9.6: Methods- Face-to-Face

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Conducting an interview in person is certainly the preferred method for communicators, whether they are interviewing for a news story or conducting focus groups.

adabara – Interview – CC0

Advantages of face-to-face interviews

Picking up clues about the person, beyond what they say (tone of voice, body language)
Holding the interview in the interviewee’s “space” allows you to observe their environment, giving clues about the person and providing “color” for the story
Interviewee can be recorded
Longer, more complex question strategy can be used
Interviewee can respond to visual images or objects
Non-verbal responses to questions or displayed objects can be part of the information gathered
Interviews can be edited but still maintain the feel of a live interview

Disadvantages

Labor and transportation costs for the interviewers’ training and travel to and from the respondents’ locations can be high
Interviewees can be reluctant to allow strangers into their homes or offices
Interviewer’s appearance, age, race, sex, dress, or nonverbal behavior may affect respondents’ answers to survey questions.