From the pilot interview, I have asked some questions that the interviewee is not in their area. He got nervous and shut down his openness to answering the questions..
1_ Do you think I can ask a few questions under their expertise to get his mood ready before the questionnaires in the qualitative research?
2_ How should I address this justification in my paper?
Ada Lo - It seems that you have missed many important points while framing the questionnaire and while asking the information from the respondents. First, construction of questionnaire is an art. It is advisable to built a proper rapport with the respondents before asking questionnaires to respondents. Ask simple, direct and non-sensitive questions in the start and more complex and sensitive questions in the last. Second, read the facial impressions of respondents in order to assess their mood. Third, pilot test is used to assess the effectiveness of questionnaire or the changes needed that may be incorporated later on in the questionnaire.
Please find attach our work where we use qualitative and quantitative methods like you want to do. However, the mood your participants are in is an indicator per se.
It is hard to answer your question without knowing the topic of your study, the field of expertise of your interviewee, and the nature of the questions that were not in his area.
However, in qualitative interviews, we begin with a question protocol, i.e. a list of carefully-planned questions, but it is very legitimate to follow where the interview goes. This may include asking follow-up questions to clarify answers and may include deviating from the protocol, as long as you are still answering your research questions.
I agree with Michael W. Marek that it is hard to provide advice without more details from you. In general, however, it helps to begin with questions that are not only easy for a participant to answer but also interesting to the participant. One useful suggestion is to ask about experiences with the topic in a way that doesn't call for sensitive information.
Ada - you can use a technique called 'funneling'. The idea is to start with broad questions that are general in nature and designed to put the participant at ease - and the questions become more in-depth and potentially more 'sensitive' as the interview progresses and you have establsihed a rapport/trust with the interviewee. The initial questions, as stated, will be broad - but usually related to the topic overall i.e. 'what is your understanding of...?' You could start with something broad and social - such as 'what is your favourite thing to do at the moment' - but it may not be something that you could then include as data.
Dear Ada, my two pennies worth with regards to your question. First of all, I would not use the term "questionnaire" in a qualitative research. I personally prefer to use the term "interview guide" as qualitative research should stay flexible and adaptable to each respondent. I certainly do not ask the same set of questions to my interviewees as I tailor each interview to their specific profile. There are, of course, overlaps as I try to stick to the spine of my research but it is extremely important to start neutral, as suggested by Dean, slowly narrowing the questioning to more sensitive topics once you build up the trust with the person you are interviewing. I would also say that it is important to keep the interview relevant to them so if you do no adjust your introduction, they may shut down before you start. To me, this is a beauty of the qualitative research and as Manzoor said, it is an art!
Ada Lo Yes, you can do that. A qualitative researcher is allowed to ask the way he wants as long as s/he could gets the actual answer. Regarding justification, you already gave it while explaining your question.
Yes, you can do that. Be guided by inductive reasoning where evidence you obtain can be regarded as influential in the determination of the research questions. Besides, do not ask the questions in a manner that makes the respondent feel they are being examined.
Yes, you can. I think something is missed out in your work. I would advise you to be fully prepared when designing a questionnaire. That will prevent the 'forth' and 'back' in constructing and reconstructing questions on your way. In addition, I also think it depends on what you want (objectives), the kind of participants (in qualitative research) you are looking at, and even the type of study you are embarking on. Finally, note that research is an art and we are entreated to be flexible with our strategies in a scientific and acceptable way. This is my candid opinion for now. Thank you. You can feel free and contact me for further discussion on +233 553514251
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