Page 228 -

216 CHAPTER 8 Interviews and focus groups

what he's doing and why, he may not have thought about it enough to put it into
words. Probes also provide a potentially entertaining alternative to a steady stream
of questions.
Some techniques for eliciting responses are specific to focus groups. If a partici-
pant's comment is followed by silence, you might specifically ask others to react:
“does anyone have a different opinion?” A short pause can also provide an opening
for someone who has been waiting for a chance to make a comment (Krueger, 1994).
8.8.3.5 Debriefing
Set aside some time at the end of the interview or focus group for wrapping up and
debriefing. When you have finished covering the questions or topics on your list,
you might ask participants if they have anything else to add and, for their reactions
to participating in the interview or focus group (Kvale, 2007). This will provide
an opportunity for the sharing of thoughts that did not seem to fit earlier in the
conversation.
Once your participants have finished answering questions, you might want to
provide details about your research goals and the purpose of the interview, without
the risk of biasing their responses. This additional detail can help interviewees feel
that their time has been well spent and satisfying. Your debriefing might also include
a brief summary of what you have learned during the session. This summary gives
participants an opportunity to correct any misunderstandings.
Consider turning off any recording devices before you begin the debriefing: if
participants are aware that you are no longer recording, they may share some com-
ments that they would not have made earlier (Kvale, 2007).
After you have thanked your interviewee or focus group participants, try to take
a few minutes to gather your thoughts, summarize the results, and otherwise reflect
upon the session (Kvale, 2007). Even if you have recorded the session and taken
detailed notes, your initial reactions may include insights that will be difficult, if not
impossible, to reconstruct even a few hours later.

8.9 ELECTRONICALLY MEDIATED INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS
GROUPS
Modern communication technologies present the attractive option of conducting
interviews and focus groups electronically. Online chat, conference calls, and one-
to-one phone calls can all be used to communicate directly with participants from
the comfort of your own office. You can even conduct interviews by email, sending
questions and answers back and forth in an ongoing dialog. In some cases, elec-
tronically mediated interviews may be your only possibility. If you are working
with domain experts who are geographically distant, face-to-face conversations may
simply be too expensive to arrange. Even when face-to-face meetings are possible,
cost considerations may lead you to choose the convenience of telephone or online
interviews.