Educational Research Methods
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Demands on the research interview participant
Cannell, Miller & Oksenberg (1981) offer a description of the thinking process when someone participating in an interview decides whether, and how, to respond to a researcher’s question:
"The response process begins with comprehending the question (step 1)...
Step 2 is the stage of information processing that includes the respondent's assessment of what information he or she needs in order to respond accurately ...
For step 3 the respondent must evaluate whether the formulated response fulfills the objectives of the question...
At step 4 a second kind of evaluation occurs as the respondent evaluates the psychological meaning of the response in relation to personal goals extraneous to the survey...
If the potential response is evaluated as nonthreatening, the respondent states the response (step 5).“
(Cannell, Miller & Oksenberg, 1981: 393-394)
Cannell, C. F., Miller, P. V., & Oksenberg, L. (1981). Research on Interviewing Techniques. Sociological Methodology, 12, 389-437.
This is a personal site of Keith S. Taber to support teaching of educational research methods.
(Dr Keith Taber is Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.)
