RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
5.4 Data collection methods
Leedy and Ormrod (2013:18) argue that “regardless of the kind of data involved, data collection in a qualitative study takes a great deal of time. The researcher should therefore, record any potentially useful data thoroughly, accurately and systematically.” It is also essential that data collection methods be consistent with ethical principles (see 5.10 below).
After the researcher had decided on the overall approach to the data collection strategy to be used for this study, the data collection process can begin (Vanderstoep & Johnson, 2009).
Hence, the next decision to make was what strategy to use in collecting primary data. Face to face interviews and focus groups interviews were used as data collection techniques. In the following section (5.4.1), the researcher addresses research interviews as a tool used to collect data. The qualitative research interview attempts to understand the world from the subject’s point of view, to unfold the meaning of their experiences and to cover their lived world prior to scientific explanations (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). An interview as a research method goes beyond the spontaneous exchange of views and becomes a careful questioning and listening approach with the purpose of obtaining thoroughly tested knowledge. Kvale &
Brinkmann (2009) further explains the difference between an individual interview and a focus group type of interview. An individual interview involves a one on one interview with the participant. A focus group interview usually consists of six to twelve subjects led by a moderator who introduces the topic and facilitates the discussion. The researcher engaged both the individual interviews and the focus group for the study. Hence the following process that was followed in developing interview questions.
5.4.1 Process followed in developing interview questions Interview Questions
Interviews are methods of gathering information through an oral investigation using a set of pre-planned core questions. Interviews can be very productive since the interviewer can pursue specific issues of concern that may lead to focussed and constructive suggestions. The main advantages of interview methods of data collection, as argued by Yin (2016), are:
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a) Direct contact with the respondent often leads to specific, constructive suggestions, b) They are good at obtaining detailed information;
c) Few participants are needed to gather rich and detailed data.
Maree (2016) argues that interviews facilitate the collection of data by asking all, or a sample of people, to respond to the same questions. They can be in both printed and electronic forms. Depending on their purpose, interviews can be unstructured, semi-structured and structured in design, and undertaken with individuals or may be focus group interviews including several people. The researcher needs to be absolutely clear before designing an interview question of what data the researcher needs to obtain (Leedy & Ormrod, 2013). A researcher also needs to think ahead about how to collate the information gathered. There is no point in designing an interview question that produces a range of information that the researcher finds very difficult to collate in any meaningful quantitative or qualitative way.
Furthermore, it is important that the order and flow of questions should be logical to the respondent (Leedy & Ormrod, 2013), hence, the following engagement on unstructured interview questions, semi-structured interview questions and structured interview questions.
The unstructured type of interview allows the interviewer to pose some open-ended questions and the interviewee to express his/her own opinion freely (Anderson & Scott, 2012). Within the open questions, a question is posed, but space is left for the respondent’s own answer. This requires both the interviewer and the interviewee to be at ease because it is like a discussion or brainstorming on the given question. According to Bazeley & Jackson, (2013), it is possible to generate rich data, information and ideas in such a conversation because of the level of questioning.
The semi-structured interview method has features of both structured and unstructured interviews and therefore, uses both closed and open questions ((Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009).
As a result, it has the advantage of both methods of interviewing. In order to have consistency, the interviewer has a set of pre-planned core questions for guidance such that the same areas are covered with each interviewee. The interviewee is given the opportunity to elaborate or provide more relevant information. This study has utilized a semi-structured interview approach as well as structured interview questions.
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In structured interviews, the interviewer uses a set of predetermined questions which are short and clearly worded; in most cases, these questions are closed and therefore require precise answers in the form of a set of options read out or presented to the respondent (Kvale
& Brinkmann, 2009). Closed questions are where a limited number of alternative responses to the set question are provided. These can be in list, category, ranking, scale/rating, grid or other quantitative forms. Kvale & Brinkmann, (2009:34) further argue that “the structured interview questions are easy to conduct and can easily be standardised as the same questions are asked to all participants.”
As well as individual interviews, a researcher may want to interview several participants simultaneously in a focus group. To conduct a focus group, the researcher gathers several people (usually not more than 10 or 12 to discuss a specific issue for one or two hours, (Leedy
& Ormrod, 2013). Focus groups are used to gather data, usually in the form of opinions, from a selected group of people on a specific and pre-determined topic, e.g. consumer topic;
political topic and so forth. The researcher creates a relaxed atmosphere and records in some way what is being said (e.g. by use of a tape-recorder, video, note-taker etc) (Leedy and Ormrod, 2013). The purpose of the discussion is introduced and discussion ground-rules agreed. The researcher encourages free discussion, but is ready to intervene if necessary to resolve group problems (Creswell, 2014). Focus groups can be a useful way of finding out what the main issues and concerns of any group are (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). This can help in designing questions or to develop a future interview strategy. They can be a useful way too, of bringing to the surface issues that might not otherwise have been discovered: the dynamics of a group can often make people bolder in advancing their opinions (Leedy & Ormrod, 2013).
According to Leedy & Armrod (2013:52) “a focus group interview is less structured compared to the three categories of interview discussion above.” This is because of the difficulty in bringing structure to the group; however, rich data can emerge through interaction within the group (Preece, et al. 2005). In a group, people develop and express ideas they would not have thought about on their own, (Patton, 2014). In this study a focus group interview was conducted after a series of individual semi-structured interviews, to further explore the general nature of the comments made in the earlier interviews (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). A
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representative sample was drawn from both the subjects who were interviewed individually and new members who had not been interviewed. The focus group was used to probe further and moderate the answers from the sample. Mertens (2011), recommends the membership of an ideal focus group to range from six to twelve subjects. The data collection was conducted with a focus group of twelve subjects.