Qualitative Research Methods

Assignment #2

Institute of Clinical and Professional Psychology

Submitted to

Madam Samia Hussain

Submitted by

Anam Farooq

Sap Id#42210

MS (Clinical Psychology)3rd semester

SESSION 2022-2024

Riphah Institute of Clinical & Professional Psychology

Riphah International University Quaid-E-Azam Campus, Lahore

Qualitative research gathers information that is not in numerical form. For example, diary

accounts, open ended questions and semi-structured interview and observation. whereas

qualitative research lends itself very well to developing hypotheses and theories and to describing

processes such as decision making or communication processes. Qualitative research can help

researchers to generate new and interesting research questions and hypotheses. Qualitative

research can also provide rich and detailed descriptions of human behavior in the real-world

contexts in which it occurs. Among qualitative researchers, this depth is often referred to as “thick

description” (Geertz, 1973).

There are different ways to collect data; interviewing is considered a key form of qualitative

inquiry in psychology that yields rich data on lived experience and meaning making of life events.

Interviews that contain multiple components informed by specific epistemologies have the

potential to provide particularly nuanced perspectives on psychological experience.

Interview

An interview is a goal-driven transaction characterized by questions and answers, clear

structure, control, and imbalance. An interview is usually a dyadic transaction, meaning that it

takes place between two people. Interviews are intended to find out the experiences,

understandings, opinions, or motivations of participants. The relationship between the interviewer

and interviewee is crucial to the success of the research interview; the interviewer builds an

environment of trust with the interviewee/s, guiding the interviewee/s through a set of topics or

questions to be discussed in depth. (Wilkins, 2008). Interviews are a great research tool.
They allow you to gather rich information and draw more detailed conclusions than other research

methods.

Example

A researcher is conducting a study on the effects of social media on mental health. They

want to interview people who use social media frequently to understand their experiences. The

researcher sets up a meeting with an interviewee and asks them a series of questions about their

social media usage, how it affects their mood, and if they have noticed any changes in their mental

health since using social media. The researcher records the interview and uses the responses to

gain insight into the relationship between social media and mental health.

Types of Interview

Interviews can be face to face, via telecommunications (Skype, FaceTime, or phone), or

via email (internet or email interview) The length of an interview varies. They may be anywhere

from thirty minutes to several hours in length, depending on your research approach There are

three types of interviews generally used in qualitative research; structured, semi-structured, and

unstructured

Structured interview

Structured interviews use a set list of questions which need to be asked in order, increasing

the reliability and credibility of the data but decreasing responsiveness to interviewee/s. When

conducting a structured interview, all questions related to the objectives of the study are prepared

prior to initiating the interview and asked during the interview. This type has several

disadvantages.
Unstructured Interview

Unstructured interviews are where the interviewer has a set list of topics to address but no

predetermined questions. This increases the flexibility of the interview. Unstructured interviews

may be used in long-term field observation research. This type of interview has some

disadvantages. For example, it is very difficult to ensure that the conversation will produce data

needed for the research, and frequently a second or even third interview will be needed.

Researchers need to lead the conversation to a point to extract the required data. Consequently,

collecting data through unstructured interviews in qualitative research would be very difficult and

may not enable the researcher to gain the desired information.

Semi-structured interview

Semi-structured interviews are the middle ground. Semi-structured interviews require the

interviewer to have a list of questions and topics pre-prepared, which can be asked in different

ways with different interviewee/s. Semi-structured interviews increase the flexibility and the

responsiveness of the interview while keeping the interview on track, increasing the reliability and

credibility of the data. Semi-structured interviews are one of the most common interview

techniques. Semi-structured interviews are more like natural conversations than written. Open-

ended questions empower the interviewer to collect related data from the interviewee in detail with

personal feelings, emotion, ideas, and with less self-censorship. The interviewer has general

questions related to their research, or topic guide. General questions do not delve into the

understanding of the interviewee, but instead break the ice and touch upon the topic briefly to

prepare the interviewee for more challenging questions. Additionally, the interviewer develops

follow up questions based on the answers or the conversation with the interviewee.(Mason,2002)
Characteristics of interview

An interview in a qualitative study needs to have multiple characteristics. Some of the

characteristics have been discussed;

 Personal: Interviews are usually conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or through

video conferencing, allowing for personal interaction between the researcher and the

participant.

 Interactive: Interviews are a two-way conversation between the researcher and the

participant, allowing for follow-up questions and clarifications.

 Qualitative: Interviews are a qualitative research method, focusing on subjective

experiences, opinions, and attitudes of participants.

 In-depth: Interviews can provide in-depth information on a research topic, allowing for a

thorough exploration of complex issues and phenomena.

 Contextual: Interviews can provide contextual information on a research topic, giving

insight into the cultural, social, and historical factors that may influence the topic.

 Time-consuming: Conducting interviews can be time-consuming, requiring significant

planning, preparation, and follow-up.

Strengths and Weaknesses of interview

Strengths
 Interviews provide potential to gather rich and detailed information from each participant

more so than questionnaires.

issues, as participants are more likely to relax and give better responses as the dialogue

flows.

 Interviews can be used as part of a pilot study to gather information prior to conducting

proposed research.

 Flexible – probing questions can be asked, and the order of questions changed, depending

on the participant.

 Familiarity – most interviewees are familiar with the concept of an interview and are

comfortable with this research approach

Weaknesses

 Not all participants are equally articulate or perceptive.

 Questions must be worded carefully to reduce response bias.

 Social desirability bias can be a problem with self-report techniques, i.e. participants

give responses that are thought to be the most socially acceptable.

 Interview data can be a time-consuming task to analyze and interpret when it is so

detailed (and in a qualitative [written] format).

 Interviews require participants to have basic competencies for interviews to be

successful (e.g. adequate communication skills, memory, honesty) which could

potentially limit the sample’s size and representativeness of the population if not met.

Conclusion

All in all, interviews are a valuable technique for qualitative research, yielding rich and

detailed unstructured data. Historically, they have only been limited by the human capacity to
interpret and communicate results and conclusions, which demands considerable time and skill.

As a research method interviewing subject matter experts can enhance a project or create new

ideas. By memorizing basic interview skills, we will be able to focus more on content and less on

the interview process.

Creswell, J.W, (2013). Research Design. Thousand Oaks California: SAGE publications.

Giles, H., & Smith, P. M. (1979). Accommodation theory: Optimum levels of convergence. In H.

Language and social psychology. (pp. 45-65). Blackwell.

Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Lindquist, P., Johansson, L., & Karlsson, U. (2008). In the aftermath of teenage suicide: A

qualitative study of the psychosocial consequences for the surviving family members. BMC

Psychiatry, 8, 26. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/8/26

Mason, J. (2002). Qualitative researching (2nd ed). Sage

Wilkins, A. (2008). “Happier than Non-Christians”: Collective emotions and symbolic boundaries

among evangelical Christians. Social Psychology Quarterly, 71, 281–301.