Nigel King
Nigel King. The Qualitative Research Interview
In Qualitative methods in organizational research
A practical guide
Edited by Catherine Cassel and Gillian Symon
(London, Sage Publications, 1994. 253 pp.)
Types of research interview and their uses
The qualitative research interview
The goal of any qualitative research interview covers a range of approaches to research interviewing. Its goal is to see the research topic from the perspective of the interviewee, and to understand how and why he or she comes to have this particular perspective. To meet this goal, qualitative research interviews will generally have the following characteristics: a low degree of structure imposed by the interviewer; a preponderance of open questions; a focus of ‘specific situations and action sequences in the world of the interviewee’ rather than abstractions and general opinions. (pp.14-15)
A key feature of the qualitative research interview method is the nature of the relationship between interviewer and interviewee.
In a quantitative study using structured interviews, the interviewee is seen as a research ‘subject’. In contrast the qualitative researcher believes that there can be no such thing as a ‘relationship-free’ interview. The interviewee is seen as a ‘participant’ in the research, actively shaping the course of the interview rather than passively responding to the interviewer’s questions.
The diametrical opposite of the qualitative research interview is the structured interview.
In this the interviewer uses a detailed schedule with questions asked in a specific order.
Every effort is made to control the way these questions are asked in order not to bias the responses of different interviewees.
Questions are mostly closed
The emphasis is heavily on easily quantifiable information (p.15)
Another type of research interview lies somewhere between the qualitative research interview and the structured interview. The authors refer to it as structured
In Qualitative methods in organizational research
A practical guide
Edited by Catherine Cassel and Gillian Symon
(London, Sage Publications, 1994. 253 pp.)
Types of research interview and their uses
The qualitative research interview
The goal of any qualitative research interview covers a range of approaches to research interviewing. Its goal is to see the research topic from the perspective of the interviewee, and to understand how and why he or she comes to have this particular perspective. To meet this goal, qualitative research interviews will generally have the following characteristics: a low degree of structure imposed by the interviewer; a preponderance of open questions; a focus of ‘specific situations and action sequences in the world of the interviewee’ rather than abstractions and general opinions. (pp.14-15)
A key feature of the qualitative research interview method is the nature of the relationship between interviewer and interviewee.
In a quantitative study using structured interviews, the interviewee is seen as a research ‘subject’. In contrast the qualitative researcher believes that there can be no such thing as a ‘relationship-free’ interview. The interviewee is seen as a ‘participant’ in the research, actively shaping the course of the interview rather than passively responding to the interviewer’s questions.
The diametrical opposite of the qualitative research interview is the structured interview.
In this the interviewer uses a detailed schedule with questions asked in a specific order.
Every effort is made to control the way these questions are asked in order not to bias the responses of different interviewees.
Questions are mostly closed
The emphasis is heavily on easily quantifiable information (p.15)
Another type of research interview lies somewhere between the qualitative research interview and the structured interview. The authors refer to it as structured