Peter Chen and S.M. Hinton
(1999) 'Realtime Interviewing Using the World Wide Web'
Augmenting the Basic Online Interview Process
The use of computers to facilitate the online interview method
allows for the use of additional software with the method outlined.
Without discussing all possible future developments that may
add value to the approach, three realistic additions are outlined
below to provide some suggestions as to how the online interview
method can be supplemented.
Using Ancillary Software in the
Online Interview
Allowing the researcher to work from their desktop computer,
the online interview is compatible with a number of ancillary
software packages. This software could be used to manage questions
and data, speeding up the interview process and the post-interview
data analysis A number of examples are outlined, including databases
and supporting software, CATI (CASI or CAPI), and qualitative
data managing software.
The online method can be supported by multitasking software
to assist the researcher. This can be achieved through the storage
of questions or information, or the recording of notes during
the interview. A wide range of software packages could be used
for these purposes, from simple text editors (to record notes
or hold prepared questions that can be simply "cut and pasted"
into the interview conversation) to sophisticated databases
containing multiple questions, facts, data or primary materials.
Telephone interviewing has used computers as a primary part
of the interview process for some time. Computer-Assisted Telephone
Interviewing (CATI) allows for the conduct of a wide number
of semi-structured interviews with prepared questions and a
predetermined response frame to quickly analyse data and provide
a number of subsidiary lines of questioning depending on the
responses given. The presence of the researcher at their computer
can allow the adoption of this form of technology to prepare
highly structured interviewing free of interviewer errors (Neuman, 1994:252).
While this technology is often used for online surveys (which
tend to be automated using online forms and CGI scripts), it
would be possible to adopt this technology where a wide number
of interviews are required and there is extensive duplication
of questioning. This would produce a "hybrid" approach, with
initial prepared questioning (and automatic classification of
responses) followed by semi- and unstructured follow-up questioning.
The important difference between CATI and CASI / CAPI is the
required presence of a human who can be instructed to provide
limited assistance or field ancillary / follow-up questions.
Another option is the use of qualitative
data management software for the storage and management of interview
transcripts as an aid for the interrogation and analysis of detailed
interviews. One example of this software is NUD*IST (Non-numerical,
Unstructured, Data: Indexing, Searching and Theorising). This
package allows the researcher to catalogue and index components
of documents, search for key words or phrases and allows for the
retrieval of indexed segments of multiple documents quickly and
easily (Buston, 1997).
Should the researcher be considering the use of this type of
analytical package, modifications may need to be made to the
way interview transcripts are stored to prevent the requirement
for substantial modification to the text at a later date. Thus,
using Buston's example of NUD*IST, a number of technical requirements
may need to be built into the transcription process: The insertion
of hard carriage returns to delineate text units, the insertion
of a header (details about the interviewee, the nature of the
interview and interviewers comments) and the decision to place
subheaders in the text. Depending on the detail required these
additions to the transcript can be made automatically or through
the addition of extra functions in the HTML document (such as
the insertion of a CGI script to produce a self-reported header
into the transcript or the inclusion of additional features
in the interviews response frame to select questions to be marked
as sub-headers. Obviously, the use of these types of analytical
software needs to be evaluated prior to adoption by the researcher
(Mimichiello,
1995), but their technical requirements can be built into the
basic online interviewing script to assist in the transition
of the raw text into the data management software.
Translation
The World Wide Web has the facility for simple translations
to be accessed by any standard browser. Alta
Vista provides a basic translation service for English,
French, German and Spanish, however other desktop packages are
becoming available.
The limitations of this software are obvious: as an example
a sample passage was entered into the online form and converted
into French before being converted back into English. Compare
the differences:
English Original:
Doctor Smith, What would you say is the most likely
cause of these changes to the political climate of Italy, given
your understanding of macro-level political analysis?
French Translation:
M�decin Smith, que diriez-vous est-vous la cause
le plus susceptible de ces changements au climat politique de
l'Italie, donn� votre compr�hension d'analyse politique d'instruction-macro-niveau?
French Translation translated:
Smith doctor, whom would you say is you the most
suitable cause for these changes to the political climate of
Italy, given your comprehension of political analysis of instruction-macro-level?
From this example the literal translation offered provides
limited utility to the researcher, especially where complex
terminology, sentence structure, or jargon are required. Translation
through the Alta Vista service would slow the process (depending
on server speed and the usage of the service). Experimentation
with the current software provides some clues to understanding
how to produce clearer translations (the use of very simple
sentences, avoidance of complex explanations), however the researcher
would face a wide range of limitations interpreting any data
provided from this method.
These limitations accepted, however, it is important to note
that this service does provide some facility to interview French,
Italian, Spanish or German speakers where this would not be
otherwise possible (where financial and time pressures are paramount).
When using data gained from this form of interview it would
be important for the researcher must clearly articulate the
form of the interview to the reader and identify the limitations
of the software used. Cultural differences are highlighted in
many basic texts on cross-cultural differences, and, while these
would apply to any translated interview, can be exacerbated
when non-verbal cues are removed from the interview process.
Additionally, given that any researcher using this method would
be unfamiliar with the language their words are being translated
into, it would be possible to generate false results from the
misinterpretation of a question or, given the social nature
of the interview process, create some adverse response from
the interviewee (due to an offensive mistranslation, for example).
Encryption and Privacy
Improvements in encryption technology could be applied to the
basic method outlined in this paper. Issues of privacy are of
increasing concern to Internet users, but have been of central
concern to researchers for a long time. Issues such as ensuring
of confidentiality and the ability of the researcher to ensure
that their transcripts are secure have been discussed in detail
elsewhere (see Dexter),
however given perceptions of the Internet as an unsecure communication
tool the provision of secure encryption of the interview could
encourage otherwise reticent interviewees to engage in the interview.
Currently there are a number of encryption programs available
for use in encrypting messages, the most common being the PGP
(Pretty Good Privacy) form of public key encryption.
This software uses an encryption program and two "keys" a public
key and a private key. Before the transmission of messages the
sender uses the receivers public key to encrypt the data, which
is decoded using the receivers private key (Pretty
Good Privacy Inc, 1997:3-5). This method allows for the
secure encryption of messages as well as the ability of both
the interviewer and the recipient to verify the messages of
the other person. This software adds a level of complexity,
however, (both in terms of establishing the interview [the exchange
of public keys], undertaking the interview [adding the encryption
program between the interviewer/interviewee and the browser
software], and the ability of both parties to use the technique
[some degree of computer competence and understanding is required
as the software and the concepts behind it are moderately complex]).
Additionally, it is important to consider the legalities of
transmitting encrypted messages. Some nations have outlawed
the transmission of encrypted messages and signals, and the
researcher must investigate the current legal status of this
practice before engaging in encryption. |
