Skip to Main Content
It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.
Santa Clara UniversityUniversity Library

ENVS 111: Mixed Methods for Environmental Research

This research guide was created to support ENVS 111: Mixed Methods for Environmental Research.

Interview Reseach

Interviews are designed to collect richer source of information from a small number of people about:

  • Attributes
  • Attitudes
  • Behavior
  • Feelings
  • Knowledge
  • Opinions
  • Preferences

Interviews are most effective for qualitative research:

  • They help you explain, better understand, and explore research subjects' opinions, behavior, experiences, phenomenon, etc.
  • Interview questions are usually open-ended questions so that in-depth information will be collected.

There are several types of interviews, including:

  • Face-to-face
  • Online (e.g. Zoom, Skype, etc)
  • Phone

What are the important steps involved in interviews?

  1. Design interview questions
    • Think about who you will interview
    • Think about what kind of information you want to obtain from interviews
    • Think about why you want to pursue in-depth information around your research topic
  2. Develop an interview guide
    • Introduce yourself and explain the aim of the interview
    • Devise your questions so interviewees can help answer your research question
    • Have a sequence to your questions / topics by grouping them in themes
    • Make sure you can easily move back and forth between questions / topics 
    • Make sure your questions are clear and easy to understand
    • Do not ask leading questions
  3. Plan and manage logistics
    • Do you want to bring a second interviewer with you?
    • Do you want to bring a notetaker?
    • Do you want to record interviews? If so, do you have time to transcribe interview recordings?
    • Where will you interview people? Where is the setting with the least distraction?
    • How long will each interview take?
    • Do you need to address terms of confidentiality?

Source

Source: Katz-Buonincontro, Jen. “Interviews.” How to Interview and Conduct Focus Groups., American Psychological Association, 2022, pp. 23–45. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libproxy.scu.edu/10.1037/0000299-003.