Part 1 – Field Research Quiz
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When conducting a survey, it's typically assumed that results will be anonymous. If the results will include names, you should make that clear
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According to the reading on interviews, one downside of email interviews is
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In an interview, it's OK to let the interviewee go off topic. It would be considered rude to steer the conversation back towards your research focus
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When doing a survey, it is important to know who you want to survey if your research topic deals with demographic data
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The format of a survey will depend on the length of the survey and the types of questions
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On a survey, a closed-ended question allows the participant to give any type of response
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A double-entry notebook with observations and interpretations is recommended for any observation-based research endeavor
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Doing one and only one observation is enough to fuel research
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Whether done in person or online, the survey method should be chosen based on your learning style
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While closed questions are much easier to analyze they do not provide the rich responses you may get with open-ended questions
Part 2 – Field Research Analysis
For this field research analysis, I chose to look at the ‘face-to-face interview’ example – the “Seth Interview” at Comic-Con 2009. In this interview, the interviewer sits down cartoonist Seth in a hallway to chat casually about his work and the possibility of adapting it into a movie. While there are some missteps and a lack of depth due to the casualness of the face to face interview, the method itself is used appropriately, and there are a lot of strengths to the interview.
One of the things that is most effective about the interviewer’s field research is their ability to capitalize on the conversational, changeable nature of the face to face interview. This kind of field research is beneficial for the ability to adapt questions to the mood and answers of the interviewee. Here, when the interviewer asks Seth whether or not any of his books are being optioned for movies, Seth’s responses fuel supplemental questions that make the interview into a free-flowing conversation. When Seth starts theorizing as to what kinds of movies would be made of his works, the interviewee says, “You don’t strike me as someone who would necessarily be comfortable letting somebody take over their work,” something indicated by prior responses and not necessarily feasible in anything other than a face to face interview. When Seth contradicts him and says he would be fine with it, the interviewer adapts further to take the interviewee’s position. Another real boon is the interviewer being prepared and familiar with the subject; he mentions works that Seth has done before in order to gauge his opinion on them, like Wimbledon Green, which allows Seth to answer in further detail about how that work has the most potential for adaptability.
One of the ways the face to face interview becomes slightly problematic is that aforementioned taking on of the interviewee’s position. Once Seth starts talking about not being interested in film as his “main concern,” the interviewer starts volunteering reasons why that might not be so – a tactic that seems dangerously close to leading the interviewee. Seth seems to agree with him, but there is no way of knowing whether or not he would have come to that conclusion on his own or if he was simply coerced by the interviewer. That kind of approach can be dangerous, as it leads to the interviewer giving data that is not strictly from them.
If I were to improve on the field research used – in essence if I were to interview Seth – I would take a somewhat different approach. First and foremost, I would make sure to tape the interview from beginning to end; the interview video is only a two minute snippet which does not show how the conversation turned to Seth’s works being adapted into films; this would allow me a more complete picture of the interview. Furthermore, I would try my best to avoid making leading statements; these would simply get too close to leading Seth into answers. I would prefer instead to keep asking questions, and phrase my responses in the form of a question (instead of answering for him). I would also make sure to pay attention to Seth and continue to ask follow up, adapted questions as this interviewer did.
Works Cited
“Comic Con 2009: Seth Interview.” Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3-
xExmx6ZM.
