Qualitative research service
Research Interviews and Focus Groups
Develop and review interview or focus-group plans with attention to question design, participant selection, facilitation and analytic usefulness.
Request guidanceGood interview questions are tied to the research question
An interview guide should create room for participants to provide relevant detail without forcing the desired conclusion. The sequence, wording and use of prompts can affect what data are produced.
Review areas
- Open versus leading questions.
- Order, pacing and transitions.
- Prompts for examples, contrast and clarification.
- Differences between individual interviews and group interaction.
- Recording, transcription and documentation decisions.
The review does not assume that one interview count or focus-group size is universally correct; sampling depends on the design, population and analytic purpose.
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Describe the actual study context so the scope can be assessed before any commitment is made.