#recordinginterviews

This is unfortunate because interviewees reveal subtle data that might not be readily noticeable to those researchers who remain preoccupied with fantasies of success and fame during the data collection phase of their projects. Indeed, in the whirlwind of the pursuit of knowledge, some of us may have lost track of how to give more attention to our interviewees altogether. Below, you'll find three tips to help you center your attention on the interviewee during the interview. 1. Place the recorder or microphone closer to the interviewee. Let's face it, research is full of complications and threats to validity. Don't let your basic recording practices join this unfortunate list; instead, adopt the simple habit of placing your recorder or microphone closer to the interviewee. You never know how softly your interviewee may speak, nor can you anticipate poor acoustics in the room or external noises. Remember, you want to make transcribing as painless as possible so that you can get on to your data analysis. Good sound quality makes the whole process so much smoother. 2. Let the interviewee talk, don't interrupt them. It's easy to slip into a two-way conversation with your interviewee. Perhaps he or she is curious about your research interests, or perhaps you discover that the two of you have something in common. However, when you're collecting data, it's important to remember that the interview is your primary, if not only, opportunity to gather the information you desire from the interviewee. Sometimes interviewees need a little time to reach their main ideas. Have patience, let the data come naturally, don't get in the way anymore than you absolutely must, and you should end up with a lot of valuable material to interpret later when you analyze your findings. 3. Use nonverbal probes - these are great ways to enlist more information without interrupting the conversation. This one is a subtle art but, like learning to ride a bike, it becomes second-nature once you get the basics down pat. Psychotherapists call it "punctuation". When you want an interviewee to say more about something, you can nonverbally prompt them to elaborate. A simple, yet well-timed and carefully placed nod of the head, smile, break in eye contact, or even a whispered "huh" or "hmm" should do the trick. There are two main advantages to nonverbal probes. The first is that, when you probe nonverbally, you invite the interviewee to elaborate without interrupting or occupying too much space in the dialogue. The second advantage is that, when your probe is ambiguous and non-directive, you give the interviewee permission to speak freely or free-associate about a topic, which usually yields some very interesting and, often, unexpected data.