Diagnóstico CINPE

This subchapter presents the data collection method. The subchapter first discusses shortly what kinds of data collection methods are possible to be used in qualitative studies. In addition reasons for using interviewing are discussed. Then different types of interviewing methods are described including discussion of each type’s adequacy to the study sat hand. The aim of the subchapter is to explain why semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection method and what are the benefits and drawbacks of this method.

The qualitative research methods are interviewing, observing, data collection, and experimenting. All of these are used in collecting data in case studies. In addition combining different methods is widely used (Tuominen and Sarajärvi, 2002). Especially in case studies several data collection methods are typically combined for instance all archives, interviews, questionnaires and observations can be used in one study. Interviewing is commonly used in case study researches (Bartam et al., 2011). Interviewing was chosen to be used as a data collection method as the purpose of the research is to study interactions and by observing the importance of different linkages could have stay vague. Experimenting isn’t either found to be suitable due to the aim to study linkages between different departments. Using archives and observing documents would have been suitable at least in used together with interviews but most of the documents were confidential and therefore the method was abandoned.

Interviews are one of the most important sources of case study information. There are several reasons why interviewing was chose to be used a research method. First of all interviewing is a very flexible method to collect data which was considered to be important as the interviewees are from different departments and backgrounds. In addition interviewing is a good method when the purpose of the study is to study linkages and relationship (Bartam et al., 2011). Interviews also give better and deeper understanding of the case at hand than for instance observations (Travers, 2001, p 2). In interviews respondents can express their experiences and perceptions which might be difficult to detect in questionnaire or by observing (Bartam et al., 2011). And for instance in cases when the respondent doesn’t understand the question is interviewer able to explain the topic further (Tuominen and Sarajärvi, 2002). Furthermore as in interviews the respondent is allowed to talk freely, can new issues around the research topic come up and thus give new insights to the researcher (ibid.). In addition interviewing is a good method to discover people’s attitudes, believes, experiences, and reasons for certain behaviour (ibid.). The risk in interviews is, however, that the interviewer affects to respondents answers or isn’t able to objective in analysing the answers (ibid.).

Furthermore, there are three types how interviews can be conducted: unstructured (open ended) interviews, semi-structured (focused) interviews, and structured interviews (questionnaires). In each interview type the interview is constructed differently in order to meet the purpose of the research at hand. For instance when the purpose of the study is to get insights to the issue or explore and understand new topics do open ended interviews usually

give the best results (Bartam et al., 2011). Tuominen and Sarajärvi (2002) represent different types of interviewing. Which type should be used in a research depends on the research type. Next different types are represented and their benefits and drawbacks in implementing the research are discussed.

Semi structured interview is a good method to find out people’s perceptions and attitudes regarding the subject under the study. Semi structured interview is whether fairly structured and questions can be asked in varying order or in a certain order. Thus semi structured interview can be more similar to questionnaire or in-depth interview.

Semi structured interview was found to suitable to be used in this study as it is fairly structured but allows modifying the questions and their order (Tuominen and Sarajärvi, 2002). Bartam et al. (2011) also mention that semi structured interview being a middle ground between a structured interview with completely predetermined questions and their order and an unstructured interview. This is an important aspect in the study, as some additional questions or adjustments to the question might become necessary while making the study. Also compared to in depth interview it is good that finding enough information to the study isn’t dependent on only one question. Also analysing results is easier.

In depth or open interview is the most unstructured and informal interview method. It is very close to conversation during which questions can change according to the answers of respondent. The in depth interview wasn’t chosen to be used as interviewing method as there’s a high risk that respondents don’t answer to question at hand properly as they can speak too freely and thus next to the topic. In addition analysing the results is relatively challenging.

In addition Tuominen and Sarajärvi (2002) mention questionnaire and dialog as interviewing methods. In dialog the interviewer is partly answering to the questions by telling about his or her own experiences and opinions. This method wasn’t found suitable for the study due to interviewers participation. Questionnaire is a structured method with predefined questions and thus the interviewer asks exactly the same questions in the same order. That kind of data collection wasn’t found appropriate due to its inflexibility as the aim of the research is study interactions and find linkages.

All in all, in order to collect the most insightful data semi structured i.e. focused interview was chosen to be used as data collection method. It was chosen due its several benefits compared to other methods. The main benefits of semi structured interviews are flexibility it offers and a certain level of structure in order to get respondents to stay in a topic.

In case studies there are several data collecting possibilities. However interviewing was chosen to be used to collect data mainly due to the flexibility it offers. By interviewing profound understating can be attained as the respondents are able to explain for instance relationships and connections. There are plenty of interviewing types that can be used in case studies. However semi structured interviewing was chosen to be used as a research method as it offers the most suitable combination of flexibility and structure for this study.