There are several techniques that can be utilised to collect information; the researcher‟s choice of technique(s) hinges on the aims of the study.
For this research, in-depth interviews were used to collect data as these would enable the researcher to obtain valuable information from both migrant and local street traders.
In collecting data, the researcher sought to acquire knowledge and insights into the experiences, perceptions, challenges and contributions of local and migrant street traders.
Such information was essential in achieving the objectives of the study. It is crucial that the researcher who engages in in-depth interviews handle the question of confidentiality carefully (Mason, 2002). In this study, the local respondents used their local language of isiZulu when responding to the questions that were asked in the interviews. Their responses were later translated into English. In the case of the migrant street traders, the questions were presented to them in English and they responded to them in English. All the respondents, including the migrants, showed an understanding of the questions that were asked them by responding accordingly.
The present study made use of the snowball sampling method to identify local as well as migrant respondents. Struwig and Stead (2001) state that snowball sampling deals with procedures in which the first respondents are chosen by probability methods. Additional respondents are then selected based on information supplied by the initial respondents.
According to Krippendorf (2004), snowball sampling commences with sampling units, which the researcher should choose carefully. When the researcher of the current study had obtained the necessary information from the first respondents, he requested them to recommend other respondents. This did not prove to be a laborious exercise given the fact that most of the migrant and local street traders in the location the researcher visited knew each other, including those traders who work at different sites. It must be noted that snowball sampling has the problem of bias (Castillo, 2009). According to Castillo (2009), subjects tend to recommend people with whom they are acquainted and with whom they share characteristics and traits.
In order to acquire a representative and valid sample, the researcher selected reliable cross- sectional estimations from the prevailing foreign migrant and local populations. The researcher selected respondents from different African countries so as to be able to determine the reliability of responses. According to Faugier and Sargeant (1997), snowball sampling is more appropriate for studies of smaller dimensions. In this research a total of fifteen respondents participated in the in-depth interviews that were conducted. The required information was collected from two sources.
Firstly, it was mainly gathered from migrant street traders. Secondly, data was also collected from local street traders as the researcher wished to acquire knowledge on how they perceive the entrepreneurial activities of the African migrant street traders. In total, ten interviews were conducted with migrant street traders; five of the interviewees were male and five were female. Interviews were also conducted with five local street traders; three of them were female and two were male.
An in-depth interview guide was used to gather data from the migrant and local street traders.
The respondents were interviewed, among other things, about their experiences and expectations as street traders. Flexibility was exercised during the interviewing process when it took place on the business site so as to grant time for the participants to attend to their customers. The flexible procedure also allowed for the interviews to be conducted at the respondents‟ places of residence, should the need for such an eventuality exist. In the in- depth interviews, follow-up questions were used when the researcher wanted to probe deeper into certain issues. With the permission of the respondents, all the interviews were tape- recorded.
Each tape-recorded interview lasted approximately twenty to thirty minutes. The researcher also utilised a notebook for recording non-verbal cues during the interview as well as additional information after the recorded session. Before the interviews began, the researcher indicated to the respondents that they were to feel free to attend to their customers. The tape- recorder was put on pause when the respondents were dealing with customers. Each respondent was informed that he or she was free to withdraw from the interview at any time should the respondent wish to do so. From the outset the researcher gave the respondents a detailed explanation of the objectives of the study. The researcher asked each local and migrant respondent for their permission to include them in the study. The respondents who agreed to take part in an interview were provided with an informed consent form. Informed consent increases the chances that the respondents understand what participation entails and also understand certain issues such as their rights to anonymity and confidentiality (Wiles, 2005). The respondents were then requested to sign the form, thus consenting to participate in the study.
During the course of each interview, the researcher displayed an attentive, non-judgemental and empathetic attitude.
The purpose behind this was to gain the trust of respondents and to allow them to feel free and comfortable enough to open up and yield the necessary information, preferably in detail.
The researcher made use of questions that probed deeper into those areas that were most relevant to the study. Synovate (2009) argues that respondents can sometimes feel that they are being placed under close scrutiny and may thus be reluctant to open up to the interviewer.
The researcher tried his utmost to develop a good rapport with the respondents so as to build mutual trust, which would lead to him gathering the necessary information for the study.
As was mentioned earlier, Boyce and Neale (2006) have stated that in-depth interviews are prone to bias because a researcher may wish to prove that the interview is working effectively. He may thus be tempted to alter his findings accordingly. The researcher made every effort when interviewing to maintain objectivity. Follow-up sessions were organised with the respondents in order to search for more information on those areas that had proved unclear. The researcher sought the permission of the respondent after the completion of the initial interview. All the respondents fully cooperated and willingly provided the information that was required.