Interview

An interview is a conversation between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.

Contents 1 Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research 2 Aspects of Qualitative Research Interviews 3 Types of interviews 3.1 Employment-related 3.2 Others 4 Stages of Interview investigation 5 Publications 6 Famous interviews 7 See also 8 Reference

Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research

"Definition" - The qualitative research interview seeks to describe and the meanings of central themes in the life world of the subjects. The main task in interviewing is to understand the meaning of what the interviewees say. (Kvale,1996)

Aspects of Qualitative Research Interviews

• Interviews are completed by the interviewer based on what the respondent says.
• Interviews are a far more personal form of research than questionnaires.
• In the personal interview, the interviewer works directly with the respondent.
• Unlike with mail surveys, the interviewer has the opportunity toprobe or ask follow up questions.
• Interviews are generally easier for respondent, especially if what is sought is opinions or impressions.
• Interviews are time consuming and they are resource intensive.
• The interviewer is considered a part of the measurement instrument and interviewer has to well trained in how to respond to any contingency.

Types of interviews

• Informal, conversational interview -no predetermined questions are asked, in order to remain as open and adaptable as possible to the interviewee’s nature and priorities; during the interview the interviewer “goes with the flow”.
• General interview guide approach -the guide approach is intended to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee; this provides more focus than the conversational approach, but still allows a degree of freedom and adaptability in getting the information from the interviewee.
• Standardized, open-ended interview -the same open-ended questions are asked to all interviewees; this approach facilitates faster interviews that can be more easily analyzed and compared.
• Closed, fixed-response interview -where all interviewees are asked the same questions and asked to choose answers from among the same set of alternatives. This format is useful for those not practiced in interviewing.

Employment-related

• Exit interview
• Informational interview
• Job interview
• Microsoft interview
• Webcam interview
• Telephone interview
• Attitude Based interview

Others

Cognitive interview Computer-assisted personal vs. telephone interviewing Investigative interview Ladder interview Mall-intercept personal interview Mock Interview

Multiple Mini Interview Parent-teacher interview Repertory grid interview Structured, Semi-structured, and Unstructured interview Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Requirements elicitation interview

Stages of Interview investigation

• Thematizing-the why and what of the investigation.
• Designing -plan the design of the study.
• Interviewing -conduct the interview based on a guide.
• Transcribing -prepare the interview material for analysis.
• Analyzing -decide on the purpose, the topic, the nature and methods of analysis that are appropriate.
• Verifying -ascertain the validity of the interview findings.
• Reporting -communicate findings of the study based on scientific criteria

Publications

Several publications give prominence to interviews, including:

• Interviews with novelists conducted since 1950 by The Paris Review
• Interviews with celebrities conducted by Interview magazine, co-founded by Andy Warhol in 1969
• The Rolling Stone Interview, featured in Rolling Stone magazine

Famous interviews

• 1957-1960: The Mike Wallace Interview - 30-minute television program interviews conducted by Mike Wallace
• 1968: Interviews with Phil Ochs - an interview of folk singer Phil Ochs conducted by Broadside Magazine
• 1974: Michael Parkinson/Muhammad Ali - television interview of Ali in his prime
• 1977: Frost/Nixon interviews - 1977 television interviews by British journalist David Frost of former United States President Richard Nixon
• early 1980s: Soviet Interview Project - conducted with Soviet emigrants to the United States
• 1992: Fellini: I'm a Born Liar - Federico Fellini's last filmed interviews conducted in 1992 for a 2002 feature documentary
• 1992: Nevermind It's an Interview - interviews with the band Nirvana recorded in 1992 on the night they appeared on Saturday Night Live
• 1993: Michael Jackson talks to Oprah Winfrey. This became the fourth most watched event in American television history as well as the most watched interview ever, with an audience of one hundred million.
• 1993: Birthday Cake Interview - an interview of Dr. John Hewson that contributed to the defeat of his party in the 1993 Australian federal election
• 2002-3: Living with Michael Jackson - a 2002-3 interview with Michael Jackson, later turned into a documentary
• 2003: February 2003 Saddam Hussein interview - Dan Rather interviewing Saddam Hussein days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq
• 2008: Sarah Palin interviews with Katie Couric‎ - Katie Couric interviewing Sarah Palin

See also

• Online interviews

Reference

• Campion, M.A., Campion, J.E., & Hudson, J.P., Jr. “Structured Interviewing: A Note on Incremental Validity and Alternative Question Types”,Journal of Applied Psychology, 79, 998-1002, 1994
• Dick, Bob. Convergent Interviewing. Sessions 8 of Areol-Action Research and Evaluation, Southern Cross University, 2002
• Foddy, William. Constructing Questions for Interviews, Cambridge University Press, 1993
• General Accounting Office. Using Structured Interviewing Techniques. Program Evaluation and Methodology Division, Washington D.C., 1991
• Groat, Linda & Wang, David. Architectural Research Methods, John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Hollowitz, J. & Wilson, C.E. “Structured Interviewing in Volunteer Selection”.Journal of Applied Communication Research, 21, 41-52, 1993
• Kvale, Steinar. Interviews An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing, Sage Publications, 1996
• McNamara, Carter, PhD. General Guidelines for Conducting Interviews, Minnesota, 1999
• Pawlas, G.E. “The Structured Interview: Three Dozen Questions to Ask Prospective Teachers”,NASSP Bulletin, 79, 62-65, 1995
• Trochim, William, M.K. Types of Surveys, Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2002
• Watts, G.E. “Effective Strategies in Selecting Quality Faculty”,Paper presented at the International Conference for Community College Chairs, Deans, & Other Instructional Leaders, Phx, AZ, 1993