← VCE Data Analysis

Interviews to gather perspectives on a topical issue

A data collection method where you ask a person open questions about an issue and record their views, giving qualitative data. It is rich in detail but a small sample may not represent everyone.

Part of: VCE Applied Computing - U1O1 - Data analysis — Module 6, VCE Software Development - U3O2 - Analysis and Design — Module 23, VCE Data Analytics - U3O2 - Analysis and Design — Module 28

Understanding Interviews to gather perspectives on a topical issue in VCE Data Analysis

What it does: This question starts with 'What do you think' so the interviewee can explain their own perspective, which suits an interview. Writing down or recording the person's actual words keeps the detail of their view, which is the qualitative data collected. A small sample size is a key limit of interviews. The views of a few people may not match the views of the whole group. Interviews are rich in detail because you can probe further. Reaching thousands of people quickly suits surveys better. Preparing open questions in advance keeps the interview focused on the issue and helps you collect relevant data.

Common mistakes: Interviews need open questions that let the person explain their views. A yes/no question is closed. It should be an open question such as 'How do you feel?'. Interview responses are words and opinions, so they are qualitative data. They should be saved as qualitative data, not quantitative.

Class: _____________________ · Name: _____________________ · Date: _________

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 3–14) and word search (Modules 3–24).

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Learning

Duo

Which question is better for an interview about students' views on phone use at school?

How do you feel about phones being used in class?Do you use a phone at school? (yes/no)

Matches

Q1: Do you agree that phones should be banned? (Yes/No)

↓

This is a closed question. It only gives a yes or no answer, so it will not collect detailed views. Rewrite it as an open question like 'What are your views on banning phones?'

Applying

Meanings

Term

interview

Meaning

A data collection method where you ask a person open questions about an issue and record their views, giving qualitative data. It is rich in detail but a small sample may not represent everyone.

Practice

QUESTION1 <- "How do you feel about phones in class?"

Testing

Gaps

responses ← (person, issue)

Check Answer

Spots

1topic <- 'Phone bans'

2Q1 <- 'Do you agree? Y or N'

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Quick Questions

1. Which question is better for an interview about students' views on phone use at school?

A. Do you use a phone at school? (yes/no)

B. How do you feel about phones being used in class? ✓

Open questions let the person explain their views in their own words, which gives rich qualitative data. Yes/no questions limit the answer.

2. What type of data does an interview mainly collect?

A. Qualitative data (views and opinions) ✓

B. Quantitative data (only numbers)

Interviews record what people think and feel in words, so the data is mostly qualitative.

3. True or false: When you interview someone, you should record their responses accurately, such as with notes or an audio recording (with permission).

A. True ✓

B. False

Recording responses accurately keeps the data reliable. Audio recordings or detailed notes help you avoid forgetting or changing what was said.

4. You interview 5 students about a new school rule. What is a limit of this data?

A. Five answers will always show what everyone thinks

B. The small sample may not represent all students ✓

A small sample size is a key limit of interviews. The views of a few people may not match the views of the whole group.

5. Which is an advantage of an interview compared with a tick-box survey?

A. You can ask follow-up questions to get more detail ✓

B. You can quickly collect answers from thousands of people

Interviews are rich in detail because you can probe further. Reaching thousands of people quickly suits surveys better.

Match the Pairs

interview → A method that collects qualitative data by asking a person open questions about their views on an issue

open question → A question that lets the person answer in their own words, such as 'How do you feel about social media rules at school?'

Prepare an open question for an interview about a topical issue like phone use in class → Q1: What do you think about students using phones in class?

Record the response from an interviewee so their views are kept as qualitative data → Q1 response: 'Phones help me research but they distract my friends.'

Q1: Do you agree that phones should be banned? (Yes/No) → This is a closed question. It only gives a yes or no answer, so it will not collect detailed views. Rewrite it as an open question like 'What are your views on banning phones?'

Interviewed 3 students, so the whole school agrees phones help learning. → The sample size is too small to represent everyone. Conclusions should be limited to the 3 people interviewed, or more people should be interviewed.

Key Term

interview

A data collection method where you ask a person open questions about an issue and record their views, giving qualitative data. It is rich in detail but a small sample may not represent everyone.

Fill in the Blanks

1. responses ← interview(person, issue) PRINT responses

Hint: Type the name of the data collection method that asks one person about their views on an issue.

2. openQuestion ← "Why do you think so?" answer ← ask(openQuestion)

Hint: Type the variable name that holds the kind of question inviting a detailed answer.

3. dataType ← "qualitative" format ← "words"

Hint: Type the kind of data that interview responses give, which is descriptive rather than numeric.

4. responses ← [] answer ← ask(question) APPEND answer TO responses

Hint: Type the list variable that stores every answer the person gives.

5. IF sampleSize < 10 THEN PRINT "May not represent everyone" ENDIF

Hint: Type the operator that checks if the sample size is less than a small number.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A topic <- 'Phone bans'

B Q1 <- 'Do you agree? Y or N'

C Q2 <- 'Why do you think so?'

D method <- 'interview'

Line B — Interviews need open questions that let the person explain their views. A yes/no question is closed. It should be an open question such as 'How do you feel?'.

Question 2

A ask Q1

B listen to the answer

C write notes or record audio

D save as quantitative data

Line D — Interview responses are words and opinions, so they are qualitative data. They should be saved as qualitative data, not quantitative.

Question 3

A interviewees <- 5

B IF interviewees > 30 THEN

C note 'small sample'

D ENDIF

Line B — With only 5 interviewees the sample is small, so the check should be interviewees < 30. Using > means the small sample warning would never run.

Question 4

A get consent from person

B ask Q1 to Q5

C rewrite words to suit us

D END

Line C — Responses must be recorded accurately, in the person's own words. Rewriting them to suit the interviewer adds bias. It should say 'record exact words said'.

Question 5

A interviewees <- 5 students

B ask each the same open Qs

C SHOW 'Speaks for all students'

D END

Line C — A small sample of 5 students cannot represent everyone, so the result should note that not all views are covered. Claiming it speaks for all students is wrong.

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