11 Interview Method

Pa . Raajeswari

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INTRODUCTION

 

The reliability of managerial decisions depends on the quality of data. The quality of data can be expressed in terms of its representative feature of the reality which can be ensured by the usage of a fitting data collection method.

 

The collection of data is the important task in the research methodology. Before explaining the methods of data collection, researcher, should understand the need of the study and decide the type of the data required.

 

SOURCES OF DATA

 

Data refer to the facts, figures or information collected for a specific purpose. The distinction between primary and secondary data can be made more clear on the basis of documents. The primary data is documented as record and secondary data as report.

 

Now researcher has to decide which type of data he would like to use for this study accordingly have to select particular type of data base. The data collection methods differ in each type of data to be collected by the researcher personally.

 

It is necessary to distinguish between types of the data. It is primary and secondary one.

 

TYPES OF DATA

 

There are two types of data, namely

 

a) Primary data

b) Secondary data

 

The primary data is collected at first hand and the secondary data are those which are collected by someone else and which had already been processed.

 

PRIMARY DATA

 

Primary data are those which are new and original in nature. These data are the first hand information generated to achieve the purpose of the research. Some of the examples of primary data are the data relating the population collected by the enumerators of the government are primary data, data collected using a survey to determine the market segment of the product of a company, data of a study to determine the infrastructure facilities of educational institutions in a state, data of a study determine the morale of the employees in a company. Primary data are useful for current studies as well as for future studies. Hence, it should be collected with utmost care.

 

The primary data is collected through several methods. The important among them are

 

i.Observation

ii.Interview

iii.Survey through questionnaires and schedules

 

SECONDARY DATA

 

Secondary data are those data which are not new and original in nature. These data are obtained from published or unpublished sources. For example, if we use the data relating to the population which is published by the government, it is secondary data.

 

INTERVIEW METHOD

 

The interview method is one of the important methods of primary data collection. It is a confiscation between the observation and respondent. It is oral-verbal questions and corresponding oral-verbal response to the queries made. In field oriented study interview plays a major role. This is done with the help of structured schedule. The interview can be conducted personally or through telephones.

 

As a research method, interviewing is the development of the common social act of conversation that is characterized by the concepts of precision, focus, reliability and validity. The interviewer asks questions pertinent to the research and the respondent answers the questions. The concept of an interview, usually understood as a face-to-face encounter, can be extended to include telephone interviews and, in today’s context, video interviews.

 

Interviews can be regarded as one of the foremost tools of the behavioural scientist, not only for the purpose of obtaining qualitative data but also as a tool for measurement. When seeking measurement, the questions asked in an interview are expressed as to elicit responses that can be recorded in categories and coded. Nevertheless, interviews are particularly valuable for obtaining data in situations where the formality of a questionnaire would be less likely to elicit the desired information. Thu s an interview can be used as an exploratory tool to suggest hypotheses and identify research variables as well as for studying relationships and testing hypotheses.

 

OBJECTIVE OF INTERVIEW

  1. The primary objective of interview is to collect information about unknown facts through personal contact. For instance a historical researcher wanting to write about the contribution of those from a particular region who participated in the freedom struggle, may have to resort to only interview such people, their friends and relatives to get the necessary details.
  2. Collection of qualitative facts can be done only through interview.
  3. The interview method is adopted to supplement the data and inferences obtained through observational technique.
  4. Collection of information about different problem in varied situations.
  5. Interview technique helps to get facts in the formulation of hypothesis.
  6. The main purpose of interview as a tool of data collection- field procedure is to gather data extensively and intensively.
  7. The interview may be exchange of ideas and experiences, eliciting of information pertaining to a very wide range of data.
  8. The interviewee may wish to rehearse the past, define the present and canvass the future possibilities.

ADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEW METHOD

  • In-depth information is obtained.
  • Interviewer can overcome the resistance by respondent.
  • Questions can be restructured as for the requirement.
  • By observation verbal answers to can be recorded.
  • Under this method personal information is easily obtained.
  • Samples can be easily controlled.
  • Non-responsence by the respondent is minimised.
  • Spontaneous response of the respondent is secured.
  • Language of the questions can be modified according to the level and understanding of respondent.
  • Based on the response of the respondent if required additional questions can be asked by interviewer.
  • It helps to obtain accurate information.
  • It’s a process of social interaction.
  • Misunderstanding of questions can be removed by better clarification by interviewer.
  • Personal qualities of interviewee, such as emotions opinions are assessed by interviewer.
  • The interviewer is well prepared and so the interview is conducted in a focused manner.

As much details as possible could be collected about the subject matter of interviewer decides in advance the depth of interview.

 

DISADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEW METHOD

  • The data so collected may remain inadequate if high profile persons are not contactable
  • Over response by respondent may lead to imaginary answer.
  • Under this method training and supervision is required to be organised which is very complex.
  • Under the process of interviewing systematic errors may be introduced.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW

  • Classification according to formality- Formal interview, Informal interview.
  • Classification according to the number- Personal interview, Group interview.
  • Classification according to purpose- Diagnostic interview, Treatment interview, Research interviews, Interviews to fulfil curiosity.
  • Classification according to the period of contact- Short contact interview, prolonged contact interview.
  • Classification according to subject matter- Qualitative interview, Quantitative interview, Mixed interview.
  • Classification according to role- Non-directive interview, Focussed interview.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW

 

A list of questions relating to the proposed study is prepared and the answers for these questions are obtained from the respondents. This method is called interview method. There are two methods of interview namely:

  • PERSONAL INTERVIEW
  • TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW

PERSONAL INTERVIEW

 

1.Personal interview is a survey method of data collection which employs a questionnaire. The components of the personal interview are the researcher, the interviewee and the interview environment. Under the guidance of the researcher several interviewers will be sent with questionnaires to meet the respondents/interviewees of the survey for seeking responses to the questionnaire under the defined interview environment. The environment is defined in terms of place, time and several other factors which will influence interviewees. Personal interview can be classified into

  • Door-to-door interview,
  • Executive interview,
  • Mall intercept surveys,
  • Self-administered questionnaires ,
  • Purchase intercept technique.

In Door-To-Door Interviewing, the interviewer will go to the residence of each selected respondents/customers and obtain responses for the items in the questionnaire by direct interviewing with him/her for consumer goods or any other topic of study. This is a detailed in-depth survey method which seeks responses with better precision. It is a time-consuming and costly process.

 

Executive interviewing is same as door-to-door interviewing except that the interviewees are industrial executives and the products are industrial goods. This is a costly and time-consuming process. The average waiting time of the interviewers at the offices of the executive before commencing the interview process is too long because of the busy schedule of the executives.

 

Mall intercept interview is conducted in shopping complexes where a diverse spectrum of customers can be interviewed. The people who pass through that place will be used as responds for filling the questionnaires. In this method, the interviewers are stationed in a particular place of an area and the people who come to that area will be sampled and served with questionnaires. Hence, it is a less costly and quickly process.

 

In self-administered interview, the respondents will be issued with questionnaires and they will be asked to fill them on their own. This means that the interviewers will be absent while filling the questionnaires. This method has the advantage of removing interviewer’s bias. But, the absence of the interviewer will make the respondents to assume some irrelevant responses for some open ended questions for which the respondents have limited knowledge/doubt. It is ales costly and quick process.

 

Purchase intercept technique is a direct interviewing method in which the customers will be intercepted and interviewed after they select their items from the showroom. The main advantage of this method is that it will enable the buyers to have better recall and compare the product of interest with competing brands with greater accuracy since they are yet to complete the buying process. But, in this method, the sampling is restricted to the buyers who completed the selection of some items to buy. Hence, a complete randomized selection of sampling units is prohibited in this method.

 

2.Personal interview is face to face interaction with observer and respondent. In this method the interviewer ask various questions and collects necessary information. This is a direct personal investigation from the source of information.

3. The observer or interviewer has to present on the spot to meet the person from whom this information is to be collected.

4. If direct personal contact is not possible for observer that indirect oral examination can be conducted which should be subject to cross examination by the person Conducting investigation.

5. The interview is normally carried out in structured way. Such interviews are called structured interviews. This is conducted through well thought pre-determined questions with sound techniques of recording the response. It is a rigid procedure for asking questions.

 

But in case of unstructured interview there is no rigidity in asking question maximum flexibility is maintained in questioning. As such in such interview no pre-determined set of questions are used for collecting information. In this system interviewer is given greater freedom to decide questions if required additional questions can also be asked.

 

On account of having such flexibility in questions the comparison between two interviews is very difficult. It required deep knowledge and greater skill for collecting information. This unstructured interview is suitable for formulative or exploratory research studies. Whereas structured interviews are used for descriptive studies. It is economical, used for generalisation and required normal skill to conduct interview.

 

TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW

 

Telephones, as a communication device, are also widely used to set up personal interviews and to screen for rare respondent types. This popularity is possible because of the widespread acceptance of the telephone, as a necessary communication device. Telephone interviewing has some substantial advantages and disadvantages as compared to alternative methods. When respondent cannot be contacted personally then information which is required to the collected can be collected through phone. This method is not widely used but even than it is a main source for survey in developed regions.It is used in a condition where respondents are widely scattered telephones are especially economical. It is also useful in reaching individuals who are located in such remote places that face-to-face interview would be difficult and expensive, as well as those who may not bother answering a mailed questionnaire.

 

ADVANTAGES

  • This system is having more flexibility.
  • It is a quick way for contacting respondent.
  • It has relatively low cost, call back is very easy.
  • Non-response is very low.
  • There is no embarrassment to respondents.
  • Interview requirement can be easily explained to respondent.
  • Easy access to respondent who are otherwise uncontactable.
  • Wider range of the sample is possible under this system.

DISADVANTAGES

  • Very short time is given to respondent for the answers.
  • This system is useful only in such place where, network is developed.
  • Wide coverage becomes costly.
  • It is difficult to have descriptive answer to the questions.
  • Higher possibility of bias interview is more.
  • Short questions may lose significance.
  • There is much scope for deckling answers by respondents.
  • This system lacks motivation as there is no eye contact.

Telephone interview is considered to be a cost effective and dominant data collection method because of the following reasons:

  • The travel time of interviewers is totally eliminated.
  • The cost of travel of interviewers is also eliminated.
  • Greater possibility of reaching the customers all over the geography.
  • Total time of conducting the interview of the sample is least when compared to other methods.
  • Greater possibility of random selection of respondents among the population having telephone connection.
  • There is a greater probability of reaching the respondent unlike the non response problems of personal interview.

SELECTION OF TELEPHONE NUMBERS

 

Telephone numbers must be selected such that they cover the entire population of interest.

 

The methods for selection of telephone numbers are as follows:

  • Telephone directory reference
  • Random-digit dialling
  • Systematic random-digit dialling
  • Plus-one dialling.

Call timing

 

The timing of the calls should be such that maximum numbers of respondents are available for interview on first dialing. The respondents may be classified into working, non-working, and business groups.

 

For consumer survey, it is preferable to call the respondents belonging to all the three groups mentioned above in evening time during week days and day time during week end. For survey relating to industrial marketing, the respondents belonging to a business group should be called during 10 am and 4.00 pm only on week days.The remaining part of the working group may be called during weekends.

 

Call report

 

It is a catalogue of events about telephone interviewing. The interviewer should record the telephone numbers called, and for each number the name of the respondents, call date, time, duration of the call and any special remark in the call report. This report is a kind of data based for the interviewer which is served to the respondents who are yet to be interviewed.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Interview is one of the important and powerful tools for data collection. The interview technique is a verbal method of securing data especially in research connected with social problems. It is not only the words spoken which matters but also the gestures, glances, facial expressions, pauses, modulation of voice, rate of speech, etc which also matter a lot. Thus it is an essential interactional process. Only through interview various types of intensively and extensively.

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Web links

  • http://www.cfrinc.net/cfrblog/telephone-interviewing-data-collection-advantages-disadvantages
  • https://bizfluent.com/info-8076437-advantages-disadvantages-telephone-interviews.html
  • http://www.fao.org/docrep/w3241e/w3241e06.htm
  • https://content.wisestep.com/interview-methods-types-advantages-disadvantages/
  • http://www.qualitativeresearch.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/175/391%26sa%3DU%2 6ei%3DFdsJTdDCGYOnrAer0YjVDg%26ved%3D0CP4BEBYwXg%26usg%3DAFQjCNEsC2J0w ILvNuH7LEhQaA2znBkKvw