ABSTRACT
The final stage of the interview process begins by drawing together the data collected and structuring them in such a way as to make ready for analysis. In small-scale work, this would typically involve grouping the responses to each question from all interviewees to make comparison between respondents easy (the cut-and-paste function of most wordprocessors is ideal for this). Using this approach allows themes, issues and concerns to be easily identified and quantified. When analysing a large number of interview transcripts it may be necessary to utilise the functions of computer-based tools. NU.DIST and NVIVO are two commercially available packages that facilitate interrogation and analysis of qualitative interview data. However, they rely on a coding structure that has to be developed by the researcher before any meaningful analysis can take place. (We discuss, in detail, coding and categorising qualitative – textual – data generated by interviews in Chapter 3 – Content analysis.)
We conclude this discussion by outlining the advantages and disadvantages of using interviews (Box 2.5), followed by a checklist for planning and conducting interviews (Box 2.6).
