Conducting Telephone Interviews: Standardization or Flexibility?

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA E RICERCA SOCIALE
Author/s Serena Liani, Marco Palmieri
Publishing Year 2014 Issue 2014/103
Language Italian Pages 23 P. 41-63 File size 96 KB
DOI 10.3280/SR2014-103003
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The instructions given to interviewers in research institutes are often aimed at standardizing their behaviour, assuming that this can lead to comparable answers. However, in more recent methodological debates, the recognition of the interactional nature of the interview and the impossibility of standardizing the behaviour of interviewers has led scientists to call for a more flexible approach to how interview are conducted. This article presents the results of a study investigating the procedures put in place by the interviewers conducting telephone interviews and their compliance with the constraints of standardization. The results show strong deviations of the interviewers from the demands of researchers, only in some cases justified by the information obtained in the course of the interaction.

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Serena Liani, Marco Palmieri, La conduzione delle interviste telefoniche: standardizzazione o flessibilità? in "SOCIOLOGIA E RICERCA SOCIALE " 103/2014, pp 41-63, DOI: 10.3280/SR2014-103003