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The Pros and Cons of Face-to-Face Interviews

The Pros and Cons of Face-to-Face Interviews. Barbara Fleeman IS 280: Social Science Research Methods Fall 2009. Social Cues. Synchronous in Time. Synchronous in Place. Recording Interview Data. Termination. Face-to-Face is best when…. Social cues of the interviewee are very important

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The Pros and Cons of Face-to-Face Interviews

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  1. The Pros and Cons of Face-to-Face Interviews Barbara Fleeman IS 280: Social Science Research Methods Fall 2009

  2. Social Cues

  3. Synchronous in Time

  4. Synchronous in Place

  5. Recording Interview Data

  6. Termination

  7. Face-to-Face is best when… • Social cues of the interviewee are very important • Interviewer has time and budget for travel, if necessary • Standardization of the interview situation is important. ~Opdenakker 2006

  8. References • Birch, Maxine and Tina Miller. “Inviting Intimacy: the Interview as Therapeutic Opportunity.” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 3 (2000): 189-202. • Opdenakker, Raymond. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research.” Forum: Qualitative Social Research 7, no. 4 (2006), http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/viewArticle/175/391 • Rosenthal, Robert and Ralph L. Rosnow. Essentials of Behavioral Research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

  9. Email Interviews: Asynchronous communication of place and time

  10. Email Interviews Advantages Disadvantages • Saving costs and time • Extended access to participants • Noise • Time • Interviewer has no view on the situation in which the interviewee is situated • Lack of social cues • Time • No spontaneity

  11. Using e-mail interviews for collecting information is preferred, when: • social cues of the interviewee are not important information sources for the interviewer; • the interviewer has a small budget and less time for travelling; • looking for access to people on sites which have closed or limited access; • it is necessary to remain anonymous; • there is a huge time difference; • the interviewer and the interviewee both have access to computers; • it is necessary that the interviewee takes time to respond (Opdenakker, 2006)

  12. Telephone Interviews

  13. What are the advantages of telephone interviews? • Greater access to people • Makes it easier to reach hard to interview populations • Access to closed sites • Opportunity to obtain more readily sensitive accounts • Dangerous or politically sensitive sites are more easily accessible • Greater opportunities for spontaneous replies from interviewees • Interviews can be recorded and later transcribed

  14. What are the disadvantages of telephone interviews? • There is a decrease in social cues • Greater opportunities for a weak interview ambience • More possibilities for interruptions • Greater concentration is needed on the questions asked and answers supplied

  15. References • Opdenakker, Raymond. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research.” Forum: Qualitative Social Research 7, no. 4 (2006), http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/viewArticle/175/391

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