Read Extra 1: Technique of the exploratory interview

The exploratory interview.

Exploratory interviews are meant to gain insight in the frame of reference of an interviewee. By effectively using some interview skills the interviewee is stimulated to tell about his or hers perception and emotional valuing of a certain topic. What matters are personal perceptions and personal interpretations (ideas, opinions, expectations, wishes etc.): all subjective information within the individual frame of reference of the interviewee.

Exploratory interviews in connection with consultancy are meant to complete the hard information (obtained by written sources or standardized interviews) with the (emotional) perceptions of the people involved.

Technical interview skills of exploration are: summaries, connecting questions and reflections.

Functions of summarizing:

• summarizing means acceptance: I consider everything you say important
• by summarizing the choice of the most important items within the interview topic is up to the interviewee
• summarizing shows that the interviewer has heard and understood the content of the story of the interviewee
• summarizing is a check of completeness and offers the opportunity to add complementary material
• a summary invites the interviewee to go on
• a summary makes it possible to take a next step in the thinking process

Characteristics of connecting questions:

• open
• inviting
• connected to the material already presented (i.e. not introducing new aspects)
• with the melody of a question

Examples:

what did it mean for you?
can you tell me more about ...
what do you mean by..?

Reflecting is:

Summarizing a part of the material presented by the interviewee, from one word up to some sentences, with the intonation of a question.

The choice which part of the material should be reflected is made by the interviewer, judging the importance of the chosen aspects for the interviewee.

There are factual and emotional reflections.

Examples:

Itee: It was annoying that it took so much time before my opnion was asked.
Reflection interviewer:
Factual: your opinion?
Emotional: annoying?