| Learning Objective #1: Summarize literature-based strategies that facilitate quality data generation when multiple interviewers are utilized in one project | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe a systematic approach to orienting multiple interviewers, including strengths and lessons learned from one project |
Objective: To describe a four-phase orientation program as a strategy for orienting multiple interviewers. Study Design: Interview orientation was needed as part of a larger research study entitled, A Better Chance Project (ABC). ABC is a five-year, population-based prospective cohort study. Participants are identified via birth certificate data. About 400 women with a prior preterm birth (20-34 week gestations) and 400 women with a prior term (>37 weeks) will enroll in the study by 2005. An hour-long, semi-structured interview first explores women's perspective of their term or preterm birth experiences. Instruments to assess perceived stress, stressful life events, social support and gender/racial discrimination are thereafter administered. Methods: Five interviewers participated in four, 2-hour orientation meetings held about 3-4 weeks apart. Session one outlined the research purpose and interview questions. Session two focused on facilitating sound and ethical research during interview encounters. The third session explored how bias may influence the research encounter. Throughout the orientation program, interviewers practiced the interview first with each other, then with three strangers and lastly in a staged interview encounter. Session four focused on the issues elicited as a result of the staged interview encounter. Findings: Orientation sessions helped interviewers understand the interview purpose and questions. Interviewers perceived more ownership of the project. All interviewers have remained employed on the team for over one year. Conclusions: Many researchers are creatively combining qualitative and quantitative methods to address complex research questions and appeal to multiple audiences. In those situations, there can often be more interviews needed than one interviewer can conduct alone. An orientation program may be one way to efficiently orient multiple interviewers in one project. Implications: An interview orientation promotes better qualitative data generation. Research teams may have less employee turnover as a result of systematic interviewer orientation and support meetings.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003