Research Methods in the Social Sciences Interviewing

1. Research Methods in the Social Sciences Interviewing

2. Outline • Types of Interview: • Feminist • Group • Oral History • Online • Pros & cons of each • Transcribing: • Verbatim • Intelligent Verbatim • Edited

3. Feminist Approach • Encourages reflexivity • Discourages hierarchy & exploitation • Interviewer can serve as a guide for an account given by the interviewee • Closer relationship = more meaningful account • Maintain contact after interview

4. Group Interview • Organised discussion with a selected group • Can gain several perspectives • Interaction with the group can lead to a more meaningful account • Great benefit to participants • Can gain a larger amount of data in a smaller amount of time

5. Oral History • The interpretation of history based upon the experiences of the speaker • Record memories • Personal & subjective • Can give a voice to someone marginalised • Freedom to explore memory & meaning

6. Online Interviews • Email • Real time • Concerns over non verbal communication being missing • Dependency upon technology • Different from telephone interviews?

7. Transcribing • Verbatim: • ‘Erm… well, I dunno really, know what I mean? I mean, you know, when I asked them what Mary’s, er, um, condish, condit, condition was, they said like erm ‘I’m afraid we can’t, erm, tell you that, Mrs. Smith, ’cause you ain’t a relative.’

8. Transcribing • Intelligent verbatim: • ‘Well, I dunno really. I mean when I asked them what Mary’s condition was they said ‘I’m afraid we can’t tell you that, Mrs Smith, ’cause you ain’t a relative.’

9. Transcribing • Edited: • ‘Well I don’t know really. I mean when I asked them what Mary’s condition was they said ‘I’m afraid we can’t tell you that, Mrs Smith, because you are not a relative.’

10. In pairs • Record a 2 minute interview • Transcribe this verbatim & edited