6a. Informal trial - Pilot Interview

Yesterday, I conducted a pilot interview with a friend, who is also a professional dancer, to see which interview structure I feel will work best and to inform me of what I need to improve on in order for the interview tool/method to be used to its fully potential and gather the data I need in the most successful way possible.

My findings:

• The interview followed a semi-structure approach as I had set questions I wanted to ask, however one answer led on to another question I hadn't prepared.  This worked well as I managed to gather the data I needed and more I hadn't thought of.  This also makes the interview more conversational and therefore more relaxed.

• I had prepared ten questions to ask my friend, however ended up asking fifteen in total after the conversation leading to more questions. I expected the interview to last somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes in duration and in the end it lasted 20 minutes.  I will allow 30 minutes for each participant, so I know I have allowed myself enough time for the interviews when planning them into my schedule and also so I can inform the participants approximately how long the interview will take. 

• In the interview I made notes on what my friend was saying, however it did interrupt  the flow of the conversation, as sometimes my friend would have to wait for me to finish making notes.  In order to improve this, I will use a dictaphone when recording the interview and transcribe the conversation afterwards.  This will enable me to not have to worry about writing notes and I will be able to concentrate more on the conversation and it won't interrupt the flow.  However, I will need to make sure I get the participants consent for this and if they do not give me permission to use the recorded interview further, then I will have to delete the file after transcribing the data.

• Overall, I feel this tool/method will be very beneficial as I feel my inquiry will benefit greatly from qualitative data and collecting informed peoples views and opinions.  The interview tool/method will allow me to go into depth with each participant and hopefully I will make them feel at ease, so they don't feel pressured to answer anything they may feel uncomfortable with and this will create a relaxed atmosphere for both myself and the participant, therefore getting the best results out of the interview.