Exam 8: Section 2: Qualitative Interviewing

Qualitative interview is an interaction between an interviewer and a respondent where the interviewer has a general plan of inquiry, including the topics to be covered.

Qualitative interviews can be conducted in different ways. Three general types of interview schedules are structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. Most surveys use structured interview schedules. Interviews become more natural, in-depth, and exploratory as you move toward unstructured interviewing. The type of interview schedule selected depends on the objective of the study - testing a specific concept, being guided by existing theory, or doing an exploratory study. _____ is the best for an exploratory study where a theory may be generated.

It is important to consider the reliability and validity of data from qualitative interviews. There are a number of ways to enhance the quality and rigor in interpretations of qualitative interviews. An extensive log of data, including field notes and memos, and these make up your audit trail. The _____ is not only a document of decisions, but also important to enhance our confidence in the research.

Qualitative interviewing is an approach to learning. There are two types of people: critical realists and radical constructivists Some people believe that a real World exists beyond our perceptions and constructions and others believe that reality is a construction based on what we perceive reality to be. _____ believe that interpretations of the world are constructions derived from many individual perspectives.

Focus group methodology is another type of qualitative interview. Focus groups are especially useful in learning about group dynamics.

Before a researcher creates questions, he/she would like to plan who to interview, The depth of your interview questions, type of questions, length of the interview, information to collect etc. This plan is called the substantive frame. This _____ helps the researcher to decide whether questions are semi-structured or unstructured, whether interview is one-on-one or a focus group.

The quality of interaction between phone and face-to-face interviews differs because The former _____ of meeting in person and face to face. For example, while talking to a respondent on the phone versus meeting that person face has several important differences such as noticing a change in facial expression when the researcher brings up a certain topic. The researcher may miss a lot of rich information over the phone.

The qualitative interview is a purposeful conversation. In general survey interviews are based on the use of standardized questions with no flexibility. On the other hand, qualitative interviews are based on a deliberate plan but are inherently flexible.

Both structured and semi-structured interview schedules have standardized questions, but the semi-structured interview allows you to explore themes that emerge in the interview. _____ interviews make it possible to allow for unscheduled probes, or spontaneous questions that are relevant to the dialogue.

Another dimension of generating grounded theory is theoretical saturation, the point where a researcher feels that _____ yield new themes. As a result, the researcher can conclude the qualitative interviewing. The saturation may be evident when a researcher starts to hear repeated or similar stories from the people interviewed.

Qualitative interviews have many applications and are not suited for exploratory research.

Qualitative interview is an interaction between an interviewer and a respondent where the interviewer has a general plan of inquiry, including the topics to be covered, but not necessarily a specific set of questions that have to be asked in a particular order.

Research in criminology can involve participants from a variety of formal organizations, participants who are active offenders, or people involved in a variety of subcultures. The researcher has to determine whether heshe) is an insider or outsider to the group that you want to study. The level of _____ depends on how close one is to the group.

Grounded theory is a comparative method produced by constant comparison that _____ to establish themes. The process is iterative and requires that you collect, code, and analyze your data. This process reveals themes that may ultimately generate theory.

The more connected one is to the group, the more of an insider one is. Familiarity with the participants' lives allows one to delve deeply into topics without having to learn the subculture and its associated jargon. However, as an insider, one may be too close to participants and, therefore, the topics discussed. This can result in biases and data collected and research results may be _____. These results may not of much use for generalization.

Reality is constructed from multiple meanings. In qualitative interviewing, the researcher is the instrument of data collection. This means that the researcher is also involved in constructing meaning based on communication with others through his/her interpretation of their stories. This is called reflexivity in the research process. Reflexivity refers generally to the _____ in the research process

Two general rules for gaining access to informal organizations are that there should be _____ between researchers, criminals, and informants. This increases the likelihood of the offenders' participation. Secondly it often helps to pay a small fee in gaining cooperation from offenders who are recruited through a chain of referrals.

Gaining access to subcultures in criminal justice- such as active offenders or juvenile gangs-requires tactics that differ in many respects from those used to meet with public officials. Letters, phone calls, and formal meetings are _____ among active offenders.

All qualitative interview techniques are rooted in a few basic principles. Qualitative interviews assume different forms depending on the type of study, but some important principles are consistent no matter what the design. As compared to general survey interviews, qualitative interviews are based _____.