12 LEARNING UNIT 12
QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS –
12

INTERVIEWS AS DATA COLLECTION

12.1 INTRODUCTION
One of the most popular methods of qualitative data collection is interviews.
Interviews can be conducted online or in-person and include individual interviews
or group interviews. Researchers undertaking interviews need to be aware of
cultural complexities that play a role in the responsiveness of participants.
Learning unit 12 is intended to help you understand the important concepts of research.
Chapter 17 of the prescribed book (Fouché, C.B., Strydom, H. & Roestenburg, W.J.H.
[Eds.]. 2020. Research at grass roots – for the social sciences and human services professions.
5th edition. Cape Town: Van Schaik – ISBN 9780627038211) is titled interviews
as data collection methods. In this chapter, the main elements that play a role in
professional practice and research ethics are briefly discussed.

FIGURE 12.1
Module outline (lesson 10)
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 LEARNING UNIT 12: Qualitative data analysis – interviews as data collection

12.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After working through this learning unit and the relevant parts of the prescribed
book, you should be able to:
• appraise various types of individual interviews
• appraise various types of group interviews
• identify questions to use during interviews with individuals and/or groups
• describe core considerations for interviews
• explain considerations for culturally responsive interviewing
• gain a better understanding of typical pitfalls to avoid during interviews

12.3 CONTENT OF THE LEARNING UNIT

To achieve the aim and learning outcomes of this unit, you will cover the following
topics in chapter 1 of the prescribed book:
(1) types of interviews
(2) interviewing individuals
(3) interviewing groups
(4) core considerations for interviews
(5) culturally responsive interviewing
(6) avoiding possible pitfalls of interviewing
After reading and thinking about the contents of chapter 17 of the prescribed book,
you will have to explain the concepts of conducting interviews as a qualitative data
collection method.

12.4 KEY CONCEPTS

The following key terms are important in this learning unit:

• assistant group • indirect questions • sharing circles

moderator
• culturally responsive
interviewing
• denaturalist
• discussion guides
• direct questions
• e-mail interviews
• focus groups
• follow-up questions
• grand tour questions
• in-depth interviews
• informal field • specifying questions
interviews • standardised
• interpretation of interviews
questions • structured interviews
• interview guides • telephonic interviews
• life history • transcriptions
• moderator • unstructured
• naturalist interviews
• online focus groups • virtual interviews
• online interview • World Café
platforms • yarning
• semi structured
interviews

Remember to take a look at the glossary of terms that has been uploaded on myUnisa
under Additional Resources. If you see a term and you do not know what it means,
stop and go to the glossary. This will familiarise you with the terminology of research
and you will get comfortable with the content of this module much quicker.

https://mymodules.dtls.unisa.ac.za/pluginfile.php/15594258/mod_folder/content/0/
SMA4801_Glossary%20of%20terms%20Eng.docx?forcedownload=1

After working through the learning unit, you should be able to explain all of the above-
mentioned concepts. These concepts are all explained or defined in the prescribed
textbook and this unit. Conducting the research, such as interviews, forms part of
step 11 in the research process (see figure 12.2).
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FIGURE 12.2
Interviews as part of the research process

12.5 TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

Study the section titled types of interviews in the prescribed textbook. This section
makes a distinction between interviewing individuals versus interviewing groups of
people. The data collection method selection should be informed by the research topic,
research questions, purpose of the study, research design and the population that
will form part of the study. Topics that are sensitive or private should be researched
with individual interviews rather than group interviews.

12.6 INTERVIEWING INDIVIDUALS

Study the section titled interviewing individuals in the prescribed textbook.
This section of the prescribed textbook distinguishes between direct/face-to-
face interviews and online interviews. The six types of face-to-face interviews are
summarised in figure 12.3.

FIGURE 12.3
Types of face-to-face interviews
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 LEARNING UNIT 12: Qualitative data analysis – interviews as data collection

Online interviews can be conducted via e-mail or a virtual platform such as

Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The advantages and disadvantages of e-mail interviews
are summarised in table 12.1.

TABLE 12.1
Advantages and disadvantages of e-mail interviews

Source: Fouché et al. (2022:360)

12.7 INTERVIEWING GROUPS

Study the section titled interviewing groups in the prescribed textbook. This
section of the prescribed textbook introduces us to the concepts of group interviews.
A distinction is made between direct and online group interviews. Direct or face-
to-face group interviews can be conducted as focus group interviews, World Café,
yarning and sharing circles.

The advantages and disadvantages of focus group interviews are summarised in

table 12.2 below.

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TABLE 12.2:
Advantages and disadvantages of focus group interviews

Source: Fouché et al. (2022:363)

ACTIVITY 12.1: FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS

Considering the context of focus group interviews, explain heterogeneity and homogeneity
as applicable to group composition.
A heterogeneous group brings together a selection of various/different members who
have (potentially) diverse views and experiences, while a homogeneous group brings
together those who are more or less similarly inclined and could, therefore, limit the
spectrum of participants (and their views). Moderators should consider their research
purpose, research questions, the complexity of the topic and moderating skills, and then
make use of purposive sampling to decide how to compose a group.

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 LEARNING UNIT 12: Qualitative data analysis – interviews as data collection

ACTIVITY 12.2: YARNING

In your own words, distinguish between the four types of yarning.

(1) Social yarning: Where the researcher would typically engage (informally) with po-
tential participants in the community, or a yarn with gatekeepers in the community
(e.g. tribal chiefs), to obtain permission to enter the community for the purpose
of undertaking research. Social yarns enable the researcher to establish rapport
with participants.
(2) Therapeutic yarning: Where the yarning could prove to be a cathartic experience for
participants. As participants share their experiences or stories, they work through
trauma and obtain a sense of healing.
(3) Research topic yarning: Where the conversation with participants is deliberate and
intentional (with a planned beginning and end), yet relaxed. This type of yarning is
undertaken freely, is culturally appropriate and non-exploitative. The researcher
takes the position of learning from the indigenous peoples and would not interrupt a
participant with direct questioning. Nonetheless, the research relationship remains
equal: the researcher and researched are never distinguished by status. During
this type of yarn, participants share their beliefs, cultural knowledge, experiences,
needs and narratives, as well as understanding of things and values.
(4) Collaborative yarning: Here the researcher could typically revisit participants and
confirm researcher findings and interpretations, and, most importantly, share
outcomes of the study with the local people.

As with online individual interviews, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages
associated with conducting online focus group interviews. These are summarised
in table 12.3.

TABLE 12.3
Advantages and disadvantages of online focus group interviews

Source: Fouché et al. (2022:368)

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12.8 CORE CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS

Study the section titled core considerations for interviews in the prescribed
textbook, paying close attention to the discussions of different types of questions,
interview guides versus discussion guides, recording and note-keeping during
interviews, transcription of interviews, and data saturation.

12.9 CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE INTERVIEWING

Study the section titled culturally responsive interviewing in the prescribed
textbook and complete the activity below.

ACTIVITY 12.3: CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE INTERVIEWING

What strategies would you propose for culturally responsive interviewing?

• Obtain the necessary permission from community leaders (e.g. tribal chiefs) to enter
a community and interview community members.
• Prepare thoroughly to conduct interviews in culturally diverse contexts. Read relevant
literature, watch movies, read newspapers or observe people in their communities
to orientate yourself. Alternatively, identify a cultural ambassador – a person in
the cultural group of interest – who could educate you on the salient features of
the culture.
• Conduct interviews in settings that are easily accessible to participants. Be open-
minded when identifying locations for interviews, for example, on a bench in a park,
next to a soccer field or next to a river where many people gather to collect water.
• Use interpersonal skills to genuinely connect person-to-person. By being authentic
and congruent, a person from a different culture may trust you more and share
more openly.
• When working across cultures, it would be to your advantage to do so from a stance
of not knowing. You should be open to learn from participants and discuss issues,
instead of making assumptions.
• To ensure there is a clear understanding, seek clarification. Reflect on facts and
emotions to promote authentic data gathering.
• Do not consider cultural groups as monolithic. The risk is a generalisation (which
qualitative researchers do not want to do) and it may introduce stereotypes to the
interviewing relationship. When interviewing participants, you should challenge
yourself to identify nomothetic qualities (i.e., commonalities amongst participants),
but also idiographic qualities (unique and individual traits of participants).
• People do not only communicate through language. Therefore, consider the
use of folklore, myths, rituals, symbols and proverbs to facilitate the sharing of
important information. Participants may also prefer a more conversational manner
of interviewing to a researcher-participant interview context.
• Power relations and positionality could hinder interviewing within and across cultures.
You should be sensitive to your own position and that of participants.
• Language could be a barrier to cross-cultural interviewing. Often, the only solution
is to use an interpreter. You should carefully consider whether to seek a trained
(or untrained) interpreter’s assistance as they may bring certain dynamics to the
interview. On the one hand, an untrained interpreter may translate questions and
answers incorrectly, while a trained interpreter may easily overstep boundaries by
not allowing the researcher to guide the interview.

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12.10 AVOIDING POSSIBLE PITFALLS OF INTERVIEWING

Study the section titled avoiding possible pitfalls of interviews in the prescribed
textbook. This section of the prescribed textbook provides extremely important
information on how to conduct successful interviews and ensure that you are able
to gather the data you require for your research project. The content of a research
textbook such as the prescribed book is meant to be studied repeatedly and you
will need to refer back to the guidance provided by such a source throughout your
research journey.

Take some time to listen to the discussion of online interviewing tips for researchers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPrAWW4YGPw

12.11 SUMMARY OF LEARNING UNIT

This learning unit provided an overview of the different types of interviews that can
be used as part of the qualitative data collection process. A clear distinction is made
between individual and group interviews, face-to-face/direct and online interviews.
Each one of these data collection methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The specific method that is selected for data collection should be informed by the
research topic, research design and population.

The next learning unit will look at qualitative sampling techniques (Learning
unit 13) as part of lesson 10.

12.12 REFERENCES
Fouché, C.B., Strydom, H. & Roestenburg, W.J.H. (Eds.). 2021. Research at grass
roots – for the social sciences and human services professions. 5th edition. Cape Town:
Van Schaik.

Assessment 4 MCQ

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