I have difficulty asking good questions (D4).

The kind of questioning style you adopt depends on the impression and the atmosphere that you would like to create during the interview (D2). You should be familiar with the various categories, the drawbacks and the positive aspects, before you select a combination of techniques. Find out what kind of questions you feel comfortable with (Table D.4a). Check whether they are also effective for the purposes of your research.

table

The pace of lectures is too quick for me to take notes (D6). Make reproducible notes while listening Making notes while conducting an interview requires a lot of practice. You should be able to concentrate on what is being said while you are writing. The use of abbreviations is often necessary in order not to write all the time. Get used to a number of abbreviations, and symbols in order to be able to decipher different types of notes (C10):

• Use special codes (for example, * #) in the margin which indicate that this is your opinion - not the interviewees.
• If the respondent makes an interesting remark, use quotation marks when you register it. However, do not quote the respondent literally in your research report. The quotation marks should serve to indicate the relevance of the information to you at a later point in time.
• Write your commentary in your mother tongue if you conduct an interview in a foreign language.

Indicate immediately, in your notes, when you find a remark important or perhaps questionable. If you do this clearly, it will be easier to return to this point before finishing the interview.

 

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Seven core skills

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