Mastering Interviews and Focus Groups: Techniques & Tactics

Posted on Feb 5, 2025 in English, Linguistic and Literary Studies

Conducting Effective Interviews

Iñiguez Lupicinio

To conduct an effective interview, the interviewer’s role is essential. Consider the following:

  • Engage in everyday conversation to build rapport.

Key Setpoints for Interviews:

  1. Present the topic clearly.
  2. Focus on and repeat key issues for emphasis.

Interview Tactics:

  • Deepening: Explore topics in greater detail.
  • Expressions of Interest: Use brief, clear affirmations like “ahhh, you are absolutely right” to show understanding.
  • Short Expressions: Use concise responses to encourage the speaker.
  • Eco Mirror or Restatement: Reflect back what the interviewee has said.
  • Partial Summary: Provide brief summaries to ensure understanding.
  • Repeat the Theme: For example, “You say your problem is a financial debt?”
  • Short Rests: Allow pauses for reflection.
  • Misunderstanding: Clarify any points of confusion.
  • Involuntary Repetition: Repeat if you did not hear something clearly.
  • Address Counterexamples: Acknowledge and address any conflicting information.

Focus Groups and Discussion Groups

A discussion group is a qualitative technique used to gather information. It’s a collaborative environment where the group contributes to the social discourse, seeking the social meaning through conversation.

Key Aspects:

  • Sense Finding: Discover the meaning of speech.
  • Meaning: Understand the contextual, ideological, cultural, and symbolic aspects.

Guiding a Discussion Group

  • Choose a research topic.
  • Invite participants to join the group discussion.
  • The group raises the issue.
  • The group takes ownership of the topic, focusing on it collaboratively.
  • The group develops the content of the topic.

Role of the Conductor

  • Promote an equal and symmetric group dynamic.
  • Participate in critical conversation.
  • Lead the discussion effectively.
The Form of a Discussion Group
  • A group should consist of approximately 10 people.
  • The group discussion can occur in 1 or 2 sessions.
  • Each conversation should last between 1 hour and 1 ½ hours.
  • Respect the decision of a person who chooses not to speak.
Technical Focus Group

A technical focus group aims to collect qualitative information. The final sense further suggests individual speech related to psychosocial factors, perceptions, and personal meanings.

Features:

  • It’s a controlled group based on:
  • The type of participants.
  • The theme and focus of the theme.
  • The questions asked.
  • The goal is to understand a topic from a specific focus, aiming to rescue the depth of data.
  • The goal of the focus is that each person talks.
  • The group builds its representation from within.

Driver Role in a Focus Group:

The role is to clearly lead the group to the delimited topic.

  • Two drivers participate: one runs the session, and the other directs it.
  • Drivers must work together to guide the group.

Key Differences:

  • Focus Group:
    • Sense of Individual Speech.
    • Control over participants and questions.
    • Direct role.
  • Discussion Group:
    • Sense of Social discourse.
    • The subject is discussed openly and globally.
    • The role is that of facilitator.