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Interviews
This course material is for non-commercial use only. Any public
display, distribution and adaptation is not allowed for any
purposes.
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Content Outline
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Overview of In-depth Interviews
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Process of interviews
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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Advantages VS disadvantages of In-depth Interviews
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Overview of Interviews
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Intensive Interviews
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Intensive interviews, or in-depth interviews, are the one-onone interview approach.
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Examples of Intensive Interviews
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Harrington (2003) conducted intensive interviews with a
dozen individuals familiar with the storylines on the soap
opera All My Children concerning the series’ portrayal of
homosexuality.
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Phalen (2000) carried out two-hour interviews with 14 female
managers at radio and television stations. The responses to
her open-ended questions suggested that her respondents
experienced bias against female managers and instances of
sexual harassment.
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Lewis (2008) conducted intensive interviews with eight
journalists who had either lost their jobs or were suspended
due to plagiarism accusations.
Goal
To understand the
world from an
interviewee’s view
To find a meaning
• Why does an interviewee
understand the
world that way?
experience
• In which way does an interviewee
see the
world?
To review an
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from an interviewee’s
authentic life of an
interviewee
A researcher goes through a conceptual
process (abstraction) to explain the data
theoretically.
Related Parties
•Should ask questions that suit to interviewee’s background
•Should build a good relationship with an interviewee before/
during/ after the interview and build comfortable atmosphere
Interview
er
Interviewe
e
•Should study the subject in advance
•Should focus on what an interviewee speaks sincerely
•Should be mindful about time consumption
• Should voluntarily gives an interview
• Should have knowledge/ experience about the
subject
• Should have time for an interview
• Should not work in a similar field to a researcher (to
avoid bias)
Should
adjust
questions
based
on
interviewee’s
backgroun
d
Should not
be
closeended
questions
(Yes/
No)
Should
come
from
theory/
situation
analysis
Guided
Questions
for
Should be
easily
adjusted
during
the
interview
Should
arrange
question
s
systematical
ly
Interview
Should prepare
appropriate
amount of
questions (lasts
2 hours)
Should test
questions in
advance
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Process of Interview
Process of Interview
Before
During
After
• Prepare and practice an interviewer
• Prepare equipment(s) and set up a location and time
• Declare the objectives of the study to an interviewee (should
be also
shown in a document)
•
Start an interview (clear doubts interviewee may have
at the beginning)
•
Reach the climax
•
Close the interview (should create a relaxing moment)
• Turn off a recorder
immediately
Example of Interview
Main Question
(Planned)
Sub-question
(Impromptu)
Q1: When do you play social media?
• A1: I use it when I have free time.
•
Q2:When is your free time?
• A2: It is after the school.
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Sub-question
(Impromptu)
•
3: How
Q3:
How often do you use the social
o
media
after school?
• A3: About 2 hours.
Use
permission
keyword to
before
using a
recorder
take note
and focus
on the
interview
Back-Up
Ask for a
Note Taking
Using a Recorder
Data Record
Always has
a back-up
recorder
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Reasons for Using
Interviews
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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They generally use smaller samples.
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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They provide detailed background about the reasons
respondents give specific answers. Elaborate data
concerning respondents’ opinions, values, motivations,
recollections, experiences, and feelings are obtained.
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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They allow for lengthy observation of respondents’
nonverbal responses.
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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They are usually long. Unlike personal interviews used in
survey research that may last only a few minutes, an intensive
interview may last several hours and may take more than one
session.
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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They can be customized to individual respondents. In a
personal interview, all respondents are usually asked the
same questions. Intensive interviews allow interviewers to
form questions based on each respondent’s answers.

.
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Reasons for Using Interviews
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They can be influenced by the interview climate. To a greater
extent than with personal interviews, the success of intensive
interviews depends on the rapport established between the
interviewer and the respondent
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Advantages of Intensive Interview
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Advantages of Intensive Interview
 The
most important advantage of the in-depth interview
is the wealth of the detail that it provides.
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Advantages of Intensive Interview
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When compared to survey methods, intensive interviewing
provides more accurate responses on sensitive issues.
The rapport between respondent and interviewer makes it
easier to approach certain topics that might be taboo in other
approaches.
Ex. Violent, aggressive behavior
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Disadvantages of Interviews
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Disadvantages of Interviews
Generalizability is sometimes a problem. Intensive interviewing is
typically done with a nonrandom sample. Since interviews are usually
non-standardized, each respondent may answer a slightly different
version of a question.
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Disadvantages of Interviews
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They are especially sensitive to interviewer bias. In a long
interview, it is possible for a respondent to learn a good deal
of information about the interviewer. Despite practice and
training, some interviewers may inadvertently communicate
their attitudes through loaded questions, nonverbal cues, or
tone of voice.
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Disadvantages of Interviews
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The effect of this on the validity of a respondent’s answers
is difficult to gauge. Finally, intensive interviewing presents
problems in data analysis. A researcher given the same body
of data taken from an interview may wind up with
interpretations significantly different from those of the
original investigator.
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Reference

This course material is for non-commercial use only. Any
public display,
and adaptation
is not
allowed
for
Wimmer,
R.distribution
& Dominick,
J. (2011).
Mass
Media
any purposes.
th
Research: An Introduction (9 ed.). Belmont, CA:
Thompson Wadsworth.
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Thank you for your
attention