Analysis and Interpretation Worksheet

3

Interviewing

Edens Pun

University of Phoenix

RES/724

DR. Eleanor Burns

September 07, 2021

Interviewing

Interviews are structured conversations where one individual asks questions while the other participant provides answers as required. In my case, I had been required by the university lecturer to provide a transcribed interview involving my colleagues. I assigned the first colleague as participant A and the other B for easier comprehension. I learned about various procedures required in conducting a good interview hence acquiring the desired information (Nir, 2018).

First, during the interviews, I learned about the need to have extensive background information on the topic I was to conduct an interview on. Generally, having great content on the area of research assisted me in inquiring about relevant and accurate information. As an employee of the Veterans Agency, my knowledge of how the corporation operates and the challenges involved was essential during the interview. Also, during the start of my interview with the two participants, I became aware of the need to introduce myself to the subjects as it makes them comfortable and ready to share information freely (Langer et al, 2017). Imperatively, I learned of the need to be courteous to the participants. Finally, I became aware that during interviews, it is the interviewer’s job to maximize the effectiveness of the conversation by capturing the vital details and all the confidential information that is dropped throughout by the participants.

Secondly, I learned about the need to ask open-ended questions contrary to the popular yes/no format of quizzes. These situations help in gathering detailed information from the participants (Roulston & Choi, 2018). Therefore, to collect more information previously not listed among questions, it is wise to ask open-ended questions. The open-ended version forces your subject to reveal details, such as how many volunteers are needed, what steps will have to be taken, and leads to an interesting second question about the challenges the project will face. Moreover, during the interview, it became clear that note-taking of various points and emerging issues is vital for future references.

Third, I faced various challenges during my interview, which would be avoided in future cases. In this regard, I learned about the need to allocate accurate time on each question since some of them require more extended periods to be answered. Failure to adhere to this method led to some questions being responded to briefly. Further, I faced the challenge of the participants providing conflicting information. Asking wrong questions was also another challenge, especially with the open-ended nature of my interview. This further led to irrelevant questions being asked.

Finally, I felt satisfied and optimistic about the data I obtained since it answered my interview questions. Generally, the respondents were well vast in veteran matters hence provided accurate information. However, the data was sometimes inconsistent due to age and exposure differences from participants A and B. In addition, I felt the data obtained was subject to bias and exaggeration since both participants were my colleagues at the agency. In conclusion, the language used to obtain data seemed too complex for readers and observers that are not conversant with veteran issues and processes. Therefore, I look forward to using simple words that can be understood by both experts and everyday people regarding veteran affairs.

References

Langer, M., König, C. J., & Krause, K. (2017). Examining digital interviews for personnel selection: Applicant reactions and interviewer ratings. International journal of selection and assessment, 25(4), 371-382. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12191

Nir, E. (2018). Approaching the bench: accessing elites on the judiciary for qualitative interviews. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(1), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2017.1324669

Roulston, K., & Choi, M. (2018). Qualitative interviews. The SAGE handbook of qualitative data collection, 233-249.