Types of Interviews in Qualitative Fieldwork
Interviews are a central method in qualitative research, enabling researchers to gather rich, detailed insights into people's lives, beliefs, and experiences. Ethnographic research involves the immersive study of cultures, communities, and social practices, often combining multiple methods—such as interviews, participant observation, and field notes—to create a holistic understanding of a group or community. Participant Observation is particularly valuable in this context, as it involves immersing oneself in a community or field site to observe and engage with people in their everyday environments. This method complements interviews by providing contextualized insights into social behaviors, cultural norms, and the lived realities of human beings.
Oral history, while sometimes overlapping with ethnographic methods, is distinct in its focus on recording, i.e., capturing personal narratives to preserve individual and collective memory. In this sense, oral history is more squarely focused on preservation. Broader ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation, can be a valuable supplement to oral history by situating individual stories within their cultural and social contexts. However, oral history does not always require these additional methods, as its primary aim is often to highlight and document personal experiences. Together, these approaches can enrich our understanding of human experiences and histories.
Below are the key types of interviews commonly used in oral history and qualitative fieldwork, with an emphasis on their specific purposes and applications.
1. Oral History Interviews
- Definition: Oral history interviews are open-ended conversations designed to document personal experiences, memories, and narratives, often with a focus on voices that are underrepresented or marginalized.
- Purpose: These interviews aim to preserve individual and collective memories, particularly of events, cultural traditions, or lived experiences that may not be well-documented in mainstream narratives.
- Characteristics:
- Open-ended and exploratory, allowing interviewees to guide the conversation.
- Often cover life histories, significant events, or reflections on cultural and social issues.
- Typically conducted to preserve voices for archival, educational, or historical purposes.
- Role in Fieldwork:
- Oral history is part of broader qualitative fieldwork but often more structured.
- Informal conversations and other interviews outside the oral history setting may inform the research but are not usually included in formal documentation.
- Focuses on amplifying marginalized voices and creating a record for future generations.
2. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)
- Definition: IDIs are structured or semi-structured interviews focused on a specific topic, idea, or experience.
- Purpose: These interviews aim to delve deeply into a particular subject, exploring the nuances of beliefs, opinions, or behaviors.
- Characteristics:
- Often use pre-determined questions or themes but allow flexibility for deeper exploration.
- Focus on a narrower scope compared to oral history.
- Typically used to understand patterns or phenomena within specific contexts.
- Examples:
- Interviews with community members about their use of local resources.
- Conversations with experts about a specific cultural practice.
3. Structured Interviews
- Definition: Structured interviews follow a strict set of pre-designed questions and do not deviate from the script.
- Purpose: These are used when consistency across interviews is critical, such as in surveys or studies requiring comparability of responses.
- Characteristics:
- No flexibility for follow-up questions or exploration.
- Responses are often standardized for easier analysis.
- Examples:
- Demographic surveys.
- Interviews assessing knowledge of a specific program or initiative.
4. Semi-Structured Interviews
- Definition: Semi-structured interviews use a guide with specific questions but allow flexibility for follow-ups and tangential exploration.
- Purpose: Combines the benefits of both structure and openness, making it ideal for nuanced topics.
- Characteristics:
- Balances the researcher’s agenda with the interviewee’s perspective.
- Encourages storytelling within the framework of a topic.
- Examples:
- Interviews with stakeholders in a community project.
- Conversations about personal experiences with cultural practices.
5. Informal Interviews or Conversations
- Definition: Informal interviews are unplanned, casual interactions that can occur organically during fieldwork.
- Purpose: These interactions provide insights that may not arise in formal settings and often help build trust or inform future interviews.
- Characteristics:
- Unscripted and spontaneous.
- Not typically recorded but may inform field notes or research context.
- Examples:
- Conversations with locals during participant observation.
- Casual discussions that reveal underlying social dynamics.
6. Focus Group Interviews*
- Definition: Focus groups involve multiple participants discussing a topic together, moderated by the researcher.
- Purpose: This method gathers diverse perspectives on a single issue and highlights group dynamics.
- Characteristics:
- Encourages interaction between participants.
- Generates collective insights but may lack depth compared to individual interviews.
- Examples:
- Community discussions about development projects.
- Group reflections on shared cultural events.
*Cautionary Note: While focus groups can efficiently capture multiple perspectives in a single session, they are susceptible to the "loudest voice in the room" phenomenon, which can marginalize quieter participants. A more reliable approach to gathering qualitative data involves combining in-depth, one-on-one interviews with participant observation and informal information gathering.
What Makes Oral History Different?
- Oral History and Fieldwork: While oral history is a form of qualitative fieldwork, it has a distinct purpose: to create a long-term record of personal and collective narratives.
- Broader Context: Informal interviews and conversations often provide context for oral history but do not replace its structured goals.
- Marginalized Voices: Oral history prioritizes documenting the voices of those historically excluded from mainstream archives, offering a platform to amplify their lived experiences.
- Ethical Considerations: The process involves informed consent, thoughtful curation, and long-term preservation to ensure the voices remain accessible and meaningful.
