I recently made it through the first hurdle of the
dissertation process and finished my preliminary defense. For those of you who are completely flummoxed
by this statement: I did my homework and made it through the first round of
interviews I but I have not gotten the job yet.
After the passing my prelim and getting IRB approval I get to start collecting data and
this is where the real research starts.
*photo of me right as I publicly discussed my preliminary research courtesy of Dirk Baron.
Next week I start interviews with geoscience students about
their experiences in producing research.
This week I am going to share advice others have given to me about how to get good results during the
interview process.
Tips for Interviews
Remind Respondents-
My first flight of interviews is with university students starting next week. Each respondent received an email reminder
with their meeting time and location. In
additional I will text each study to remind them the previous day so they don't forget.
Remove Barriers-
Non-verbal communication is about sending cues through body language. The investigator should not sit behind a desk
or have any other physical barriers between them and the respondent. This also includes crossing your arms or
having a computer in front of your face while you speak. This communicates to the respondent that you
are un-receptive or defensive about their responses.
Water-have bottled water available for both the interviewer and respondent. Do not want anyone to be parched while speaking.
Water-have bottled water available for both the interviewer and respondent. Do not want anyone to be parched while speaking.
Notes- even
though each interview will be recorded it is important to take notes. As previously discussed you do not want a
computer screen in front of your body while you ask questions. Instead have a place to take written
notes.
Journal- instead
of taking notes on a pad of paper or loose papers it is better to have a
journal dedicated to observation notes together. I already have several journal dedicated to
writing both my yoga sequences and reflections.
To keep my notes straight I chose a brightly colored journal that is
easy to find to help with early coding.
My favorite color is black so its is a little fun having my dissertation
journal titled my "little pink book.”
Interview
Transcription- while working in a previous class I had to turn over several
interviews in a short span of time. I
discovered “Rev.com” an Iphone/ Ipad application where you load audio
recordings and the transcriptions are emailed back within three days.
*This project will still review every interview, review with
rev transcript and notes to verify content.
Back Up Interviews- iPhones
or iPads are good devices for recording interviews but they do not have an
unlimited supply of space. Dropbox, the
Cloud and Google Drive are examples of applications for secure back-up copies of
you interviews when your phone fills up.
Getting the Dissertation Done
I have two more semesters before my doctoral program comes
to an end. The completion of my doctorate is dependent on
the completion of my dissertation.
Thankfully I have a strong support system with my partner and fellow
cohort members.
