A brief teaching note on research interview as a research method in social science (information from perplexity.ai) [for MBA and Housing Studies students]
My question 1: "Briefly highlight the main ideas of research interview (notably, semi-structured, unstructured and narrative interviews) in social science with reference to the following topics: (1) favored research philosophy, (2) favored research method design techniques, (3) favored research method design quality criteria, (4) favored data analysis techniques, and (5) favored researcher's impression management approach in conducting the interview."
The reply: "Here is a brief highlight of the main ideas of research interviews in social science, focusing on semi-structured, unstructured, and narrative interviews in relation to the specified topics:
(1) Favored Research Philosophy:
These interviews are often aligned with interpretivism or constructivism, emphasizing understanding social reality from the participant’s perspective.
Unstructured and narrative interviews typically assume reality is socially constructed and seek theory development rather than hypothesis testing.
Semi-structured interviews also align with interpretive paradigms but allow some guidance to explore known themes while retaining flexibility.
(2) Favored Research Method Design Techniques:
Semi-structured interviews use flexible but predetermined thematic frameworks or guidelines to balance consistency and adaptability.
Unstructured interviews have no fixed questions and evolve naturally from the participant's narration, allowing discovery of unanticipated themes.
Narrative interviews focus on eliciting stories, allowing participants to control direction and pace, often using rapport and trust as key techniques.
(3) Favored Research Method Design Quality Criteria:
Depth and richness of data are prioritized over standardization.
Saturation (no new information emerges) is used as a criterion for data sufficiency.
Establishing rapport and trust for authentic, detailed responses is critical.
Consistency is balanced with flexibility in semi-structured interviews, accommodating participant differences.
(4) Favored Data Analysis Techniques:
Constant comparative method allows iterative coding and comparison of emerging categories across data.
Narrative analysis focuses on content and structure of stories told by participants.
Grounded theory approaches are common with unstructured and semi-structured data to develop theory from patterns in data.
(5) Favored Researcher's Impression Management Approach:
The researcher should adopt roles such as learner, friend, or sympathetic listener to build rapport.
Minimal control over conversation flow in unstructured interviews, but skillful generation of questions is essential.
Active listening, reflective responses, and sensitivity to social cues are key to effective impression management to facilitate openness and trust.
This summary incorporates the philosophical assumptions, study designs, quality focuses, analytic strategies, and interpersonal dynamics that characterize semi-structured, unstructured, and narrative interviews in social science research contexts."
My question 2: "Clarify your information for this discussion a bit more with reference to the following research project topics:
The reply: "To clarify the earlier information on research interviews in social science for these two specific research project topics:
For the MBA-related topic on "office staff's preference on supervisory leadership style in Hong Kong four-star hotels in 2025":
The favored philosophy is constructivism or interpretivism to explore subjective staff perceptions about leadership.
Semi-structured interviews are best; they balance interviewer guidance with flexibility to explore individual experiences and leadership nuances.
Quality criteria focus on saturation of thematic insights and credibility through participant validation.
Data analysis would use thematic analysis or grounded theory coding to identify leadership style preferences and their effects.
The researcher's impression management involves building rapport, using decision-making maps or perceptual tools to foster open dialogue and co-construction of meaning.
For the housing studies topic on "experience of elderly residents in public housing estate in Tsuen Wan regarding residential life quality in 2025":
The favored philosophy is also interpretivist or constructivist to deeply understand participants' lived experiences.
Unstructured or narrative interviews are preferred to allow elderly residents to fully express their stories and perspectives on residential life.
Key quality criteria include depth, trust, and rich narrative data that capture nuanced aspects of daily life and satisfaction.
Narrative analysis or interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methods would analyze the stories and themes emerging from residents' accounts.
The researcher’s role is a sensitive listener and supportive interlocutor who manages impression by encouraging trust and empathetic engagement.
Thus, for the MBA hotel leadership project, a semi-structured approach with guided thematic inquiry is favored, while for the elderly residents’ housing experience, unstructured or narrative approaches letting participant stories unfold with empathetic listening and rich qualitative interpretation are suited. In both cases, constructivist philosophy and qualitative analytic techniques prevail, with impression management focusing on rapport and meaningful interaction to co-create understanding.For the MBA-related project on office staff's preferences about supervisors' leadership styles in Hong Kong four-star hotels in 2025, a constructivist/interpretivist research philosophy is most suitable to understand subjective perceptions. Semi-structured interviews are favored to provide a flexible but guided framework that elicits rich thematic insights. Quality criteria emphasize thematic saturation and participant validation. Data analysis typically involves thematic or grounded theory coding. Researchers manage impressions by fostering rapport and using interactive tools like decision-making maps to co-construct meaning.
For the housing study on elderly residents' experiences of residential life quality in Tsuen Wan public housing in 2025, the favored philosophy remains constructivist/interpretivist to capture lived experiences. Unstructured or narrative interviews are preferred, enabling participants to share their stories freely and deeply. Quality criteria focus on depth, trust, and narrative richness. Narrative analysis or interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) techniques are used for data analysis. The researcher’s impression management style is empathetic, sensitive, and rapport-building to promote openness.
Therefore, the MBA hotel staff study best aligns with semi-structured interviews for structured thematic exploration, while the housing study aligns with unstructured or narrative interviews for enriched storytelling, both underpinned by constructivist epistemology and qualitative analytic methods."
A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.
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