Hierarchical focusing

A topic in research methodology

This is a procedure used in interviews to avoid leading respondents by initially asking questions as open as possible, but ensuring information is not missed because respondents do not think to include it in their responses.

• Use open-ended questions to allow the informant to offer their perceptions, based on their organisation of the topic (and so indicating their priorities)
• Then invite comment on particular issues of interest omitted from initial response
• Repeat in cycles – working from more general to more specific

Tomlinson described this process:

“Carry out and explicitly portray an analysis of the content and hierarchical structure of the domain in question as you, the researcher, construe it.

Visually portray a hierarchical agenda of questions to tap these aspects and elements in a way that allows gradual progression from open to closed framing, combining this as appropriate with contextual focusing. Include with this question hierarchy a skeleton of the same structure for use as a guide and record.”

Tomlinson, 1989: 162

“The strategy of hierarchical focusing is proposed as a systematic approach … to the design, conduct and analysis of interviews”

…explicitly portray an analysis of the content and hierarchical structure of the domain….• Visually portray a hierarchical agenda of questions to tap these aspects and elements in a way that allows gradual progression from open to closed framing… "

Tomlinson, 1989: 155, 162

An element of hierarchical focusing can be seen in this description of an interview procedure, where part of the purpose was to see if students introduced (submicroscopic) particle ['quanticles'] ideas and whether they understood how phenomena could be described in particle terms.

“During the interviews, students were asked to describe the phenomena and to explain what was happening. The canonical explanations for these phenomena taught in school and college chemistry relate to the interactions (forces, bonds) between different molecules and ions, and the relative arrangements and motions of these quanticles. This leads to emergent behaviour—such as the colour of a dye spreading through a liquid. What is observed is a spreading-out of colour—not the movements and interactions of the quanticles. When students did not spontaneously make any reference to particles in their explanation, they were then specifically asked to think about particles.”

Taber & García Franco, 2010:106-107

Sources cited:

• Taber, K. S., & García Franco, A. (2010). Learning processes in chemistry: Drawing upon cognitive resources to learn about the particulate structure of matter. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 19(1), 99-142.
• Tomlinson, P. (1989). Having it both ways: hierarchical focusing as research interview method. British Educational Research Journal, 15(2), 155-176.