RESEARCH METHOD COHEN ok

382 INTERVIEWS
Clear with the respondents at the start of the
interview that they have the time to answer
and that they have the information sought (i.e.
that they are suitable respondents). If they are
not the most suitable respondents then ask if
there is someone present in the premises who
can answer the questions, or try to arrange
callback times when the most suitable person
can be reached. Ask to speak to the most
suitable person.
Keep the terminology simple and to the point,
avoiding jargon and confusion.
You should be able to tell the gender of the
respondent by his or her voice, i.e. there may
be no need to ask that particular question.
Keep the response categories very simple and
use them consistently (e.g. a mark out of 10,
‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’, a 1–5
scale etc.).
Rather than asking direct personal questions
(unless you are confident of an answer), e.g.
about age, income, ask about groups, such as
which age group do they fall into (and give the
age groups) or of income brackets (and give
them).
Telephone interviewing is a useful but tricky art.
Ethical issues in interviewing
Interviews have an ethical dimension; they concern
interpersonal interaction and produce information
about the human condition. Although
one can identify three main areas of ethical issues
here – informed consent, confidentiality, and the
consequences of the interviews – these need to be
unpacked a little, as each is not unproblematic
(Kvale 1996: 111–20). For instance, who should
give the informed consent (e.g. participants, their
superiors), and for whom and what How much
information should be given, and to whom What
is legitimate private and public knowledge How
might the research help or harm the interviewees
Does the interviewer have a duty to point out the
possible harmful consequences of the research data
or will this illegitimately steer the interview
It is difficult to lay down hard and fast
ethical rules, as, by definition, ethical matters
are contestable. Nevertheless it is possible to raise
some ethical questions to which answers need to
be given before the interviews commence:
Has the informed consent of the interviewees
been gained
Has this been obtained in writing or orally
How much information should be given in
advance of the study
How can adequate information be provided if
the study is exploratory
Have the possible consequences of the research
been made clear to the participants
Has care been taken to prevent any harmful
effects of the research to the participants (and
to others)
To what extent do any potential benefits
outweigh the potential harm done by the
research, and how justifiable is this for
conducting the research
How will the research benefit the participants
Who will benefit from the research
To what extent is there reciprocity between
what participants give to and receive from the
research
Have confidentiality, anonymity, nonidentifiability
and non-traceability been guaranteed
Should participants’ identities be
disguised
How does the Data Protection Act (1984)
operate in interview situations
Who will have access to the data
What has been done to ensure that the
interview is conducted in an appropriate, nonstressful,
non-threatening, manner
How will the data and transcriptions be
verified, and by whom
Who will see the results of the research Will
some parts be withheld Who own the data At
what stage does ownership of the data pass from
interviewees to interviewers Are there rights
of veto for what appears To whom should
sensitive data be made available (e.g. should
interview data on child abuse or drugs taking
be made available with or without consent to
parents and the police)
How far should the researcher’s own agenda