Conducting Effective Interviews

Conducting Interviews

• Open questions do not have a predetermined format, whereas closed questions are easier to analyze.
• Avoid using long questions, compound sentences, jargon, and leading questions that make assumptions.
• Consider unconscious biases, such as gender stereotypes.

Running the Interview

• Introduce yourself, explain the goals of the interview, and reassure about ethical issues.
• Obtain informed consent and permission to record.
• Start with easy, non-threatening questions and present them in a logical order.
• Include a "cool-off" period with easy questions to defuse tension at the end.

Other Forms of Interviews

• Digital conferencing systems, such as Skype, Zoom, email, and smartphones, can be used to conduct interviews.
• Advantages of digital interviews include:
  • Participants are in their own environment, so they are more relaxed.
  • They don't need to travel or worry about what to wear.
  • It's easier to maintain anonymity, especially for sensitive issues.

Enriching the Interview Process

• Use props, such as devices or scenarios, to prompt the interviewee.

Questionnaires

• Questions can be open or closed.
• Closed questions are easier to analyze, can be distributed and analyzed by computer, and can be administered to large populations.

Questionnaire Design

• Consider the impact of question order on the outcome.
• Provide clear instructions on how to complete the questionnaire.
• Different versions of the questionnaire may be needed for different populations.

The Process of Interaction Design

• Aims:
  • Discuss how to plan and run a successful data gathering program.
  • Enable planning and running an interview.
  • Empower designing a simple questionnaire.
  • Plan and carry out an observation.

Five Key Issues

• Setting goals: Decide how to analyze data once collected.
• Identifying participants: Decide from whom to gather data and how many participants are needed.
• Relationship with participants: Maintain a clear and professional relationship and obtain informed consent when necessary.
• Triangulation: Collect data from more than one perspective and type.
• Pilot studies: Conduct a small trial of the main study.

Data Recording

• Methods include notes, audio, video, and photographs, which can be used individually or in combination.
• Each method has its own challenges and advantages.

Interviews

• Types of interviews:
  • Unstructured: Rich but not replicable.
  • Structured: Replicable but may lack richness.
  • Semi-structured: Guided by a script, exploring interesting issues in more depth.
  • Focus groups: A group interview.

Interview Questions

• Two types:
  • Closed questions: Predetermined answer format.
  • Open questions: No predetermined format.

Encouraging a Good Response

• Make the purpose of the study clear.
• Promise anonymity.
• Ensure the questionnaire is well-designed.
• Offer a short version for those who don't have time to complete a long questionnaire.
• Follow up with emails, phone calls, or letters.
• Provide an incentive.

Advantages of Online Questionnaires

• Relatively easy and quick to distribute.
• Responses are usually received quickly.
• No copying and postage costs.
• Data can be collected in a database for analysis.
• Time required for data analysis is reduced.
• Errors can be corrected easily.

Deploying Online Questionnaires

• Plan the timeline.
• Design offline.
• Program/complete online template.
• Test the survey to ensure it behaves as expected.
• Test with a group that will not be part of the survey to ensure clear questions.
• Recruit participants.