The Data You Get Depend on What You Ask: Systematically Developing Interview Protocols

• In Event: Examining the Practice and Place of Interviewing in Qualitative Research

Abstract

In this paper I suggest a four-phase process for increasing the quality of an interview protocol to maximize the probability of obtaining relevant and high quality data. These four phases include: (a) constructing an inquiry-based conversation, (b) ensuring interview questions support research questions, (c) pretesting interview protocol through proofing and think-aloud activities, and (d) piloting the interview protocol. This approach has implications for conducting interview research, as well as for the teaching and learning of one way to develop an interview protocol.

Author

• Milagros Castillo-Montoya, University of Connecticut