RES 873- Qualitative Data Collection and management

Preparing interview questions for a research study can seem daunting for the novice researcher. In this assignment, you will draft several interview questions that may be suitable for your dissertation study.

General Requirements:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

• Locate and download “Preparing the Interview Guide Worksheet” attached to this assignment.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. The APA Style Guide is located in the Student Success Center.
• Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific guidelines related to doctoral-level writing. The Manual contains essential information on manuscript structure and content, clear and concise writing, and academic grammar and usage.
• This assignment requires the inclusion of at least two scholarly research sources related to this topic and at least one in-text citation from each source.
• You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

Directions:
Locate and download “Preparing the Interview Guide Worksheet” attached to this assignment.
Complete the assignment as directed in the worksheet.

Attachments

Here are the notes from a recent RES-873 office hours session where members were present. Unfortunately, for FERPA reasons, I cannot share the recording. I hope the notes convey the details expected when completing the assignment. There is a significant amount of information to be presented in the Week 3 assignment, which also aligns with critical risk and feasibility rubric criteria you are expected to meet in the dissertation template.

1. Assignment Tasks: The two main parts of the Week 3 assignment

Draft the Semi-Structured Interview Instrument:

Prepare a first draft of the interview guide that will be used for your dissertation.

Write the Sources of Data Section for Chapter 3:

Complete this required section using the dissertation template.

2. Interview Instrument Development

First Column: Enter Your Research Questions (not Topics)

Enter your studys research question(s) at the start. These should exactly match what is in Chapter 1 of your dissertation template.

If you have more than two research questions, reconsider for manageability; one or two are ideal.

Use Research Questions, Not Topics:

Instead of breaking down by topics, as suggested in the worksheet, organize your instrument by research question to ensure alignment.

Second Column: Enter Your Interview Questions

For each research question, draft aligned interview questions (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2). Add rows to the worksheet to account for the full list of interview questions.

For a typical 60-minute interview, 1215 open-ended questions total is appropriate (roughly 35 minutes of discussion per question).

Balance the number across research questions, if applicable.

Avoid closed-ended, double-barreled, leading, or overly complex questions.

Use neutral, clear wording. Avoid jargon or theory-driven phrasing, especially in descriptive/phenomenological approaches.

Third Column: Justify Your Questions

For each interview question, provide a brief (23 sentences) justification with a literature citation. Avoid highly conceptual terminology from theoretical frameworks unless methodologically required.

Fourth Column: Probing Questions

Prepare 23 follow-up (probe) questions for each main interview question. These are for prompting more detail during interviews but dont have to all be used.

Warm-up and Closing Questions:

Start with a warm-up (e.g., Tell me a bit about your background).

End with a closing question (e.g., Is there anything else youd like to share?).

3. Demographic Data and IRB Considerations

Select 35 Demographics

Examples include years of experience, educational degrees, gender, etc.

How to Ask

Present options as drop-downs or checkboxes (e.g., Years of experience: 35, 68, 912), not as narrative input or questions validating inclusion criteria.

Do Not Re-Validate Inclusion Criteria:

Do not ask participants to confirm eligibility requirements (e.g., Have you been a teacher for 3 years?); rely on self-selection per the IRB.

Value of Demographic Data (asked for in the instructions)

For qualitative studies, demographics allow readers to determine transferability of findings, not to establish statistical significance, patterns, or correlations.

Also useful for profiling the sample and suggesting future research if certain groups are over/underrepresented.

Administration of Demographic Data

Demographic information should be collected through an electronic survey (e.g., SurveyMonkey) prior to interviews, not verbally during interviews.

Electronic consent and scheduling can also be incorporated for efficiency.

Recruitment and IRB

Eligibility/inclusion criteria should be listed on recruitment flyers and match whats in the informed consent and IRB documentation.

4. Aligning Interview and Research Questions

Keep clear mapping between interview questions and research questions.

Track and summarize how interview questions are designed to directly answer RQs.

5. Using AI Tools Ethically

AI for Drafting & Refinement

Use tools like Claude, Gemini, Copilot, or ChatGPT to review and improve interview questions (clarity, neutrality, avoiding biases). Refer to the Interview Insight Inspector prompt in the AI Skills Lab (demonstrated in the video). I will be using this prompt to provide guidance back to you. Get ahead of me. :^)

Mosaic (GCUs own tool) and other prompt generators will be available in the near future.

Transparency & Learning

Acceptable to use AI for the dissertation and for developing instruments, but not to submit AI-generated discussion posts for regular class assignments.

Always reflect on and disclose how AI was used.

AI Prompts Provided:

AI tools can assist by suggesting clearer, better-sequenced, more open-ended questions, and alignment checks. Students should evaluate the accuracy and relevance of AI recommendations, revise accordingly, acknowledge genuine learning, and be transparent about its use in your Week 3 assignment. There is an AI Disclosure Appendix in the updated dissertation template, which you are required to complete(Appendix H).

6. Writing the Sources of Data Section

Use the Qualitative Companion Guide (Chapter 3) and Template

Follow template structure and guidance in the guide closely.

Main sub-headers: Research Data Source 1 (interviews), Data Source 2 (if applicable: focus groups, journals, etc.), and Additional Data: demographics.

Expected Length

1,0001,400 words (up to 4 pages); less may mean insufficient detail.

What to Address:

Justification for each data source

How the source/instrument was designed and developed

Type and value of data collected

How the sources of data questions are sequenced and aligned with the research question

Appropriateness of the data source(s) for the methodology and research questions

Demographics: restate what/why, value for transferability, and rationale for selection

7. Key Numbers and Expectations

Interview Questions: 1215 for a 60-minute session

Probes: 23 per interview question

A minimum of two references/citations per the instructions. You should have many more related to the Justification column in the worksheet and the Sources of Data section in the template.

Demographics: 35, not for inclusion validation

Sources of Data Section: 1,0001,400 words

Note: DO NOT submit the entire dissertation template with the worksheet. Copy and paste the Sources of Data section into the worksheet and upload a single document.

8. Final Encouragement

Alignment and Manageability

Focus on manageable scope (ideally 12 RQs), clear alignment, and quality over quantity in interview questions.

Leverage Resources

Use templates, guides, and new technologies, but ensure your own understanding and ethical academic practice.

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