22. "OK, I'll Start The Interview Now"
- Bianca Blanch
- Jul 31, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 14, 2020
Interviewing people for research is a privilege. Our participants trust us with asking them questions about their experience and/or thoughts, on sometimes sensitive topics. With this privilege comes the responsibility to make the interview as smooth and painless for our participants as possible. This week I share the tips I have learnt over 15 years of interviewing.
My Experience of Interviewing People for Research:
I have conducted at least 1000 interviews in my research career. I have had the privilege of interviewing brave, vulnerable people who wanted to make things better for others who are experiencing the same struggles or will face them in the future. Some of the questions I have investigated via interviews across academic and start up environments include:
what happens to children when their parent/s are arrested?
what do people with a mental health condition experience?
what contributes to victims of crime feeling justice?
how can GPs implement routine alcohol screening for their patients?
I love the extremes of research. I love analysing whole-of-population datasets, as they show you the entire picture of what is happening. I also love interviewing research participants to ask them about the nuances of what the big picture shows, and to incorporate their lived experience in the research findings.
As a health researcher, the best research includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches as they complement each other to show the researcher the truth of what the data says.
But, I have l had no formal interviewing training, I have learnt all my skills on the job. Here are my tips on how to become a better interviewer.
The Lessons To Developing Interview Skills:
It's all about the participant
No matter how you are feeling when you are conducting the interview, remember the interview is not about you. It is about the research participant. They have consented to be part of the research process, but it is likely they have no previous research experience. They will be feeling nervous and vulnerable, depending on the topic that will be discussed. Do all you can to make them comfortable, including taking a break if they start to feel overwhelmed or get upset.
Listen
The best interviewers establish rapport. The quickest way to build rapport is to actually listen to what the participant is saying. Listen and remember, take notes if you need to. If you plan to take notes, tell the participant know at the beginning of the interview, and why you will take the notes. If you don't say anything the participant will be thinking about what you are writing down throughout the entire interview.
Describe the interview topics to them, so they know what to expect.
Tell them the purpose of the interview, what the research question is and how their information will be used, e.g. to help others. Even if they have read and signed the consent form that contains all this information. Also, give them an overview of what to expect in the interview.
For example, you may say, the interview today will go for about 30 minutes. I will ask you some information about yourself, then I will ask you some questions about your experience and we will end with how you are feeling today. At any point you can take a break, or if it gets too much, we can always reschedule. Let me know how you are feeling throughout the interview and I may also check in with you to see how you are feeling throughout the interview.
Create a safe space for the participant, empower them to make their own decisions, and ensure they know they will not be letting you down by stopping the interview to take care of themselves.
Develop your authentic interview style
Every person has their own personality and unique style. You should develop your interview style by considering who you are If you are unsure about a fact, let the participant know.
My Experience: I am an extrovert and am genuinely interested in speaking to people to find out their experience. So I listen to every participant to ensure I am correctly understanding their experience, as much as I can. But, if I was a quieter person, I would conduct my interviews in that way. You will get more truthful responses from the participant if you are your true self.
Be non-judgemental
For the research participant to be completely honest with you, you need to create a safe space for them. Despite what they say, you cannot judge their actions. Instead focus on their emotions and their actions and as them questions about it in a non-judgemental manner. If they feel judged, they may start filtering their responses rather than being completely honest and vulnerable.
Develop a poker face
Part of creating a safe space for your participant is having a neutral expression at all times. They will be trying to process their emotions, and they should not have to manage yours as well. Despite what they tell you, try to have a neutral expression. You can still be authentic and empathic in the words you use to communicate with them, but do not look alarmed. If you react, the participant may feel judged or a range of other emotions you may not be aware of. We want them to focus on telling us their experience rather than thinking about what we are thinking and feeling.
Be prepared and on time
Make sure you are prepared for every interview you conduct. If you need to do some preparatory reading, or take notes, make sure this is completed well ahead of the interview time. If you seem disorganised to the participant, they may pick up on you feeling flustered and feel more anxious themselves. Disorganisation on your part may also undermine their trust in you and have a negative impact on their responses throughout the interview.
Know your interview tool
You need to know your interview tool really well. You will find when you are conducting your interview there will be natural segues into other topics on the interview schedule. If your interview schedule allows you to jump topics, then go to that section if it naturally comes up during the interview. To do this seamlessly you need to know the tool very well.
If your interview schedule only allows you to go through the topics in an ordered way then flag the fact you will be retuning to this topic with the participant, and say you will ask them about it later. Then when you bring it up, bring it up in the context in which they they said it originally, as it feels like a more natural introduction to the topic and it shows them you are actually listening to them.
Role play
After you know your interview tool practice with work colleagues, family and friends. With work colleagues take turns being the interview participant so you know what it feels like answering the questions. Role playing is a great technique to pilot test your interview tool as well, prior to getting ethics approval.
Ensure all researchers follow the same methodology
If you are the only interviewer, you need to ensure your methodology is consistent across interviews. Any change in your methodology could impact on the results of the study. If there are multiple interviewers, you all need to agree on the methodology. This can be achieved during role play, and sitting in on each other's interviews when you may be pilot testing the interview tool with research participants. Have an honest discussion about what worked and what didn't work in the interview and adjust the methodology accordingly.
Respect confidentiality
Every interview you do as a researcher will be approved by an ethics committee, that requires you to keep all information spoken about during the interview confidential, unless you feel the person is not safe. Respect the patient's confidentiality. Imagine if you had told those things to a person, and they then repeated them to their friends or at a dinner party. You would feel like your trust had been violated.
Practice self care
If the topics you ask your participant about are sensitive and/or heavy topics, make sure you practice self care. Only complete as many interviews as you can per day. Remaining in your interviewing persona for long periods of time is taxing on your brain and emotionally. It is unlikely you will be able to sustain completing a large volume of interviews per day for a long period of time. If you find it is hard for you to switch off at the end of the day, reduce the number of interviews you are completing, and/or talk to your supervisor about it and ask for them for help and guidance. See 'How Do You Switch Off' for tips on self-care.
What are your top interview tips? What have I missed? Let me know your experience by leaving a comment below or emailing me at AuthenticResearchExperiences@gmail.com
BB
Photo by Wynand van Poortvliet on Unsplash
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