Research and development is an everyday activity in organizations. This department in the organization is concerned with innovation and inventions that create new products and services for the market. To carry out a successful research exercise, appropriate methodology and techniques must be used. Here, let’s know What is the Primary Advantage of a Structured Interview?
There are several research techniques, including Interviews. In addition, there are several forms of interviews, but our focus today is on structured interviews. As the name suggests, it follows a particular order demonstrated in how the questions are prepared and answered. The primary advantage of a structured interview is the use of an INTERVIEW SCHEDULE. Let’s get a better understanding of this essential document.
What is an Interview Schedule?
This is a document prepared by the researcher to collect data during fieldwork. It contains a series of close-ended questions arranged in a specific order concerning the research topic. The paper will be duplicated and used for the entire target population or sample group in the fieldwork. This creates some level of uniformity. The researcher’s answers are scored and ranked to establish the research topic’s research hypothesis or performance level of the target population or sample group.
Characteristics of an Interview Schedule
- It is a form completed by the researcher while conducting structured interviews
- It is divided into three sections, namely: opening, body, and closing
- It contains structured close-ended questions
- It contains clear and concise statements
- It has scored for each answer allocated
- It limits deviation from the research topic
Preparing an Interview Schedule
Opening
This is the introductory part of the form. It contains the study objectives, topics to be covered, and the duration needed to answer the research questions. The study objectives give the respondents reasons why the research is being carried out and why their role is essential. The researcher should also explain to the respondent the areas covered in the interview so that they prepare mentally for the session that is about to follow as they think of answers that will be required. Finally, the duration refers to the estimated time needed to answer all the questions in the interview schedule; it may be more or less than the expected time indicated on the form.
Body
The body of the interview schedule is the main focus of the form as it contains structured questions and spaces where the answers will be written. The questions focus on the topic of research that was mentioned in the opening section of the form. The answer could be in multiple-choice or a provision for writing them as the respondent is speaking. Depending on the area of focus, different types of questions are included in the schedule. For instance, situational questions refer to actual cases that can occur in an environment, competency-based questions that assess attributes, knowledge, and behaviors, and behavioral questions that identify someone’s reactions to certain stimuli.
Closing
In this section, the researcher provides a summary of the just concluded process. They should also show appreciation to the respondent for participating in the exercise since often the activity is voluntary with no compensation to the sample group. They can also assure them of confidentiality and the next course of action. For instance, if they will be contacted again or where the final results will be published. The idea is to ensure that the respondents feel recognized for their efforts and end the process courteously.
How to Use an Interview Schedule
- Identify a suitable sample group.
- Prepare the interview schedule based on the topic and characteristics of the sample group.
- Book a proper venue and appointments with the sample group
- Inform the sample group that you will deal with one respondent at a time
- Start the individual sessions with each of the respondents
- Introduce yourself each time you start a session
- Ask questions based on the schedule
- Give the respondent time to answer
- Score or write down the answer on the schedule
- Repeat the question and answer session with each respondent until the entire group is interviewed
- Rank all the interview schedules to facilitate data analysis and presentation
- Safely store and deliver the completed interview schedule back to the research organization.
Advantages of an Interview Schedule
Consistency
The research is undertaken similarly for all the respondents. This is because the schedule format follows a particular order. The questions are asked in this order when interviewing all the people in the sample group. Similarly, the answers are recorded in the same order specified in the schedule.
Flexible
The researcher can easily modify the session and/or the schedule to suit different respondents and groups since it is a self-reporting tool. The same general format is followed: opening, body, and closing, but the contents or questions can be altered for different categories of people, sectors, or industries.
Clarifications
Since both the researcher and respondent are present at the location, the researcher can seek additional explanation if a question is answered ambiguously rather than questionnaires sent by post where errors cannot be corrected.
Multiple Techniques
The researcher can incorporate observation to gather more information from the population or for clarity purposes. For example, physical words of body language, environment, and emotional reaction will give more insight into a matter and better understand the respondent’s character.
Easy To Use
Conducting interviews is easy, especially if the researcher is prepared in advance. However, since the document is needed in the session, the researcher cannot design it before presenting himself to the sample group. This ensures that the practices proper planning beforehand and enhances their success level in the field.
Disadvantages of an Interview Schedule
Biasness
Since the respondent and researcher are in contact, they can be biased against each other due to individual characteristics. This will influence the reporting and results. For instance, they may be from different ethnic backgrounds, like conducting cultural studies. They simply might not like each other upon meeting due to the way they are dressed. This will affect their communication and interaction level.
Unreliable
Due to biases, the results obtained are not an accurate representation of the environment and the current status of affairs with the people. For example, the respondent might give incorrect or untruthful answers because they hurry to leave. Alternatively, the researcher might make wrong recordings of the answers since they were agitated or intimidated by the respondents.
Expensive
The schedule has to be printed for everyone, and sometimes populations are large. There are also travel costs for commuting to/from the research location to interact with the sample groups. Finally, there are training costs for research assistants who may not be conversant with the technique in some cases.
Training
The researcher may need to subcontract research assistants to cover a large geographical area. This requires them to hire and educate the assistants concerning the process and purpose of the research exercise.
Time Consuming
The researcher has to make an appointment with each of the respondents in the sample group. This is a strenuous and time-consuming activity. In some cases, the understanding and communication levels of the respondents vary, where some are slow, and others are fast. In this scenario, more time is needed with the quiet section of the group, and the researcher may not meet their deadline.
Conclusion
Research processes are a complex and taxing exercise; as a result, competent professionals need to conduct the activities associated with it. The success of the research process depends on several factors, including methodology and techniques employed in the fieldwork. There are several techniques used in research, including questionnaires, surveys, interviews, observation, and experiments, among others. Each of these techniques is sub-categorized. The choice of methodology and design depends on the nature of the study, sample group, and fieldwork environment.
Interviews as research techniques are standard due to the ease of implementation. The sub-categories found in the interview technique include structured interviews, unstructured interviews, and semi-structured interviews. The use of structured interviews requires adopting an interview schedule that must be appropriately developed and administered to the population. The use of an interview schedule can have both advantages and disadvantages, which the researcher should be aware of before selecting it. The interview schedule is the single most determining factor in the success or failure of the structured interview technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which are the application areas of interviews?
Some of the areas where interviews are used include research and development, recruitment, and media.
- What is the difference between a method and methodology?
A method refers to a procedure or technique of doing something. In contrast, a methodology relates to a system of methods used in a particular area of study.
- What are the other names used to refer to a structured interview?
It is also known as a patterned interview, planned interview, or standardized interview.