Showing papers on "Interview published in 1995"

Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data

Abstract: Chapter 1. Listening, Hearing, and Sharing Chapter 2. Research Philosophy and Qualitative Interviews Chapter 3. Qualitative Data Gathering Methods and Style Chapter 4. Designing Research for the Responsive Interviewing Model Chapter 5. Designing for Quality Chapter 6. Conversational Partnerships Chapter 7. The Responsive Interview as an Extended Conversation Chapter 8. Structure of the Responsive Interview Chapter 9. Designing Main Questions and Probes Chapter 10. Preparing Follow-Up Questions Chapter 11. Variants of the Responsive Interviewing Model Chapter 12. Data Analysis in the Responsive Interviewing Model Chapter 13. Sharing the Results Chapter 14. Personal Reflections on Responsive Interviewing

Learning from strangers : the art and method of qualitative interview studies

Abstract: Drawing on Weiss's thirty years' experience interviewing and teaching others, Learning from Strangers is the definitive work on qualitative research interviewing. The author of many successful books, Dr. Weiss provides examples and running commentary on how each interaction either inhibits or promotes trust and alliance. Used as a reference, handbook, or text, this book is appropriate for novices and professionals.

The active interview

Abstract: Introduction The Active Interview in Perspective Assigned Competence and Respondent Selection Narrative Resources The Active Interviewer Constructing Meaning within the Interview Multivocality and Multiple Respondents Rethinking Interview Procedures

A Pragmatic View of Thematic Analysis

Abstract: Ethnographic interviews have become a commonly used qualitat ive methodology for collecting data (Aronson, 1992). Once the information is gathered, res earchers are faced with the decision on how to analyze the data. There are many ways to anal yze informants' talk about their experiences (Mahrer, 1988; Spradley, 1979; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984), a nd thematic analysis is one such way. Although thematic analysis has been described (Benner, 1985; Leininger, 1985; Taylor & Board, 1984), there is insufficient literature that outlines the pragmatic process of thematic analysis. This article attempts to outline the procedure for perform ing a thematic analysis. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. This article is available in The Qualitative Report: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol2/iss1/3 A Pragmatic View of Thematic Analysis by Jodi Aronson The Qualitative Report, Volume 2, Number 1, Spring, 1994 Ethnographic interviews have become a commonly used qualitative methodology for collecting data (Aronson, 1992). Once the information is gathered, researchers are faced with the decision on how to analyze the data. There are many ways to analyze informants' talk about their experiences (Mahrer, 1988; Spradley, 1979; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984), and thematic analysis is one such way. Although thematic analysis has been described (Benner, 1985; Leininger, 1985; Taylor & Board, 1984), there is insufficient literature that outlines the pragmatic process of thematic analysis. This article attempts to outline the procedure for performing a thematic analysis. Performing a Thematic Analysis The ethnographic interview is a commonly used interviewing process employed by researchclinicians (Kuehl & Newfield, 1991; Kuehl, Newfield & Joanning, 1990; Newfield, Joanning, Kuehl, & Quinn, 1990; Newfield, Kuehl, Joanning & Quinn, 1991; William, 1992). From the conversations that take place in a therapy session or those that are encouraged for the sake of researching a process, ideas emerge that can be better understood under the control of a thematic analysis. Thematic analysis focuses on identifiable themes and patterns of living and/or behavior. The first step is to collect the data. Audiotapes should be collected to study the talk of a session or of an enthnographic interview (Spradley, 1979). From the transcribed conversations, patterns of experiences can be listed. This can come from direct quotes or paraphrasing common ideas. The following is an example. A family was interviewed to get a better understanding of their experience with a juvenile justice system. The entire interview was transcribed. The first pattern of experience listed, was the process of the juvenile being arrested, and the different explanations from the various family members. The second pattern of experience listed was the attitude that each family member had toward the process (Aronson, 1992). The next step to a thematic analysis is to identify all data that relate to the already classified patterns. To continue the above example, the identified patterns are then expounded on. All of the talk that fits under the specific pattern is identified and placed with the corresponding pattern. For example, each family member somehow named their "attitude" while they were speaking. The father stated that he is "anti-statist," the mother said that she is "protective," and the son stated that "felt bad for what he had done" (Aronson, 1992). The next step to a thematic analysis is to combine and catalogue related patterns into sub-themes. Themes are defined as units derived from patterns such as "conversation topics, vocabulary, recurring activities, meanings, feelings, or folk sayings and proverbs" (Taylor & Bogdan, 1989, p.131). Themes are identified by "bringing together components or fragments of ideas or experiences, which often are meaningless when viewed alone" (Leininger, 1985, p. 60). Themes that emerge from the informants' stories are pieced together to form a comprehensive picture of their collective experience. The "coherence of ideas rests with the analyst who has rigorously studied how different ideas or components fit together in a meaningful way when linked together" (Leininger, 1985, p. 60). Constas (1992) reiterates this point and states that the "interpretative approach should be considered as a distinct point of origination" (p. 258). When gathering sub-themes to obtain a comprehensive view of the information, it is easy to see a pattern emerging. When patterns emerge it is best to obtain feedback from the informants about them. This can be done as the interview is taking place or by asking the informants to give feedback from the transcribed conversations. In the former, the interviewer uses the informants' feedback to establish the next questions in the interview. In the latter, the interviewer transcribes the interview or the session, and asks the informants to provide feedback that is then incorporated in the theme analysis. The next step is to build a valid argument for choosing the themes. This is done by reading the related literature. By referring back to the literature, the interviewer gains information that allows him or herself to make inferences from the interview or therapy session. Once the themes have been collected and the literature has been studied, the researcher is ready to formulate theme statements to develop a story line. When the literature is interwoven with the findings, the story that the interviewer constructs is one that stands with merit. A developed story line helps the reader to comprehend the process, understanding, and motivation of the interviewer. References Aronson, J. (1992). The interface of family therapy and a juvenile arbitration and mediation program. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Benner, P. (1985). Quality of life: A phenomenological perspective on explanation, prediction, and understanding in nursing science. Advances in Nursing Science, 8(1), 1-14. Constas, M. A. (1992). Qualitative analysis as a public event: The documentation of category development procedures. American Educational Research Journal, 29(2), 253-266. Kuehl, B. P., & Newfield, N. A. (1991). Family listeners among the Nacirema: Their curative ceremonies and how the natives view them. Family Therapy Case Studies, 6(1), 55-66. Kuehl, B. P., Newfield, N. A., & Joanning, H. (1990). Toward a client-based description of family therapy. Journal of Family Psychology, 3(3), 310-321. Leininger, M. M. (1985). Ethnography and ethnonursing: Models and modes of qualitative data analysis. In M. M. Leininger (Ed.), Qualitative research methods in nursing (pp. 33-72). Orlando, FL: Grune & Stratton. Mahrer, A. R. (1988). Discovery-oriented psychotherapy research. American Psychologist, 43(9), 694-702. Newfield, N. A., Kuehl, B. P., Joanning, H., & Quinn, W. H. (1990). A mini-ethnography of the family therapy of adolescent drug abuse: The ambiguous experience. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 7(2), 57-80. Newfield, N. A., Kuehl, B. P., Joanning, H., & Quinn, W. H. (1991). We can tell you about psychos and shrinks: An ethnography of the family therapy of adolescent substance abuse. In T. C. Todd & M. D. Selekman (Eds.), Family therapy approaches with adolescent substance abusers (pp. 277-310). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Spradley, J. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Taylor, S. J., & Bogdan, R. (1984). Introduction to qualitative research methods: The search for meanings. New York: John Wiley & Sons. William, J. L. (1992). Don't discuss it: Reconciling illness, dying, and death in a medical school anatomy laboratory. Family Systems Medicine, 10(1), 65-78. Jodi Aronson, Ph.D., LMFT is the Clinical Director of MCC Behavioral Care, 3313 West Commercial Boulevard, Suite 112, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.

Qualitative interviews in medical research.

Abstract: Much qualitative research is interview based, and this paper provides an outline of qualitative interview techniques and their application in medical settings. It explains the rationale for these techniques and shows how they can be used to research kinds of questions that are different from those dealt with by quantitative methods. Different types of qualitative interviews are described, and the way in which they differ from clinical consultations is emphasised. Practical guidance for conducting such interviews is given.

Designing Surveys: A Guide to Decisions and Procedures

Abstract: Series Foreword Preface Chapter 1. An Introduction to Surveys and to This Book The Practice of Survey Research The Uses of Surveys Overview of the Survey Process A Brief Summary of This Book Chapter 2. Stages of a Survey Stage 1: Survey Design and Preliminary Planning Stage 2: Pretesting Stage 3: Final Survey Design and Planning Stage 4: Data Collection Stage 5: Data Coding, Data-File Construction, Analysis, and Final Report Example of a Time Schedule for a Study Chapter 3. Selecting the Method of Data Collection Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Four Survey Methods Mail Surveys Internet Surveys Telephone Surveys Face-to-Face Surveys Combinations of Methods Chapter 4. Questionnaire Design: Writing the Questions Questionnaire Design as Process Factors in Questionnaire Development Writing Questions Chapter 5. Questionnaire Design: Organizing the Questions Introducing the Study What Questions Should the Questionnaire Begin With? Grouping Questions into Sections Questionnaire Length and Respondent Burden Avoiding Other Flaws in Mail Questionnaire Design Chapter 6. Questionnaire Design: Testing the Questions Importance of Respondents' Comprehension of and Ability to Answer Questions Conventional Pretests and Interviewer Debriefings Post-Interview Interviews Behavior Coding A Note on Intercoder Reliability Cognitive Interviews Respondent Debriefing Expert Panel Examining Interviewer Tasks Revising and Retesting: Deciding Which Pretest Problems to Address Deciding How Much Testing Is Enough Pilot Tests Combined Methods Some Last Advice Chapter 7. Designing the Sample The Basics Defining the Population Constructing a Sampling Frame Matching Defined Populations and Sampling Frames Recognizing Problems with Sampling Frames Determining Sample Size Hypothesis Testing and Power Using Census Data Chapter 8. Selecting a Sample Example 1: A Community List-Assisted Telephone Sample Example 2: A Directory-Based Community Telephone Sample Example 3: Other RDD Telephone Samples Selecting Respondents within Households Example 4: A List Sample of Students Example 5: A Sample of University Classes Chapter 9. Reducing Sources of Error in Data Collection The Origins of Error Chapter 10. Special Topics Ethical Issues in Survey Research The Methodology Report The Utility of the Methodology Report What to Include in the Methodology Report Costs and Contingencies: Planning for the Unexpected For Further Study: Suggested Readings Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Glossary/Index

The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA)

Abstract: Great advances have been made during the last 20 years in the development of structured and semi-structured interviews for use with psychiatric patients. However, in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry there have been weaknesses in the specification and definition of both symptoms and the psychosocial impairments resulting from psychiatric disorder. Furthermore, most of the available interviews for use with children have been tied to a single diagnostic system (DSM-III, DSM-III-R, or ICD-9). This has meant that symptom coverage has been limited and nosological comparisons have been inhibited. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA) represents an attempt to remedy some of these shortcomings. This paper outlines the principles adopted in the CAPA to improve the standardization, reliability and meaningfulness of symptom and diagnostic ratings. The CAPA is an interviewer-based diagnostic interview with versions for use with children and their parents, focused on symptoms occurring during the preceding 3 month period, adapted for assessments in both clinical and epidemiological research.

How to conduct interviews by telephone and in person

Abstract: How to Conduct Interviews by Telephone and In Person Learning Objectives Overview of Telephone and In-Person Interviews Questionnaire Construction Interviewer Selection and Training

Interviews in qualitative nursing research: differing approaches for ethnographic and phenomenological studies

Abstract: Interviews form an essential part of data collection for many qualitative nursing studies. Information about how to individualize interview formats to meet the purpose and style of specific qualitative research approaches, however, is not readily accessible to the researcher. This paper offers an overview of use of the interviewer as an instrument in qualitative research, as well as ways in which the differing purposes and styles of ethnographic and phenomenological research approaches affect the format for the interview.

A meta-analysis of interrater and internal consistency reliability of selection interviews.

Abstract: A meta-analysis of 111 interrater reliability coefficients and 49 coefficient alphas from selection interviews was conducted. Moderators of interrater reliability included study design, interviewer training, and 3 dimensions of interview structure ( standardization of questions, of response evaluation, and of combining multiple ratings). Interactions showed that standardizing questions had a stronger moderating effect on reliability when coefficients were from separate ( rather than panel) interviews, and multiple ratings were useful when combined mechanically (there was no evidence of usefulness when combined subjectively). Average correlations (derived from alphas) between ratings were moderated by standardization of questions and number of ratings made. Upper limits of validity were estimated to be.67 for highly structured interviews and.34 for unstructured interviews.

Commonality, Difference and the Dynamics of Disclosure in In-Depth Interviewing

Abstract: The last few decades have witnessed a notable growth in literature addressing the politics and ethics of social research. Much of this literature has stressed difference between the researcher and the interviewee, and has addressed the importance of sensitising researchers to the difficulties and dilemmas encountered in in-depth interviewing crossing sex, class, and race boundaries. We argue that an examination of the cultural identities of the researcher and the interviewee, and how they may impact upon the interview process, needs further exploration. As two independent researchers of Chinese young people in Britain, we found that our interview experiences as mixed-descent Chinese-English and Korean-American researchers `positioned' us in terms of both commonality and difference vis-a-vis our interviewees. More attention needs to be given to how assumptions made by interviewees regarding the cultural identity of the researcher shapes interviewees' accounts. Interviewees could claim either commonality or...

Experience-based and situational interview questions: Studies of validity.

Abstract: This research compared the validity of two different types of structured interview questions (i.e., experience-based and situational) under tightly controlled conditions. The experience-based interview questions required that 108 study participants relate how they had handled situations in the past requiring skills and abilities necessary for effective performance on the job. Situational questions, administered to another group of 108 study participants, provided interviewees with hypothetical job-relevant situations and asked them how they would respond if they were confronted with these problems. The experience-based interview questions yielded higher levels of validity than the situational questions. Additional analyses showed that the interview added incrementally to the prediction of performance beyond the variance accounted for by a cognitive ability test. There were small differences in subgroup performance (White, Black, Hispanic, male, and female) on the experience-based interview, though it was equally valid for all subgroups.

Three Functions of the Medical Interview

Abstract: Many clinicians have learned their history-taking and interviewing skills as students by having gone to the patient’s bedside with a manual that provides guidelines for areas of inquiry. Such manuals usually contain hundreds of items pertaining to the organ systems of the body. The student’s task is to follow the manual to collect and eventually organize large amounts of data for presentation to the supervisor or visiting clinician. There should be sufficient data for a differential diagnosis. The patient’s role is simply to provide this data in response to questioning.

Subsequent questions may influence answers to preceding questions in mail surveys

Abstract: Data of a mode experiment demonstrate that the emergence of context effects may be independent of question order under mail survey conditions. Under telephone interview conditions, substantively related questions affected responses to the target question only when asked first. However, the same questions affected responses under mail survey conditions independent of whether they preceded or followed the target question. One of the key differences between modes of data collection pertains to the temporal order in which the material is presented (see Schwarz et al. 1991). Telephone and face-to-face interviews have a strict sequential organization, and respondents have to process the information in the temporal succession in which it is presented by the interviewer. As a result, preceding questions may influence answers given to subsequent questions, whereas subsequent questions cannot influence the answers already provided to preceding questions. In contrast, selfadministered questionnaires do not have a strict sequential ordering. Although the questions are presented in a predetermined order, respondents may read ahead, go back and forth between related questions, or may change previous answers. Accordingly, a selfadministered questionnaire format may attenuate the impact of question order. This, however, does not imply that the content of related The reported research was supported by grant SWFOO44 6 from the Bundeminister fur Forschung und Technologie of the Federal Republic of Germany to Norbert Schwarz. Both authors were affiliated with ZUMA, Mannheim, Federal Republic of Germany, at the time of the reported research. NORBERT SCHWARZ is now professor of psychology and research scientist, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. HANS-J. HIPPLER is now director of media and market research with the Gesellschaft fur Zeitungsmarketing, Frankfurt. Address correspondence to Norbert Schwarz, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248. Public Opinion Quarterly Volume 59:93-97 ? 1995 by the American Association for Public Opinion Research All rights reserved. 0033-362X/95/5901-0004$02.50 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.255 on Mon, 01 Aug 2016 05:44:41 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 94 Norbert Schwarz and Hans-J. Hippler questions may not affect the answers given. Rather, it suggests that the emergence of context effects may be independent of question order in a self-administered format, allowing for influences of preceding as well as following questions. In line with this hypothesis, Bishop et al. (1988) observed that the operation of the norm of evenhandedness depended on question order under telephone, but not under self-administered, conditions. Replicating Schuman and Ludwig's (1983) Japanese trade items with a German sample, they asked respondents to report their opinion on (a) limiting Japanese imports to Germany and (b) limiting German exports to Japan. Under telephone interview conditions, German respondents were significantly more likely to favor limiting Japanese imports to Germany than they were to favor limiting German exports to Japan when each question was asked in the first position. However, support for limitations on German exports to Japan increased when this question was preceded by the question about restricting Japanese imports to Germany. This presumably reflects that endorsing restrictions on Japanese imports to Germany evoked a norm of evenhandedness (Schuman and Ludwig 1983). Thus, the data under telephone interview conditions replicated Schuman and Ludwig's findings based on a U.S. sample. But when respondents were asked these same questions under selfadministered conditions, the order in which they were presented had no significant effect on the results. Rather, these respondents reported considerable support for limiting German exports to Japan under both order conditions, suggesting that the norm of evenhandedness was evoked independent of question order. Data from a U.S. sample followed the same pattern, although the differences did not reach significance (see Bishop et al. 1988). These findings suggest that respondents either read ahead or returned to the previous question once they encountered the subsequent one. The latter may be particularly likely when the subsequent question draws attention to strongly held norms that have clear implications for a preceding question, as is the case for the Japanese trade items. Whether order-independent context effects would be observed in mail surveys under other conditions is an open issue. To address this issue, we assessed the emergence of question order effects under telephone and mail survey conditions in a mode experiment, using questions that do not evoke the norm of evenhandedness.

Life-Style Segmentation with Tailored Interviewing

Abstract: The authors present a tailored interviewing procedure for life-style segmentation. The procedure assumes that a life-style measurement instrument has been designed. A classification of a sample of consumers into life-style segments is obtained using a latent-class model. With these segments, the tailored interview procedure classifies consumers into the same segments in future studies. The procedure minimizes the error of misclassification and decreases the interview costs by using only a fraction of the items for each respondent. In an empirical application to a questionnaire designed to assess lifestyle related to the consumption of fashion, the authors obtain a classification that agrees with the full interview (i.e., using all scale items) for 73% of the respondents while using only 22% of all the questions in a traditional life-style battery.

In‐depth interviewing by telephone: Some practical considerations

Abstract: An interview is usually conceived as a face‐to‐face situation in which participants have access to a range of each other's communication skills, verbal and non‐verbal. Where this is not possible, the telephone may be seriously considered as a research tool. Whereas the telephone has now been extensively used for market research, there are few reports of its use in more detailed interviews. This paper considers the use of the telephone for in‐depth interviewing as a viable alternative to face‐to‐face encounters. Similarities and essential differences from face‐to‐face interviews are considered, with implications for the practical organisation and management of interviews by telephone. It is suggested that the telephone can contribute to the extension of opportunities to groups under‐represented in research.

Conversational Styles in Language Proficiency Interviews

Abstract: This study compares the conversational styles of intermediate and advanced learners of ESL in language proficiency interviews. Eleven intermediate learners and 12 advanced learners participated in a regular administration of the Cambridge First Certificate in English oral interview. I analyzed interview discourse constructed by both interviewer and nonnative speakers (NNSs), using a quantitative model of topical organization. I found differences in the amount of talk and rate of speaking (advanced learners talked more and faster than intermediate learners), in the extent of context dependence (advanced learners elaborated more in answers to questions), and in the ability to construct and sustain narratives (advanced learners did so, intermediate learners did not). There were no differences between the two groups in the frequency of initiation of new topics, nor in the reactivity to topics introduced by the interviewers. Interviewers did not vary in their interviewing style with the two groups. Some of these findings contradict what designers of language proficiency interviews claim to be proficiency-related differences between NNSs. The discrepancies may be due to the format of the interview and/or to differing expectations of the interview by interviewers and NNSs from different cultures.

Retrospective self-report of alcohol consumption: test-retest reliability by telephone

Abstract: The Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) is an interview technique for obtaining detailed retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption with excellent reliability for various composite variables when both administrations are in person. Because the telephone offers practical advantages over face-to-face interviewing for follow-up assessments in longitudinal studies of problem drinkers, this study was undertaken to compare the test-retest reliability of a 12-week TLFB interview when the second administration was by telephone to that when the second interview was in person. In addition, because the reliability of the TLFB has been previously assessed using composite variables, we examined the reliability of the TLFB at the item level. Research participants were 30 adult medical patients who drank frequently, and 75 college students who were problem drinkers. Test-retest reliability as measured by intraclass correlation was generally high, 0.79 or greater for the number of days of drinking > 6 standard drinks, 0.90 or greater for the number of abstinent days, and 0.80 or greater for the greatest number of drinks consumed on any 1 day, in both the most recent 4-week interval and in the entire 12-week interval. Test-retest correlation coefficients for composite variables derived from the interview data were not systematically affected by whether the second interview was in person or by telephone. Furthermore, item-level correlations were also substantial. Findings support the use of the telephone for follow-up interviews, potentially reducing costs of longitudinal studies and facilitating multisite studies with centralized data collection, and lend further general support to the reliability of the TLFB.

Performing the Interview

Abstract: The medical interview is the core clinical interaction and the clinician’s most important and intimate professional activity. The average practioner will conduct 120,000–160,000 interviews in the course of a 40-year career, which is an extraordinary number of times for any ask. It behooves the practitioner to interview patients with high efficiency, high accuracy, and high satisfaction, because it is such a central professional commitment.

Negotiated Validity in Collaborative Ethnography

Abstract: This article is an attempt to reconstruct and analyze the process of conducting a collaborative, interpretive study of the experience of Hurricane Andrew. Study data consist of accounts, including in-depth and focus-group interviews, collected in the months following the storm. The current inquiry addresses validity, with a focus on the impact of the investigators' biographies and theoretical orientations on the collection and analysis of qualitative data. We found that our interviews differed in terms of style, level of detail sought, and the degree of taken-for-granted knowledge shared by interviewer and respondent. In analysis, we found different aspects of the data interesting and, initially, produced different stories. These proved to be complementary, rather than contradictory. Collaboration made it possible to identify some of the biases we brought to the task and yielded a richer interpretation of the hurricane experience than either of us would have produced alone.

Women talking: Creating knowledge through difference in cross-cultural research

Abstract: This paper discusses the research process of a cross-cultural study investigating the health care experiences of Chinese Canadian and Indo-Canadian women. Employing the notion of reflexivity, the paper discusses the use of an accepted feminist method, the in-depth interview, in a study involving women from racialized groups. The paper discusses the layering of power relations at the different sites of data gathering, and the negotiation of “difference” between researchers, research assistants, and study participants throughout the study. The position of research assistants, as mediators of the research process, is given particular attention. In discussing our attempt to put the principles of feminist research into practice in cross-cultural research, we argue that problems encountered in the interview method require critical reflection, not only on the grounds of the practical issues of gaining detailed, narrative accounts of women's lives, but also in relation to the way in which “others” are constructed through research practices.

High School Students' Views about the Nature of Science: Results from Three Countries

Abstract: During the last two decades, massive efforts have been directed at uncovering different science concepts held by school age students. This particular study focused on identifying high school students' views regarding the nature of science. Thirty-two students were chosen from each of the following three countries: Canada, the United States, and Australia. Interviews were conducted with each student. The interview protocol contained the same core questions with an opportunity built in to allow both the student and the interviewer to seek clarification and extension as necessary. All of the interviews were audiotape recorded and transcribed. Some major differences and many commonalities were observed among the three groups of students. These results should be potentially useful to a wide range of science educators and curriculum developers in that one's ability to become scientifically literate is greatly impair ed when the nature of science is not completely understood.

Interviewing People with a Learning Disability About Their Residential Service

Abstract: Thirty‐six people with a moderate to severe learning disability were interviewed concerning their accommodation service. The interview consisted of 49 items, grouped in five categories: material, physical, developmental, social and emotional well‐being. Three question techniques were used: open questions, closed questions and requests for opinions, augmented by line drawings depicting facial expressions (happy, sad, etc). The findings demonstrate that consumers can make an important contribution to the review of services they receive, but that the interview process is by no means easy. Implications for involving service users in the development of individual plans (IPs) are discussed. Based on the respondents' comments, suggestions are made for the development of accommodation services. It is concluded that the design of effective service planning and evaluation strategies, is dependent upon the refinement of augmentative communication technologies and consumer education. 1995 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Explorations in Group Interviews: an evaluation of a reflexive and partisan approach

Abstract: This article’ introduces and evaluates an innovative example of a group interview technique which has been used in research with young people in three Leicestershire secondary schools. The interviewing technique in this instance is shown to contrast with some of the conventional wisdoms about good practice (a) by acknowledging and using the intrinsically reflexive features of interviews and (b) by adopting an openly partisan approach to the topic under investigation. The potential limitations as well as the potential benefits of the approach are explored, particularly with reference to the prospects of empowering the research subjects.

Explorations in Group Interviews: an evaluation of a reflexive and partisan

Abstract: This article introduces and evaluates an innovative example of a group interview technique which has been used in research with young people in three Leicestershire secondary schools. The interviewing technique in this instance is shown to contrast with some of the conventional wisdoms about good practice (a) by acknowl- edging and using the intrinsically reflexive features of interviews and (b) by adopting an openly partisan approach to the topic under investigation. The potential limitations as well as the potential benefits of the approach are explored, particularly with reference to the prospects of empowering the research subjects.