Getting an interview is a procedure of personal communication between the person conducting the survey and the object from which information is needed in the framework of the study. There are several types of interviews and the process of conducting them, as well as different methods of interviewing. Possible direct communication and indirect - this is the basic classification of all methods.
Main categories
The concept of interviewing includes determining the ways in which participants behave. For example, the procedure can be clearly standardized, in which case a questionnaire is developed in advance, to which all the actions of the interviewing staff are subject. The interviewer receives instructions on how to use the questionnaire and how to communicate with interviewees. Interviews of this type are widespread if you need to interview many people at the same time. The received similar answers can be analyzed without much difficulty.
Another category of interviewing methods is semi-formalized. During communication, severaladjust the wording, as well as adjust the sequence of questions to a specific case and dialogue.
Finally, informal interviewing is possible. This is an open communication format that does not have a strict structure. In this form, there is no pre-designed questionnaire, and interviewing involves adjusting questions based on the characteristics of the existing dialogue. This format is most relevant when working with a small number of people, during a pilot study. For example, when interviewing experts, interviews are conducted (as a rule) in precisely this - open - form. The possibility of applying the method is explained by the absence of the need to compare the results and classify the answers.
Attention to detail
Interview as a research method obliges to pay attention not only to the compilation of the questionnaire, but also to the process of interaction with the interviewee. It is necessary to take into account whether there are external interferences in a particular case, how they can affect the situation. For example, sometimes it is impossible to exclude the presence of third parties, who obviously do not influence a person’s answers, but even by their presence correct the atmosphere, bring a note of tension. This, in turn, influences the respondent's language.
Interviewees may be distracted by calls and text messages on the phone, urgent business, radio and television broadcasts. In order to minimize the influence of such factors, it is necessary to eliminate them if possible, and if it is impossible to achieve this, do not go too far. If the processis accompanied by some obvious problems, the behavior of a person is very different from what is expected, you will have to adjust the interview, change the style of communication or seek help from the organizer of the event. This is relevant, in particular, when conducting interviews with actors, as well as other famous people who are forced to live in a tense regime.
Polls: what are they?
There are several types, among which they choose a specific one for conducting research, evaluating the characteristics of the interviewees. So, quite often they resort to a mass survey. In this case, data are collected from representatives of different population groups. The sample is not tied to specific factors (age, work, marital status).
A common type of interview is specialized. For its implementation, data is collected from citizens competent in a certain field of activity. Select those who work in areas related to the object of study of the interviewer, as well as individuals whose experience and accumulated information become the basis for an authoritative answer. The respondents become experts, their main task is to carefully evaluate all questions and give correct answers to them. In sociology, this form of research is called an expert survey.
Theory and practice
The interview is a targeted survey. It is the responsibility of the interviewer to carry it out. Based on the goals of such an event, it is possible to organize a retrospective study designed to reproduce, evaluate the situation in whichpeople participated, as well as introspective, devoted to current events, and projective, aimed at assessing the possible development of the situation.
The concept of interviewing includes surveys in which information is collected among officials and responsible people, as well as those who have expert opinion or are ordinary citizens. The interview can be conducted in a group or individually.
When preparing for an interview, it is necessary to determine whether a single-act study is required or a panel event is needed, when data is received from a selected audience for a certain period of time, using the same questionnaire all the time. The interview can be focused or in-depth, non-directional, in which the respondents can express their opinion on topical issues in detail. At the same time, the choice of topic remains with the interviewer - he names the problem and even methods for solving it, and the respondents tell their vision of the situation. As a rule, in this form, communication is free, and the interviewer must correct the topics so that the audience can speak fully.
How will we communicate?
The main methods of interviewing are personal interaction and indirect (for example, by telephone). The second option is especially widespread during operational activities. This is a specific approach to surveys, requiring brevity, a kind of mode of operation. The questionnaire is formed in advance, it is a formalized set, to which there is a fan of unambiguous answers. All questions must be formulated clearly and concisely, answers should be selected exhaustive, notrequiring clarification. When conducting an indirect survey, you need to be able to quickly introduce yourself, indicate the topic of the conversation, guarantee anonymity and offer to communicate your opinion in a way that will interest the audience in constructive communication.
Interviews can be taken at the place of residence, employment (if the research topic is work-related), on the street and in specialized places - for example, an interview with a TV channel is usually organized in a studio furnished for this event.
Write everything down and save
Existing interviewing methods are divided into categories based on how the information received is recorded. You can use questionnaires, fixing in them all the important data based on the results of the study. Another option is an audio recording of the communication process. This option is possible only if the respondent agrees to the use of sound recording equipment. In the future, the interviewer will need to interpret the information received to condense the content and capture all the information in a nutshell.
One of the popular options involves teamwork. Questions during interviews are asked by the interviewer, and his assistant writes down everything that happens. Basicthe disadvantage of the process is the presence of a third party, that is, an assistant. In this case, the conversation becomes less anonymous, which means that the responder can give less accurate information. The sincerity of the answers may be in doubt.
Work: where does it start?
The first task that the person responsible for conducting the process must solve is the formation of a questionnaire. To do this, you must first obtain a research program. The questionnaire is the main tool for obtaining data from objects. It is necessary to formulate points based on hypotheses and research objectives.
The form begins with an introductory part that briefly describes why the research is being conducted, how the results will be applied, who is responsible for the activity, and why each respondent's opinion matters. The main part is interesting questions (and not so) aimed at assessing the status of a person. In the final part, questions are placed, the answers to which will help assess the quality of the interview. Usually, the form also contains fields about the start and end of the study, as well as a field in which the interviewer confirms that the instructions were strictly followed during the event.
How to organize?
The interviewer is responsible for choosing the best place and time to communicate with the interviewee. It must be an experienced and trained person. Its main features are mobility, activity, activity; the task is to conduct a conversation, following a clear plan. In many ways, it is the quality of the interviewer's work, and not at all interesting questions in the form, that determines the success of the outcome of the event.generally. The professionalism and sensitivity of the employee is the key to the reliability of the results obtained. In order for the interview to give maximum useful information, you should evaluate the personality of potential interviewers, choosing the best candidate among them.
In order for the interview to be successful, you need to prepare the event, choose the time and place. For example, conducting an interview at home is a good option to achieve maximum sincerity from the interviewee, since the environment allows the person to relax and feel protected. But the organization of an interview at the place of work is somewhat more complicated - you cannot tear a person away from lunch and work. We will have to agree on a date and time in advance so that this period is convenient for all parties and approved by management. For the event, you should choose a room in which there will be no extra people, but the atmosphere at the same time remains working. Finally, interviews can also be taken on the street, but these are usually short polls of a couple of points with formulaic answers.
How to work?
The main task of the person responsible for conducting the survey is to call the respondent for contact, correctly submit information and record answers. You need to approach the event responsibly, select respondents who meet the specified conditions, and also give reasonable arguments, arousing their interest in participating. During communication, you need to interact with a person so that the atmosphere is friendly. The respondent should be motivated to answer honestly and openly.
Interviewer's task- personal interaction with the interviewee. He asks, following the questionnaire, and registers the information received, the direction of the conversation, precisely formulates sentences. It is necessary to ask all questions from the sheet, following a predetermined sequence, and record the answers in detail. You cannot change the procedure at your own discretion, since the idea of interviewing is the same conditions of the survey for all participants. This applies to both the wording and the sequence of questions.
Nuances of communication
As part of the interview, you cannot discuss with the respondent. It is not allowed to interrupt the interlocutor or point out personal interests. The interviewer must be neutral, but has the right to demand additional information from the interlocutor if this is necessary to clarify the thought. If there are contradictions in the answers, he can point out this fact. Usually, the duration of the event is not limited, so you should not rush the interlocutor, although a lot depends on the specifics of the situation. The pace of communication is determined by the topic, the level of development of the respondent and his age. If the interview is about a complex issue, the pace should be slow. At the same time, overthinking too much is also inappropriate and can lead to data corruption.
To minimize perceptual problems, standard questions should be used. The interviewer must take into account the gender of the interlocutor, the age category and level of his education, and other individual characteristics.
Technical details
By conducting a survey,the person responsible for this must follow the instructions received in advance. It is necessary to know the content of the questionnaire, all filters, transitions, as well as to understand how to register answers and contact additional tools. The responsible person receives instructions on this matter as part of the briefing. Information is duplicated in the instructions and the questionnaire.
Instruction developed for the interviewer - methodological documentation important for the analysis of answers. It should mention technical information on the event, organizational nuances and methodology. It is important to note all aspects that in the process of work can provoke a difficult situation. The instruction should contain a description of the introductory part of the conversation with the respondent, as well as the rules that govern the choice of the respondent. In the instructions, the compiler indicates on what principles the interview should be conducted, how to record answers.
Summing up
After completing the data collection, the person responsible for conducting the interview must provide the organizer with completed questionnaires, route sheets and reports, which record the place and time of the interview, the presence of deviations and comments on the past, as well as the attitude of the respondents to the event.
The interview should become a source of exhaustive factual material for further research. Questions and answers, notes are the basis for research findings, solutions for which are often applied much more widely than a specific project. Therefore, it is very important to prepare the interviewer with the utmost quality, to choose the best candidate,instruct.
Important to know
Often, interviewers are sociologists, representatives of other related professions. However, as practice shows, it is better to give preference to third-party candidates as more neutral, impartial, disinterested in a specific result, and therefore objective. In order for the results to be accurate, several interviewers should be involved simultaneously - the more there are, the more accurate the results will be, and subjectivity will be eliminated. You can count on a good result only if the interviewer is honest, intelligent, attentive, cultured. Important aspects are high-quality diction and high cognitive abilities. When choosing interviewers from applicants, you should test them for reaction speed, memory and ability to communicate with other people, listen to them. But belonging to an age group, nationality or gender are factors that affect the process to a minimal extent.
At the same time, belonging to such groups of the respondent is an important nuance that corrects the line of behavior of the interviewer. It is also important to understand that, for example, an interview with the president of a company should differ in form from a survey conducted among line personnel - this study requires a more detailed and in-depth communication format, and the person himself is used to attention to his words, which requires the interviewer to be especially careful follow the chosen line of conduct.
