IT3010 / TDT39Research Methodology

Week 5: Interviews and observations

Name, title of the presentation

Figure 3.1 in: B. J. Oates, Researching Information Systems and Computing. London: Sage Publications, 2006.

The research process

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J McGrath

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Interviews and observations

Provide you with data to back up or refute your theories and hypotheses.

Interview: Direct input collected from a specific person Used in obtrusive, respondent strategies.

Observation: Indirect input collected through observing a phenomenon in it

natural settings. Used in unobtrusive (ideally), field strategies

Both collect qualitative data. Structured interview might produce quantitative data as well.

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Interview types

Structured Similar to questionnaire. Predefined questions, predefined answer alternatives.

Semi-structured Predefined topic and themes, open-ended questions.

Unstructured Predefined topic, open-ended themes and questions.

Semi-structured and Unstructured are more explorative, while Structured is more validating.

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Researcher's role in interviews

Interviews are strongly vulnerable to bias on the side of the interviewer.

Interview design should take special care to eliminate bias: Who do you send to interview whom? Is the interviewer of the same or different social class, sex, ethnic

background etc. as the interviewee? How well-developed are the social skills of the interviewer?

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Preparing for an interview

The basic rule is to treat your interviewee with respect and dignity! Do prior research on the interviewee's background. Schedule well ahead and don't plan for long interviews. Allow interviewee see the topic, themes and questions beforehand

and give feedback. Prepare for recording and ask prior permission. Pay attention to the seating arrangement during the interview. Start the interview with a clarification of goal, agenda, process. Make active use of prompts, probs and checks. Afterwards:

Do the transcribing and check the result with the interviewee before making public. Give "something" back to the interviewee as a thank you.

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Group interviews

E.g. focus groups. Used frequently in new product design and evaluation. Has advantages and disadvantages compared to normal

interview: Can give better results because of the discussions among the

interviewees. Can give worse results because of the social hierarchies or other

issues among the interviewees.

ICT

Interviews and observations

Provide you with data to back up or refute your theories and hypotheses.

Interview: Direct input collected from a specific person Used in obtrusive, respondent strategies.

Observation: Indirect input collected through observing a phenomenon in it

natural settings. Used in unobtrusive (ideally), field strategies

Both collect qualitative data. Structured interview might produce quantitative data as well.

ICT

Figure 3.1 in: B. J. Oates, Researching Information Systems and Computing. London: Sage Publications, 2006.

The research process

ICT

J McGrath

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Observation's goal

Find our what actually happens rather than what people think or say happens. Researcher uses all senses to collect field data.

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Convert or overt?

Overt observations Agree with those being observed about the process.

Covert observations Researcher as a spy.

‘Hawthorn Effect ’ – people modify their behavior because they know they are being observed.

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Systematic or participant?

Systematic observation: Pre-defined observation focus and plan (system of observation). Focus on e.g. "interactions among group members". Plan for what to observe, e.g. "number of times each member

talks" and "to whom each member talks". Often, researcher is an outsider.

Observation schedules, example:

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Systematic or participant?

Participant observation: Researcher is a participant in the phenomenon being observed. No observation plan or schedule, open-ended notes. Often long-term. Overt or covert. Important to be clear about the "rules of the

game". The danger of "going native".

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Different aspects of observation

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Researcher's role in observations

Complete observer. Complete researcher. Participant observer. Participant researcher.

Next week

• Analysis. Book chapter 18.• Deliver assignment 2.• Group 5 presents paper 5.