Designing an Interview Protocol. Why an Interview Protocol Keep your focus on your research question. Maximize the probability of collecting all the data.

Designing an

Interview Protocol

Why an Interview ProtocolKeep your focus on

your research question.

Maximize the probability of collecting all the data you need.

Allow you to focus attention on the dynamics of the interview.

Choose your words to be specific and concrete. Ask questions that are not biased or judgmental. Provide a framework for research ethics.Link your methodology to your epistemological

commitments.Anticipate possible responses and plan logical

follow-up questions. Think about how to approach sensitive subjects. Become aware of unconscious assumptions or

categories. Collect data sets that are comparable between

participants.

Paradigms• Structured • Query/Response• Facts

• Unstructured • Conversation• Experiences, Opinions, and Feelings

Designing the Protocol1. Start with your research question (and

hypotheses). 2. Clarify your purpose.3. Decide what kind of data will be useful.

Imagine yourself conducting an interview. What kind of data you are recording?

Imagine yourself analyzing the data. What methods are you using?

Envision the ideal form that your research report might take. What kinds of evidence does it include?

4. Decide what questions will elicit these data, support these methods and produce this kind of report.

5. Decide on a structure.

Setting Up Initial Conditions

Statement of purpose and first question are critical.

Avoid jumping in too quickly. The initial question can serve to introduce the

topic. Easy to answer.Reinforces the participant’s self-esteem.Demonstrates you are prepared for the interview.Follows logically from your statement of purpose.

Epistemological ConsiderationsYour beliefs about how and why we know

should be reflected in the design of the protocol.

Knowledge is generated by rigorous scientific methods highly structured protocol with limited response set.

Knowledge discovers the plotline of lived experience unstructured protocol with no preconceived

categories. Knowledge should be tied to action

the protocol should be a catalyst for action.Semi-structured interview protocols

Collect rich data in a form that lends itself to analytical methods.

Can reflect a synthesis of epistemological positions.

Example: Heuristic ResearchKnowledge expands outwards from your own

experience of a phenomenon (Moustakas).What do you know about the experience?What qualities or dimensions of the experience

stand out?What examples are vivid and alive?What events, situations, and people are connected?What feelings and thoughts are generated by the

experience?What bodily states or shifts in bodily presence

occur?What time and space factors affect your awareness

and meaning?What are the significant constituents of the

experience?

Semi-Structured Interview GuidelinesSet up positive initial conditions Clearly define what information you are looking for. Explain the objective of your inquiry and provide instructions.

Help participants to engage in the process Ask questions that promote positive interaction and keep

conversation flowing. Include words that motivate participants to respond. Confine each question to one idea. Use specific, concrete words that participants are likely to

interpret in the same way. Embed definitions of key terms and abstract words . Put cues in the questions to stimulate memory. Offer a chance to rethink answers or comment on areas you did not cover.

Collect data that are useful for analysis or interpretation.Relate the questions to specific experiences.Ask about specific aspects of the experience.Ask about key events, documents, associations, or images. Decide if you want to embed any categories in your questions. Ask open, general questions before closed, specific ones. Think about possible responses and follow-up questionsAsk about discrepancies but do not force participants to be consistent.

Spend time to refine the protocolRead your protocol out loud to yourself and anybody else who will listen. Anticipate where silence might be more effective than a question.Run a pilot study.

Narrative InterviewsMore concerned with getting the whole story rather than establishing categories.

1. Start with a conversational question.

2. Discuss the topic/issue conceptually.

3. Ask an open question to elicit a narrative account.

4. Ask follow-up questions to get the details.

•Ask for examples and details. •Ask for context. •Ask for intentions and expectations. •Use time referents. •Ask what happened before and after.•Ask for a demonstration: •Ask about settings, places, and landscapes.•Ask about feelings, ambience, and moods.•Ask about objects. •Ask for associations, similes, and analogies: •Use metaphors and concrete visual imagery. •Asking for e-mail follow-ups is a good way of getting stories.

The Interview as InterventionCatalyst for change. Identify problems.Provide diagnostic feedback.Create a felt need for change.Provide factual information.Offer potential solutions. Identify opportunities.Confront obstacles.Suggest directions for

movement.Stimulate learning.Encourage reflection on

practice.Engage participants change.Provide a space for creativity.

In management inquiry, questions should be designed to direct energy towards change.Collect data that are useful for problem-solving and

are likely to support beneficial outcomes.Linked to actual behavior.Useful starting point for discussion of issues of

concern to participants.Limited to things that participants can do

something about.In action or participatory research, consider

involving the participants in creating the interview protocol.

Example: Appreciative Inquiry Appreciative inquiry aims to discovering the factors

that generate health and vitality in an organization.

1. When you are feeling best about your work, what do you value about the task itself?

2. Can you recall an outstanding or successful achievement that you have been involved in pulling off. What made it possible?

3. Think of a time when you felt most committed to your organization and its mission. Why did you feel such commitment?

4. Can you think of a time when there was an extraordinary display of cooperation in the organization? What made such cooperation possible?

5. Give an example of the most effective team or committee of which you have been a part.

6. What are some of the things you value about your organization and your work?

7. If you could transform the organization in any way you wished, what would you do to heighten its vitality and health?

Examples of Research ProtocolsResearch Question

“In what ways has the Internet made an impact on the American workplace?”

AssignmentDesign a semi-structured interview to collect data for an inquiry on this research question.

Protocol 1How has the internet affected the American

workplace?How has the internet affected your

workplace?In what ways has the internet affected you?Has the internet caused layoffs in the

workplace?Does the internet prevent you from

completing your job effectively?In what ways does the internet prevent

employees from completing their assigned duties on time?

Protocol 2The purpose of this research is to determine in

what ways the Internet has made an impact on the American workplace. Data received will help employers determine the importance employees place on the Internet. As well as determine if employees feel the information received through the Internet is a viable source of information. At any time during the interview if you need further clarification on the questions, please ask. You may change your answers at any given time if you may choose to do so. All data received is appreciated and will be used in the most honorable way possible.

How often do you use the Internet a day?

a. 0-3b. 4-6c. 7-10

On average how many hours are you on the Internet?

a. 0-3b. 4-6d. 7-10

Did you find your last job on the Internet?a. Yese. No

Did you research your current employer before interviewing?

a. Yesb. No

How did you research your current employer prior to interviewing?

a. Internetb. Periodicalsc. Other (explain)

Have you ever researched co-workers via the Internet?

a. Yesb. No

If yes, how often in the past six months?a. 0-3b. 4-6c. 7-10

Have you used information found on the Internet as leverage when negotiating salary requirements?

a. Yesd. No

Have you used the Internet to look for a new job while working at your current employer?

a. Yese. No

How would you feel if your employer disabled the Internet from your computer?

a. Upsetb. Indifferentc. Happy

Protocol 3Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. The purpose

of the interview is to gather data in an effort to understand in what ways the Internet has had an impact in the American workplace. While I have a series of prepared questions, I encourage you to expound on your answers beyond the scope of the question if you feel it would be helpful for our study. If the intent behind my question is not clear please do not hesitate to ask for clarification. If it is okay with you, I will be taking notes throughout the interview. Your responses will be kept confidential and I would be happy to share my notes with you if you would like to review them for accuracy. We have allocated 45 minutes for the interview and we will be respectful of your time. Before we get started, what questions do you have for me?

1. Date:2. Name: (your identity will be kept confidential)3. What is your job title?4. How long have you been at your current company?5. How much time would you estimate you spend on the Internet at work

on a daily basis?6. Can you give me some examples of how and when you use the Internet

in your workplace?7. Can you describe how you think these examples affected participation,

knowledge, and productivity of management and employees in your workplace?

8. Has telecommuting using internet technology been a part of your job

at any time during the last two years? If so, please describe how working “virtually” affected your productivity?

9. Have you seen any decreases in sales and marketing expenditures due to the use of the internet in your workplace?

10. How have specific internet applications such as collaborative online document retrieval or online attendance at business meetings or conferences impacted participation, knowledge, or productivity in your workplace in the last two years?

11. Can you give me an example of a time when a team at your company worked more collaboratively with the use of internet technology?

12. Can you think of any time when your company’s competition used internet technology to move ahead of your company?

13. If the Internet went down in your office for one week (and you had no other means of accessing it) describe how it would impact your workday and your ability to do your job.

14. Apart from using the Internet to complete your tasks at work, in what other ways would you say it impacts your work life (e.g. how you communicate with colleagues, time spent on the internet doing non-job related activities, etc.)?

15. What do you believe is the single biggest way the Internet has impacted your workplace? Why?

16. Before we conclude, are there any other thoughts or experiences you would like to share that are pertinent to our research?