Communication between interviewer and interviewee. Research interview is a complex procedure depended on many different factors such as clip and ambiance of interview, the temper of the respondents, his openness and willingness to take part in research procedure, making and duty of interviewers and etc. Surely, we ca n’t command all these multiple factors. However, it is of import to take them into history in information analysis. Therefore inquiry about communicating between interviewer and answering really of import point in theories of qualitative attack.
The procedure of interview has a particular construction. First of all there are two participants of this procedure: interviewer and respondent. Interviewer as a representative of research group ab initio is more interesting and involved in communicating. Therefore the one of of import undertaking of extremely qualified interviewer make the procedure of interview interesting for both participants. Besides interview has to assist replying on research inquiries. In order to reply on those inquiries, interviewer organized interview in ain manner to carry through undertaking. Therefore there are different schemes of interviewer that influence on the consequence of interview. I have interviews from probe of Chinese pupil in the frame of research “ Future Agents of Cultural Change? Chinese Students in Europe ” by Chris Swader and Herwig Reiter ( BIGSSS, Bremen, Germany ) for analyze. Those illustrations are different attacks of interviewer to procedure of interview.
First, I give brief description of interview construction harmonizing to problem-centered-interview attack. After it, I will seek to separate types of interviewer in our six illustrations. And besides I will try describe errors of interviewers and utile methods.
Approach of problem-centered-interview suggest trying to neutralize contradictory between “ being directed by theory or being open-minded ” [ Witzel 2000: P. 1 ] and, accordingly, include elements of both deductive and inductive methodological analysiss. There are 4 elements of problem-centered-interview: preformulated introductory inquiry, that display research inquiry in general and give frame of interview ; general geographic expedition, when interviewer ask inquiry, mentioned at first measure by interviewee ; ad-hoc inquiries, that necessary to inquire about left subject [ 1 ] .
In our illustrations all interviewers try to get down interview with introductory inquiry. But in some instances it lead to simple numbering of inquiries or inquiring excessively general inquiries and gives consequence of misinterpretation of respondent. After it all interviewers employ general geographic expedition and ad-hoc inquiries as method and inquire more elaborate inquiries. But there are advantages and disadvantages of it. They will be considered farther.
Since beginning of the interview really of import portion that influence on all procedure I should see it more elaborate. Among considered interview I met two general schemes of get downing. The first type is when interviewer begins with one or several general inquiries supplying such type of stating as a narrative. It is really utile, but frequently interviewer ca n’t clearly explicate what he meant ( later we consider it as one of interviewers errors ) . The 2nd type emerges when interviewer Begin with concrete inquiries that require short reply. It is danger because it can take to question-answer communicating without meaningful engagement respondent in the procedure of interview during all clip of interview. Consequently interviewer ca n’t convey apprehension of life-world of respondent that negatively influence on quality of informations ( qualitative interview transforms into quantitative interview ) .
Now we consider theoretical accounts of interviewer ‘s behaviour. There are following types of interviewers in our illustrations:
Involved and empathetic ( supply ain appraisal of the state of affairs, actions, character of respondent. Try to think reply of respondent ) . For illustration, it is interview figure 02.
Professional ( maintain distance with interviewer, impersonal relation, inquiries supplying elaborate replies and look of respondent ‘s sentiment and experience ) .
They are interviews figure 04, 06, 07, 10.
Inattentive ( bury of import information about respondent, inquiry does n’t supply elaborate reply ) . In our instance the ground of this behaviour, is likely, bad English of interviewer. This attack to respondent can perturb cooperation between interviewee and interviewer, and besides lead to distrust. However, particularly swearing relationship between two participants can bring forth utile information about action, experience and perceptual experiences of respondent. More over “ trust relationship promotes the respondent ‘s capableness to retrieve and motivates self-reflection ” [ Witzel 2000: P. 3 ] . It is the interview figure 03.
Surely one interviewer may has different theoretical accounts of behaviour in different interviews. For illustration, in first interview he could be worry really much and do a batch of errors. But for 3rd interview he accumulated adequate professional experience and uses absolute different theoretical account of communicating with respondent. In add-on, I should observe that interviewer and respondent in our illustrations have similar societal position ( Chinese pupil in Germany ) . It is specific for such sort of research. On the one manus, it help to do relation between interviewer and interviewee more confident, that good for all procedure. On the other manus, it make interviewer to utilize value-judgments. It is negative phenomenon ( we besides consider it subsequently ) .
Mistakes of interviewers:
Before description of interviewer ‘s errors I have to note that frequently in transcripts we met unusual phrases and inquiries. Probably it is because of mistranslation.
Let ‘s get down with errors in the beginning of the interview.
A batch of inquiries at get downing alternatively of description of general thought of research. The consequence of it is that respondent does n’t cognize what is inquiry he should reply foremost and how.
Example 1:
I: Many Chinese pupils come here to analyze. Bing one of them, could you delight state us anything particular about your experiences or possibly any unusual narratives that you have encountered get downing from the minute you made the determination to come to Germany up until now? For illustration, why did you do the determination to come to Germany? Did you run into any troubles when forming your surveies abroad? Did you have any people who helped you? And after coming to Germany, how did you pull off to form your life and surveies here? How did you set to life in a different civilization? How did you get by with troubles that emerged from life in a different society?
F: Hm, is this a general inquiry?
I: Yes, it is.
F: I thought at that place will merely be ‘Yes ‘ or ‘No ‘ inquiries?
I: No, the inquiries are non merely in ‘Yes ‘ or ‘No ‘ format.
F: This is a really general inquiry, how should I react to it? Let me believe for a secondaˆ¦ [ 07: 15 – 34 ]
Example 2:
I: Can you state us how the thought of traveling to Germany came to your head for the first clip, or stated in other words, what was your first feeling of Germany? Why did you take Germany as your topographic point of finish?
Kelvin: In fact, it took me merely three yearss to do the determination. [ 02: 4 – 9 ]
Absent of description of general thought of the research. The consequence of it that respondent does n’t cognize what sort of inquiry to anticipate and how reply. Besides he does n’t cognize why this inquiry he should reply.
Example 1:
Ten: I want to inquire some aˆ¦mumaˆ¦what drive you to do a determination here?
Meter: What driveaˆ¦After the graduation, I worked in Qing Dao for three old ages. You know, now in China, in a university, the competition is higher than earlier. We have to work hard to acquire a high place, so you must hold a Post Doctor experience and you have to print better articles, documents. So I think I need to travel abroad to better myself. Yeah, to rich my background. I think it ‘s necessary to travel out.
Ten: Oklahoma. Harmonizing to what you have said, you come here for
acquiring a better work ( future ) . During this period, do you hold some particular narratives or particular experiences?
Meter: What? [ 03: 65 – 80 ]
In this illustration, misconstruing likely arises because utilizing of interviewer of unusual phrase like “ particular narratives ” or “ what thrust you to do a determination here ”
Using of value-judgments and look of interviewer ‘s sentiment. It is job for research, because in this instance influence on respondent is maximum.
Example 1:
Kelvin: In fact, it took me merely three yearss to do the determination.
I: That was truly fast. [ 02: 9 – 11 ]
Example 2:
I: Right, in my sentiment, you are the sort of individual who is willing to seek out new things, for illustration make up one’s minding to analyze abroad. You besides seem to prefer doing determinations on your ain. Possibly those are precisely the character traits that Chinese pupils are losing. Other people might believe that person is traveling abroad merely to delight the parents or to merely make what other people do.
K: I am really different in this instance. [ 02: 235 – 242 ]
Example 3:
I: It seems to me that a batch of Chinese pupils see this sort of force per unit area from their household. [ 02: 596 – 597 ]
Example 4:
Ten: It ‘s really tough.
Meter: Yeah, it is. It ‘s non amusing but it ‘s a sort of experience.
Ten: OK. [ 03: 139 – 142 ]
Interviewer attempts to think reply of respondent. It can take to permutation of respondent reply to interviewer ‘s conjecture.
Example 1:
Kelvins: Originally, I had planned to acquire everything done in three months, but there were some jobs with the mailing service.
I: Visa?
Kelvins: Ya, this was another little job, but it was n’t my mistake. So, in entire it took me four months. [ 02: 92 – 95 ]
Example 2:
I: You found out that you needed more cognition to be able to work better. Is that the ground why you continued analyzing? [ 02: 645 – 646 ]
Exploitation of inquiry taking to certain reply ( prima inquiries )
Example 1:
I: Make you happen that Germans ever follow regulations?
Kelvins: Very much. ( Laughing and nodding to a great extent )
I: For illustration? [ 02: 362 – 366 ] .
May be here interviewer should inquire more soft and general inquiry like “ How you think, do Germans hold peculiar characteristics? ” and if answering replies “ yes ” go on inquiry “ What sort of those characteristics? Please, give illustrations ” .
Interrupting of respondent. The consequence of it is that we can lose of import information, proposition, sentiments because it.
Example 1:
Kelvin: In general I think this is true. In Chinese civilization work forces were more powerful than adult females. [ I: How do you experience about this? ] In fact, there are tough adult females and weak work forces every bit good. [ I: So is it merely a job of assisting each other? ] Yeah, the general image may be that work forces are strong and adult females weak, but there are ever exclusions. [ 02: 557 – 561 ]
Forgeting of import information about respondent
Example 1:
Ten: Are you married?
Meters: non individual. Yes, as I have already mentioned, I am non individual.
Ten: Hehe, right. [ 03: 591 – 595 ]
It is really bad point because interviewer are kiping and demoing absent of involvement to respondent. Consequently, respondent losing involvement and reply shortly without affecting.
Forgeting ain function by interviewer
Example 1:
I: Tonss of my friends told me that their Chinese friends which are now in China, ever said that the best thing about analyzing in Europe is that you do n’t necessitate a passport for travel.
Phosphorus: Yes, because of this Schengen visa.
I: It ‘s the most attractive thing for them.
Phosphorus: One of, I have to state that. [ 10: 79 – 87 ]
In the general state of affairs of interview it is non good ( utilizing of ain life-experience in the procedure of communicating with respondent ) . But in the state of affairs when we have interviewer and respondent in similar places and with similar societal positions ( both of them Chinese pupils ) it is can assist put more assurance relation. And in this instance communicating is n’t interview but something resembling focus-group with two participants ( because both were affected similar factors and conditions ) .
Besides there are different types of respondents. Some of them open to interviewer and readily react. Opposite type of respondents is close and gives merely short general reply. They besides avoid giving illustration.
Example 1:
I: Your Parents did n’t desire to allow you come, right?
A: No. I am a male child, non a miss. So my household supported my ain determination.
I: It has been more than half a twelvemonth since you came here. Did you run into some
friends?
A: Yes. I know rather a batch Chinese here. I have decidedly friends here.
I: Are most of them Chinese?
A: Yes, most of them are Chinese.
I: Are they schoolmates or colleges or person else?
A: Of courseaˆ¦ they are all from University Bremen. But they are non all
from my section.
I: Basically, they are your classmates.
A: What are classmates?
I: The People, who work or study in the same school or university.
A: Sooner state. Yes, they are all my classmates.
I: Besides Chinese, are at that place some foreign friends?
A: Yes. There are some nice Germans from my section. We get along rather
good. [ 13: 95 – 124 ]
Example 2:
I: How do you cognize them?
A: Through friends. The Friend of my friend.
I: You mean your Chinese friends or German friends?
A: It happened besides with the German friends, but in most instances with my
Chinese friends. Because I know more Chinese than Germans. [ 13: 216 – 223 ]
Interviewer should work with all types of respondent. For effectual work he should engage different methods of bettering interview communicating. Therefore I consider advantages of interviewers that I met in our illustrations.
Advantages:
Exploitation of projective inquiry
Example 1:
I: Did you of all time feel that if you were a miss, you would acquire more aid and things would be easier for you? [ 02: 563 – 564 ]
It is really utile instrument. Interviewer make respondent think about unreal state of affairs. It helps research to acquire more relevant sentiment about research subject.
Using common experience for lessening chance that respondent give incorrect reply
Example 1:
I: So when you plan to travel back, is your household one ground for making that? Most of us are the lone kid in the household. [ 02: 795 – 796 ]
It is utile instrument for working with delicate inquiries.
Amplification and paraphrasis of respondent words. It can take to more deep apprehension of his sentiment.
Example 1:
I: What do you intend? Are you seeking to state that your societal environment changed from a rather active and noisy one to a quiet one?
F: Precisely. [ 07: 210 – 213 ]
Example 2:
Ten: So you mean in this procedure, you met a batch of troubles.
Meter: aˆ¦eh… [ 03: 149 – 151 ]
Example 3:
I: Besides the household precedence?
Phosphorus: Right, that ‘s what I mean. Priority of household, of friends, really really close with people. [ 10: 157 – 160 ]
Using information about respondent, acquiring early for farther inquiries
Example 1:
I: You told me before that your German friend told you that some of his friends can take attention of you when you ‘re coming. [ 10: 89 – 90 ]
Example 2:
I: You mentioned that you spend a batch of clip with your friend, what do you normally do after work with them? [ 10: 207 – 208 ] .
It is utile because respondent understand that his narratives utile and interesting for interviewer.
Exploitation of phrases that help to exchange to other subject
Example 1:
Ok, allow ‘s travel on to the following subject. It is the difference between being male and female. Work force and adult females play different functions in German society. Would you hold or what do you believe sing this subject? to You can speak about your ain experience or about German society? [ 06: 444 – 448 ]
Supplying of illustrations
Examples are of import portion of interview procedure and consequence. On the one manus they help respondent to turn out his place. On the other manus they are of import ways to understand life-world of interviewee.
Example 1:
I: For illustration?
Calciferol: Hmm… what would be a simple illustration, possibly the trams or the Michigans of the trams. [ 06: 499 – 502 ]
After interview interviewer write transcript about his perceptual experience of respondent and state of affairs at whole. This besides utile instrument for analyze of communicating between interviewer and respondent. In the 2nd study devoted this subject Olya emphasizes: “ In PS interviewer as a regulation gives some notes about cortege and besides extra information about respondent. Through his/her words the analyst should catch interviewer ‘s attitude to respondent and seek to understand a nexus between interviewer ‘s influence on respondent ‘s replies. For illustration in the interview a„-14 interviewer wrote in the PS his ain sentiment about respondent: aˆ•I believe his experience life in Germany is really of import for the transmutation of his manner of thought, though he has non realized it ( 14: 681-683 ) . Maybe it ‘s non perfect illustration exemplifying interview ‘s attitude towards respondent, but here we can see interview ‘s contemplation after conversation ( possibly condemned sentiment – non realized it ) . ” It is really of import point particularly when research worker ( who analyze gathered informations ) and interviewer is different people. Researcher does n’t cognize something more than approximately interview than transcript. And information from PS can assist him in right apprehension of complex reply and besides replies to delicate inquiries.
In decision, communicating between interviewee and interviewer is really of import and responsible portion of research. Therefore we should engage qualified interviewers that gather more relevant informations and lessening influence on respondent. And besides we should take into history that what how interviewer communicate with answering influence on the informations when we analyze them and compose study.
