Semi-structured interviewing as a Participatory Action Research method

This video helps you to improve your interviewing skills. It contains practical tips as well as an example of a semistructured interview from the slums of Kampala, Uganda. For the sake of the video, the lady in this video is acting. Although her story is not real, it reflects life of mothers in the area.
For more information about our work at SEVEN SENSES, check out our website: www.seven-senses.nu.
Here you can also subscribe to our newsletter, the 7Senses E-Zine.

[@lovemorewhite7240]

To those complaining that she posted on social media when it's confidential. She's explained at first that she's just showing an example of how to conduct a semi structured interview.

[@ChadARoberts]

Thank you for this example. I am a Ph.D. student studying qualitative research, and my professor assigned this video for my class to watch as a way for us to see how semi-structured interviews are conducted.

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Chad! Good luck with your Ph.D.!

[@NancyChen0428]

I am going to collect my qualitative data soon and this video is super helpful to me, well done and thank you for uploading!

[@summerschooledutainment]

If I couldn't be educated at least my kids have to be, I will try as much as I can to see them get to where I could not get to. This should win the award as one of the best mothers in the village. I am 35 doesn't mean I am old. God bless the interviewee and the interviewer.

[@jennylee5337]

Thank you so much for making this video and the side notes on the screen during the interview. It was very helpful!! I love how casual yet thorough your introduction and opening of the interview was. Thank you!

[@meelderink]

Hi Jenny, thank you so much for your comment, and so sorry for my late response! I am happy to hear the video is helpful to you. Good luck!

[@guardcannotopen]

So nice to see an instructional video from a non-western context. Thanks a lot

[@meelderink]

You are welcome! Thanks for your comment!

[@Ms.Robinson__]

Thank you for this as it is still relevant. My research partnering organization is in Ghana and I will be interviewing teachers. Also if you don't mind, what type of recorder did you use and was the content downloadable for transcription?

[@jaylinjayjay4581]

This is helpful, I'm currently doing a study on DRTB and this is informative

[@j.j.k2073]

Thank you for this video! I'm doing my thesis and this was an important video for me.

[@meelderink]

Great to hear, thanks for commenting!

[@lailalacuesta1237]

Thank u so much! I’ll be using the knowledge I’ve gathered for our school project! THANK YOU AGAIN!

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Laila!

[@somaiehebrahimi9701]

Thanks Madelon. That was a great practical example of interview.

[@meelderink]

Thanks for appreciating Somaieh!

[@indusanon33]

Thank you for this. I am about to conduct my first research interview and this video example gives me good pointers in going ahead with it.

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Indus, good luck with your research!

[@atozrelaxation4454]

this is really very good hint for taking interview. thank u so much madam for making the interview in a very good and understandable way

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Ahmed! Hope it helps you in your practice. Good luck!

[@summerschooledutainment]

This is very beautiful, our team, have a lot to learn from this approach

[@shivrajkale4923]

nice interview. getting insights. really Semi structure. thank you

[@meelderink]

Thanks Shivraj Kale!

[@deesemprie959]

I think this women is very strong minded determined and loves her children enough to earn her own money to look after them god bless this women.

[@meelderink]

Thank you Dee for commenting. I have to say though that the the lady is from that area but she is acting for the sake of the video. Although the story is not real, I think she very well reflects how mothers in that area live, think and act. I agree with you that these are very strong minded, determined women who do the best for their children despite harsh circumstances.

[@normablandon3555]

Thank you for sharing! Very clear interview. It'll be very usefull for my students.

[@meelderink]

Thank you Norma! Hope it will be useful for your students.

[@mariavictoria7642]

Very helpful, Thank you for sharing this with us!!

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Maria, thanks for appreciating!

[@phungvanmanh1987]

Thanks for sharing this. It is helpful for immature researcher in interview like me.

[@meelderink]

Thanks for appreciating, good luck with your interviews!

[@renatedaniellevanderheijde843]

Heel fijn!! Het is leerzaam om een 'real life' interview te zien!

[@meelderink]

Dankjewel Renate! Hoop dat je het goed kunt toepassen.

[@kamransaddique7143]

Madelon nice communication way of asking questions.. I appreciate you

[@meelderink]

Thank You Kamran! Hope it helps you in your work, study or otherwise!

[@joseabriancasela7218]

That interview being done in public and her reactions when she heard that the respondent have 10 children with different dads.

[@makhalantsasa]

Thank you very much.

[@mars6838]

Thank you for sharing this video.

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Mars!

[@ahsousayoub6086]

Thank you for this interview.

[@meelderink]

Thanks for your comment, Ahsous Ayoub! Hope it helps you.

[@muhmmadtalha743]

Very useful video

[@AkisaOrikiriza]

So educative video

[@ABDULLAH_AL_MAHIM]

Watching the interview will be of great benefit to me

[@meelderink]

Great to hear, Abdullah!

[@JanoRamos]

Thanks!

[@mwapechibuye2874]

Thank is very helpful . Thank you

[@meelderink]

You are welcome, good luck!

[@sangar197]

Thanks, good video, looks like natural

[@meelderink]

Thanks for your comment Sangar Al-Qadhi!

[@sanjipthapa7435]

Really helpful. Thanks for working on it and sharing the video.

[@meelderink]

You are welcome Padam! Glad it was helpful. Good luck!

[@himanshuthakkar1446]

thank you

[@lillyrocks2011]

I think the interviewer should be more careful with her exclamations, because it could make the other person feel as is being judged.

[@meelderink]

Hi LillyRocks, thanks for the tip (and sorry for my late response). Can you give me an example of where i should be more careful?

[@TheAvbtll]

when she said she had her first child when she was 15@@meelderink

[@tingstedgaard]

@@meelderinke.g. (for starters) a) the very first remark "nice place", b) I think there is an issue of dressing to fit the cultural meeting.

[@mwanawamax2240]

@@meelderink I am amazed at how graceful you took this comment. I am learning. And thank you for this video, it was very useful

[@meelderink]

Yunnis M thanks, great to hear it is useful to you!

[@havardviews1061]

Woooow so genuinely done🙏🙏

[@meelderink]

Thank you so much for that comment @havardviews1061!

[@JS-hg4vj]

There a few bad-habits I picked up on during this interview. First is her camera set-up, it is in a noisy neighborhood with a lot of traffic. She also started off by explaining reason for review which could effect the suspect opinion and gives away her research questions, rather she should've avoided what the interview was for. While I would confirm the time length for a interview, she said it twice and seem like she was attempting to talk her way out of even doing the review. We need to motivate the suspect to be engage not disengage. While it is good to summarize doing it for every question cause delays in the interview that is not quite necessary.

[@Ammavie]

How come she says this is confidential and then it is posted on youtube?

[@meelderink]

Hi Ammavie, thanks for your comment. This video is shot with the help of an actress, so the content is fictive (not real). In a normal interview in Participatory Action Research you need to tell the interviewee it's confidential (and how you handle their information), that's why I say it in this video. Hope this clarifies it!

[@diamondsinclair8]

Queens College Professor referred me here for an assignment.

[@dannya2071]

Lol... 2:27 "everything is confidential" just as someone is walking past listening

[@silam2013]

Hello! Do NOT make a confusion between confidentiality and privacy. Thanks

[@faithvillacampa3295]

what is the locale of this study?

[@meelderink]

Hi Faith, sorry for my late response. The video is not part of any study, it just serves as an example. The story of the lady I interview is made up for the sake of the video. Hope it is useful for you!

[@leonardmachyo8251]

Thanks very much for clear introduction .it really made the respondent understand the objective of the interview .I guess the interview was conducted in Kampala Uganda . Machyo Leonard

[@eduardoxmenezes]

thank you.. i noticed I was not very careful with procedure :-(

[@meelderink]

Thanks for commenting. Hope it's helpful for you!

[@klauscanth9605]

Great video! (a typo in the title)

[@meelderink]

Thank you Klaus! Where did you find the typo (which word?)

[@renanpaulon5414]

Quem veio pelo curso da EBAC?! o/

[@mariaceciliabarni1235]

She promises that she will be the only one to hear but the lady who agreed to be recorded under that condition is in KZbin, I do not understand

[@meelderink]

Thank you María for allowing me to explain. This lady is from the area but she is acting, it is not real. See also the beginning of this video, where I further explain.

[@mariaceciliabarni1235]

@@meelderink thank you for explaining this. It gives me peace. I am also a researcher (educational researcher) and I appreciate the care of the Ethics

[@RVC0902]

Does the participant know you are posting this on KZbin?

[@wobbe6624]

She said upfront this person is acting, the answers weren't her real personal experiences.

[@elliemanchenwang3903]

it's a slum. why did she start with "nice place!" ?!

[@meelderink]

Hi Ellie, sorry for my late response. This video was a roleplay, so it is not real. The basic message here is to start on an informal basis, with something you relate to or something you genuinely find interesting or beautiful; along with an expression of gratitude for your respondent for taking the time for the interview. Thanks for your comment and for letting me explain myself!

[@afiabakwasi544]

@@meelderink I love the fact that you constructively respond to any comments. Thanks for sharing with us this knowledge

[@rochelleoconnor6676]

Only watched 2 minutes as I find your technique very presumptuous and that's not how to conduct an ethnographic interview. You shouldn't assume the thing she will talk to you about are 'challenges' in her life. Seems a bit judgemental off the bat tbh.

[@feyiplus4500]

and her expressions such as the word 'really' can come off as judgemental.

[@army1x815]

Useless

[@meelderink]

Hi Army, sorry to hear that! Hope you find the right content for you elsewhere. Good luck!