. Could you share more about what community means to you, especially in Cache Valley?"
• Note:
  • Start with factual questions to establish context, then transition into reflective and exploratory ones for deeper insights. 
  • Spend most of your time in the exploratory zone. 

Active Listening

• Why It Matters: Builds rapport, encourages detailed responses, and fosters trust.
• Techniques:
  • Maintain eye contact and use affirming gestures (nodding, verbal acknowledgments).
  • Embrace pauses to give interviewees time to reflect and elaborate.
  • Avoid interruptions unless clarification is needed. Cross-talk can make transcription more challenging, so limiting interruptions is not only important for building rapport and active listening but also a practical strategy to ensure easier transcription.

Follow-Up Prompts

• Purpose: Encourage interviewees to expand on their initial responses.
• Examples:
  • "Could you tell me more about that?"
  • "What happened next?"
  • "How did that make you feel?"
• Note:
  • Use the interviewee’s language in your follow-up questions to demonstrate active engagement.
  • Encouraging them to describe experiences using sensory details and emotions is an effective way to prompt deeper elaboration.

Handling Sensitive Topics

• Guidelines:
  • Approach sensitive subjects with care and empathy.
  • Frame questions in a nonjudgmental and open-ended manner.
  • Respect the interviewee’s boundaries; offer breaks if needed.
• Example: "If you’re comfortable sharing, could you talk about how that experience affected you?"

Adapting to the Conversation

• Flexibility is Key: Allow the interviewee to guide the direction when unexpected or meaningful topics arise.

• Strategies:
  • Let go of the script if the interviewee's narrative takes a compelling turn.
  • Gently steer back to the main themes if the conversation strays too far.

The Power of Silence

• Why Silence Matters: It can prompt the interviewee to continue speaking and offer unplanned insights.

• How to Use It: After asking a question, wait before jumping in with another. Allow moments of reflection.
• Note: 
  • Practice "sitting with" silence as a way to "hold space" for your interviewee.
  • This means creating a safe and open environment where they feel supported to share their thoughts without pressure.
  • In fields like psychotherapy and counseling, holding space is recognized as a powerful tool for empathy, allowing individuals to process and articulate their experiences.
  • While interviews are not therapy, this approach fosters trust and depth in the conversation.
  • Remember, 2-3 seconds of silence may feel longer than it is—stay patient, present, and attentive to what may emerge.