Deck 6: In-Depth Interviewing

Question 1

The main difference between standardized interviews and in-depth interviews is ________.

A) standardized interviews are usually emergent in nature, while in-depth interviews are conducted both in person and over the telephone
B) standardized interviews involve a script, while in-depth interviews involve directed conversation
C) standardized interviews are typically short, while in-depth interviews are typically lengthy
D) standardized interviews are only used by quantitative researchers while in-depth interviews are only used by qualitative researchers

Answer 1

standardized interviews involve a script, while in-depth interviews involve directed conversation

Question 2

Standardized interviews are most useful when ________.

A) the researcher wants unambiguous information and knows what she or he wants to uncover
B) the researcher is dealing with a topic that is too difficult to probe using an in-depth interview
C) the researcher wants to collect initial data that can then lead to a more in-depth interview process
D) the researcher does not wish to extrapolate her findings to the general population

Answer 2

the researcher wants unambiguous information and knows what she or he wants to uncover

Question 3

The textbook notes that when a person in a position of power (prison warden, nursing home supervisor) gives you access to interview participants, it is ________.

A) a researcher's dream come true
B) problematic from a research ethics standpoint as it may be challenging to ensure that participants are representative of the population you are studying
C) problematic from a research ethics standpoint as it may be challenging to ensure that participants are involved voluntarily; also, participants may not believe you are able to maintain confidentiality
D) problematic from a methodological perspective as this represents a non-random sample

Answer 3

problematic from a research ethics standpoint as it may be challenging to ensure that participants are involved voluntarily; also, participants may not believe you are able to maintain confidentiality

Question 4

The purpose of in-depth interviews is to ________.

A) uncover the hidden truths that regulate everyday interactions
B) uncover the status hierarchies that structure social groups
C) allow people to explain their experience, attitudes, feelings, and definitions of the situation in their own terms
D) fill in the gaps that standardized interviews inevitably miss

Question 5

The example in the textbook about planning to start an interview with the question "How did you happen to become a vegetarian?" illustrates that ________.

A) the researcher should never ask personal questions
B) being sneaky with the ordering of questions keeps respondents "on their toes"
C) the importance of asking questions that respondents must answer
D) this approach can lead to the generation of an interview guide

Question 6

According to Elaine Brody, "organized listening" is important because ________.

A) it helps identify ideas or potentially important concepts to ask about in subsequent questions
B) it helps the interviewer control the discussion
C) it allows the interview to keep on track and avoid lapsing into informal "chat"
D) it affords the interviewer the opportunity to observe body language that might contain important clues to whether the interviewee is being honest

Question 7

In-depth interviews are characterized as ________ because they involve an interactional process whereby the interviewer listens not only to what is said but also to how it is said.

A) adversarial
B) active
C) uni-directional
D) hierarchical

Question 8

By listening to what is said, how it is said, and understanding that the interview is a social process, a researcher can take into account ________.

A) the importance of the strategies used both by the interviewer and by the participant
B) the adjustments participants make in their responses to hide their true feelings
C) the ways in which she might be "leading" the participant to make certain statements
D) the role of the interviewee in the group he is a part of

Question 9

Qualitative researchers interview participants ________.

A) who will confirm the researcher's theory
B) who can provide data that are generalizable to a wider population
C) who can provide the greatest insight into the topic at hand
D) who are selected at random

Question 10

Snowball sampling is a method whereby ________.

A) a researcher goes to the desired research setting and selects participants at random
B) research participants are selected during the winter months
C) initial participants guide the researcher to other potential participants
D) a researcher begins with a large, ambiguous sample, which eventually shrinks through the use of standardized surveys that have "qualifying" questions

Question 11

In their book The Active Interview, Holstein and Gubrium noted that because interviews allow us to "reveal both the substance and the process of meaning making," researchers ________.

A) should conduct interviews in teams of three (one to ask questions, one to observe the interviewer, and one to observe the interviewee)
B) can view the interview process itself as a source of data
C) need to decide which one they will focus on
D) need to refrain from making comments about the interviewees

Question 12

While there are many complexities in the process of sampling and accessing participants, the author notes that two recognized elements about social research are that ________ and ________ tend to be more willing participants.

A) working class men; youth
B) retired persons; women
C) stigmatized groups; politicized groups
D) women; those with higher levels of education

Question 13

The author notes that the in-depth interview process carries with it a fundamental understanding that ________.

A) the researcher is the expert and only needs some original quotes to support his or her ideas
B) the person who is interviewed is the expert on his or her own lived experience
C) the researcher needs to guide the person who is interviewed to the right answers
D) interviewing is difficult and things go wrong all the time

Question 14

Asking a question like "You mentioned that your friends treat you differently since you made the Olympic bobsleigh team. In what ways?" is an example of ________.

A) organized listening
B) active listening
C) a probe
D) following the interview guide

Question 15

All of the following are topics that interview respondents will be able to answer except ________.

A) their personal background
B) their understanding of the experiences of groups of people like them
C) their factual knowledge of a given topic
D) their political opinions and ideologies

Question 16

An example of a "double-barrelled" question is ________.

A) "Do you like how the Trudeau Government deals with climate change?"
B) "We know that global warming is a fact. What do you think about remedial action being taken?"
C) "Do you think that the oil companies working in the 'oil sands' are inherently corrupt?"
D) "Do you respect your mother and your father?"

Question 17

The textbook argues that during an interview, a researcher should not ________.

A) fear pauses
B) stop recording until all questions are answered
C) make physical contact with the participant
D) nod or use informal "talk" such as "hmmm" or "uh-huh"

Question 18

An argument the textbook makes for correcting your own transcripts (reading them while listening to the interviews) is ________.

A) it saves the money of hiring your own transcriber (which is often very expensive)
B) you can often save time by finding key sections and focusing on them rather than re-reading the whole interview again
C) you can delete and discard any material you find weak from the interview
D) it allows you to assess your strengths and weaknesses as an interviewer

Question 19

When discussing qualitative interviews, researchers prefer to use the term ________ to refer to their written plans

A) guide
B) schedule
C) questionnaire
D) script

Question 20

During an in-depth interview, a researcher will want to use ________.

A) closed-ended questions
B) open-ended questions
C) leading or loaded questions
D) double-barrelled questions

Question 21

Quinn is conducting a study of parents of deployed armed forces members. During at-home interviews, he asks participants to look through photos of their children and choose ones that are significant to them. He then asks probing questions that encourage the participants to explain why the photos are significant and what memories the photos bring up. Quinn is using an interview technique known as ________.

A) interview validation
B) snowball sampling
C) photo interviews
D) photo elicitation

Question 22

Elizabeth is interested in studying how office workers think about and experience the glass ceiling in private-sector businesses. She designs an interview script and conducts standardized interviews because she is fairly certain she knows what to expect based on her background literature review of similar studies. After a few days of interviews, she runs into several participants in the washroom who are discussing their experiences with sexism much more candidly. When she asks why they didn't share this information before, they told her that her questions didn't feel like they captured their particular experiences and they weren't sure they could provide additional info if not asked. With regard to standardized interviews, this scenario tells us ________.

A) why feminist researchers question the effectiveness of standardized interviews to shed light on women's lived experiences
B) that standardized interviews achieve greater consistency when studying the lived experiences of all genders
C) why standardized interviews are better suited for public-sector research
D) that standardized interviews are more efficient for collecting data

Question 23

In general, interviews that collect standardized data from large numbers of respondents reflect a positivist approach to research.

Question 24

With closed-ended or forced-choice questions, the respondent is given a number of options to choose from, one being "other," which allows him or her to elaborate on an answer that is not on the prepared list.

Question 25

The example of Will C. van den Hoonaard's "on-the-fly" interview of a cartographer, during which he recorded the information on a paper plate, demonstrates that interviews completed spontaneously in the throes of fieldwork are almost impossible and almost never useful.

Question 26

J. Peter Rothe undermined the hierarchy of credibility in his study on the experiences of older drivers who had been in serious car accidents by interviewing the physiotherapists (who aided the old drivers back to health) about the challenges these drivers faced.

Question 27

One way of identifying potential interview participants is through organizations they are familiar with.

Question 28

As the textbook suggests, having approximately ten questions in your interview schedule is often sufficient to conduct a robust and successful interview.

Question 29

In an interview setting, there is often an intrinsic sense of reciprocity between the interviewer and interviewee. Thus, if the interviewee asks the interviewer questions, they should be prepared to share personal details about themselves.

Question 30

Although questionable from an ethical standpoint, the use of probes on interviewees is a very efficient way to get answers to questions that make respondents uncomfortable.

Question 31

One of the easiest and most unproblematic ways to identify interview participants is to get the support of a person in power, such as a warden in a prison or supervisor in a nursing home.

Question 32

In an in-depth interview, the researcher will want to avoid questions about the interviewee's opinions or values.

Question 33

Standardized interviews are the best type of interview to use when conducting research with Indigenous communities.

Question 34

Qualitative researchers choose to interview people who can provide the greatest insight into the topic at hand.

Question 35

Briefly explain the argument the author of your textbook makes about in-depth interviews through her discussion of interviewing a widow.

Question 36

Describe the difference between a semi-structured and an unstructured interview.

Question 37

Identify the three ways, according to the textbook, interviews differ from conversations.

Question 38

Briefly explain how, in her own research, the author of the textbook employed the active interview process, and what information she garnered from using such a method.

Question 39

The author gives a pseudo "check list" of four points to remember when conducting an interview. Select any three and briefly discuss each.

Question 40

Briefly describe how Heather Castleden et al. (2008) adapted photovoice to carry out research on the "meanings Indigenous peoples attribute to particular 'resources'." Explain how Castleden avoided the mistakes other Western researchers have previously made.

Question 41

Discuss in detail the limitations of standardized interviews in the research process.

Question 42

Discuss the following claim: "Novice researchers rarely make mistakes when constructing their first interview-based qualitative studies."

Question 43

Imagine you are doing in-depth interviews with victims of intimate partner violence. Describe ethical issues you expect to encounter and how you would address them. Explain why the gender of the researcher/interviewer could be problematic and how you would try to overcome that.