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Designing in-depth semi-structured interviews for revealing meaning reconstruction after loss
Abstract
The recent upsurge in the use of qualitative empirical studies, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of human reactions to loss, requires a methodological account of how to conduct better qualitative research with regard to data collection. This paper offers six general interview guidelines aimed at assisting researchers to achieve quality interviews in qualitative bereavement studies, based on the theoretical framework of meaning (re)construction in loss.
... The distress caused by the loss of a significant other therefore leads bereaved individuals to begin a process of searching for meaning in the loss (Anisman, 2015;Davis et al., 1998;King & Hicks, 2020;Neimeyer, 2019;Park, 2010;Smid, 2020). Meaning making refers to how individuals construe, understand, and make sense of life events (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021;Park, 2013). According to meaning making theories, people hold global meaning or meaning in life, stimulating them to positively interpret their life experience (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021;Park, 2013). ...
... Meaning making refers to how individuals construe, understand, and make sense of life events (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021;Park, 2013). According to meaning making theories, people hold global meaning or meaning in life, stimulating them to positively interpret their life experience (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021;Park, 2013). Baumeister and Derkx (Derkx et al., 2020;King & Hicks, 2020) have identified seven essential elements to experience meaning in life, which are purpose, moral worth, self-worth, perceived control, connectedness, coherence, and excitement. ...
... A positive experience of these elements relates to successful grief and meaning finding. The observation that some interviewees attempted to seek positive outcomes of the loss supports the existing idea of restoring global meaning in which the bereaved aim to integrate the loss into their existing idea of meaning in life (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021;Park, 2013). Mourning and meaning making, as reported by previous literature (Hupkens et al., 2019(Hupkens et al., , 2021King & Hicks, 2020), are also largely dependent on the personal strengths and capacities of widowed spouses. ...
This study investigates how individuals construe, understand, and make sense of experiences during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved spouses focusing on meaning attribution to the death of their partner. The interviewees were lacking adequate information, personalized care, and physical or emotional proximity; these challenges complicated their experience of a meaningful death of their partner. Concomitantly, many interviewees appreciated the exchange of experiences with others and any last moments together with their partner. Bereaved spouses actively sought valuable moments, during and after bereavement, that contributed to the perceived meaning.
... The interviews took place at the participant's place of choice and ranged from 3 to 6 h. An interview guide was built based on Mahat-Shamir et al.'s (2019) guidelines for revealing individuals' meaning (re)construction in bereavement. The first author conducted all 11 interviews. ...
... For the analysis of the data regarding participants' meaning-making in loss, see Pitcho-Prelorentzos et al. (2021). Mahat-Shamir et al.'s (2019) interview guidelines were utilized. The guidelines highlight the importance of creativity and flexibility throughout the whole interview process, especially when conducting research on complex and sensitive topics. ...
... As recommended, the interviews were conducted in an open and conversational manner. The interviewer asked new emerging questions, explored participants' new understandings during the course of the Mahat-Shamir et al. (2019). ...
The current study sheds light on the continuing bonds experience of adult Israeli daughters whose mothers were murdered by their fathers. Through 11 semi structured interviews, common externalized and internalized continuing bonds with the deceased mothers were closely examined. The interpreted results supported the existence of bonds, yet revealed a unique manifestation; the bonds were purposefully and defensively restricted, which seemed to be an adjustive compromise in light of the strong traumatic component of the loss. Our results contribute to the theoretical and clinical understanding of the restrictive effect that trauma components have on loss components in cases of traumatic bereavement.
... One of the best ways to gain an in-depth understanding of people's perceptions of their lives as they are lived in their social worlds is through in-depth semi-structured interviews (Hollway & Jefferson, 1997). This technique is especially appropriate when addressing sensitive topics such as loss (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021). The interviews were conducted in a flexible manner, with questions' phrasing adjusted based on the flow of the interview and the participant's answers. ...
... The interview guide was built based on Mahat-Shamir and colleagues' (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021) guidelines for revealing meaning construction in loss and included the following questions: 'What does it mean being pregnant and becoming a widow? How do you make sense of your spouse's death while you were pregnant? ...
Losing a spouse is a traumatic experience, especially at a younger age. This experience is arguably more intense and complex if the woman becomes a widow while pregnant. In the current study, we examined the strategies Israeli women who became widows while pregnant utilized to reconcile life and death. Twelve adult women who became widows while pregnant participated in this study, which involved in-depth semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis of the interview content revealed four main strategies utilized to reconcile their simultaneous paradoxical experience of both life and death: Passiveness - focusing on neither life nor death; Segregation - focusing on either life or death; Continuum - perceiving life and death are the same; and Integration - coming to terms with both life and death. The women commonly utilized multiple strategies while navigating this paradox, with most participants using all four at some point during their attempted reconciliation process.
... One of the best ways to gain an in-depth understanding of people's perceptions of their lives, as they are lived in their social worlds is through in-depth semistructured interviews. This technique is especially appropriate when addressing sensitive topics such as loss (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021). The interviews were conducted in a flexible manner with questions phrased based on the flow of the interview and the participant's answers. ...
... The interview guide was built based on Neimeyer and colleagues' (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021;Neimeyer et al., 2000) guidelines for revealing meaning construction of loss and included the following questions: 'How do you make sense of father's death prior to your birth? How do you think about yourself in relation to your fathers' death? ...
This qualitative study explored the intergenerational family narratives around loss and bereavement as perceived by 12 Israeli adults, whose fathers died before they were born. Using the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, the intergenerational narrative process was examined as it appeared in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Three phases of this process were identified: (1) the first generation: establishing the rule of silence, (2) the second generation: obeying the rule of silence, and (3) the third generation: breaking the rule of silence. The discussion presents a nuanced examination of the functions of silence in family narration in the case of traumatic loss, its impact on children whose fathers died before they were born, and the notion of the timing and processing of intergenerational dialogues of loss between grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren. Practical implications include the importance of recognizing the need for a careful balance between silence and speech, both for the family as a unit and for its grieving members. Also, family therapists should consider incorporating three-generation therapy sessions in cases of parent loss in general, and father loss before birth in particular.
... The focus of this study was designed using a qualitative research approach, due to the recent surge in the use of qualitative empirical studies, which aim to provide a deeper understanding of human reactions to various issues [61]. This investigation was carried out in Bangladesh's built environment. ...
The built environment is highly resource-intensive economic sectors and produces significant waste. Thus, circular economy has the potential to address these challenges caused by the construction sector’s adoption of the linear economic model. During the 21st century, there has been a tremendous growth in circular economy research; nonetheless, there are substantial research gaps regarding the enablers to instigating circular economy practices in the built environment of emerging economies such as Bangladesh. This article sets out to unpack the enablers relevant to circular economy implementation at the industry level for the built environment of Bangladesh. To address the aims of this qualitative study, ten face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted for each identified circular economy enabler among experts and practitioners from institutions involved in Bangladesh’s built environment. In depth observation and thematic analysis were used to identify and categorize the most significant enablers to circular economy implementation in the built environment. This research study reveals that the adoption of innovative materials and technologies, as well as the implementation of circular design principles, significantly reduces the demand for virgin resources and energy consumption during the construction process. The result of this research provides enough empirical evidence to identify the enablers to circular transformation for the built environment of Bangladesh. The research underscores the evidence about the managerial implications of the circular economy enablers, representing the first comprehensive attempt to identify and validate the enablers to circular economy transformation in Bangladesh’s built environment.
... Semi-structured interviews are a qualitative approach to gathering data and are described as an organised conversation guided by new information (Ahlin, 2019). They narrate the stories behind the questions on any given topic (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021) and offer added depth to an existing structured questionnaire by inviting dialogic exchange. The researcher is actively involved in extracting information from the respondents. ...
This study explored the relationship between food waste, food insecurity and dietary diversity. The discovery is that more food waste is practised in rural areas than in urban areas. factors determining food insecurity and dietary diversity are cooking with electricity, cooking with an open fire, and cooking with gas. People mostly give food waste to the animals. Consumer behaviour is one major contributor to household food waste. These all show that more education is needed
... Interviews were conducted via a semi-structured interview towards five participants. Interviews serve not only to obtain information, but also applied as a tool to understand the participant's perspectives and meaning of their world (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021). Relevant documents reviewed and analysed were regulations, laws, procedures, articles, and reports. ...
Immigration offices and units in Indonesia are committed to improving passport services, particularly for vulnerable groups by applying a human rights approach. These commitments are justified by the enactment of Regulation Number 2 of 2022 regarding Human Rights-Based Public Services and Circular Letter of the Directorate General of Immigration Number: IMI-UM.01.01-2435 of 2018 on Facilities for Vulnerable Groups in Passport Issuance Based on Human Rights Dimensions. This underpins the responsibility of the Directorate General of Immigration to provide services following human rights principles, regardless of any conditions. This study aims to explore the coherence between passport services provided for vulnerable groups and the principles of human-rights-based public services. In addition, this study also provides recommendations to improve passport services for vulnerable groups. A qualitative approach is used to analyze primary data obtained from field observations and interviews with immigration authorities and communities sampled from the South Jakarta immigration office, as well as secondary data collected through relevant documents. The results found that while most of the services provided for vulnerable groups have been implemented following the human rights-based public service principles, it is still constrained by factors, such as, lack of dissemination and disclosure of information regarding the priority service, uneven distribution of supporting facilities, lack of training of immigration officials in providing human rights-based services, limited features for vulnerable groups on the online passport application 'm-passport', and the shortage of officers who master the sign language.
... In the following five months, two research methods were used to collect qualitative data: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Qualitative interviews are the most effective method to understand another person's viewpoint (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021). Semi-structured interviews allow a researcher to discover the deep thoughts of the participants and follow their trajectories as the dialogue unfolds (Magaldi & Berler, 2020). ...
Child labour remains widespread in the urban slums of Bangladesh. Empirical studies indicate that various local-level factors drive poor families and children to engage in child labour. However, the role of structural factors and environmental realities is underrepresented in the current scholarship. This investigation examined the role of these factors in normalizing child labour in the slum communities of Dhaka. The researcher adapted a socio-ecological model to develop a conceptual framework for collecting qualitative data from the slum communities of two recently urbanized areas of the city: Hazaribagh and Matuail. A five-month fieldwork project was carried out to conduct 40 semi-structured interviews and two focus group discussions with parents and community members. The data analysis resulted in the following findings. A lack of access to schooling pushed many children into labour. The opportunities for children’s employment in the informal sector remained abundant, and the absence of documents complicated law enforcement. Due to inconsistent adult income, many families are involved in child labour to increase their household income. Local employers chose children over adults for certain occupations due to their low wages and easy-to-control nature. Natural disasters, climate change, and family difficulties drove a large number of families to these slums, and informal employment opportunities for both adults and children drew them there. The shortage of playgrounds and specialized schooling shaped children’s tendency to work more. All together, child labour has become a cultural reality. Policies and interventions aiming to reduce child labour must influence these structural factors and provide support to families and children.
... Interviews were undertaken during the first lockdown in the winter of 2020/21. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the 11 participants; this allowed open-ended responses from participants in the form of narrative or 'stories' about their experiences of shielding and technology use during the pandemic (Kvale 1996;Mahat-Shamir, Neimeyer, and Pitcho-Prelorentzos 2021). Data were supplemented by recruiting and interviewing three support workers who had experience working with older and disabled people during the same period. ...
... The following questions guided the research and construction of the interview schedule:(RQ 1): What are the lived experiences of adult students who learn English as aThe interview schedule consisted of twelve open-ended, semi-structured questions that could be modified based on participants' responses to the original question. Indepth, semi-structured interviews are a commonly used method of qualitative data collection(Mahat-Shamir et al., 2019;Kallio et al., 2016). As human beings are "conversational creatures that live a dialogical life" ...
In an ever-increasing globalised and interdependent global society, English as a communication language (lingua franca) plays a pivotal role in intercultural communication practices. Various countries and cultures seeking employment or educational opportunities in the West, showcase an enormous interest in learning the English language. The globalisation of English illuminates the need to build an understanding of the relationship between the culture and its speakers. Study objectives included building a composite description of individuals exposed to English Second Language (ESL) acquisition strategies within a globalised context and the effects thereof on the acculturation process. One-on-one semi-structured meetings conducted via Zoom with five Chinese participants enrolled in an ESL online teaching programme, allowed for a co-constructed process through dialectical interchange, enabling participants to fully recount their experiences. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews produced themes and sub-themes of participants lived experience. Results indicate positive acculturation takes place from exposure to ESL acquisition. Heterogenous cultural practices exist within the participant's social context, as they can incorporate English language practices while maintaining their native cultural identity. The importance of English within a global context was illuminated as results revealed a positive correlation between educational and professional stratification and English language abilities. The study provides strategies that may aid future studies to develop a sensitive understanding of the challenges faced by adult ESL students. Further, qualitative, investigation is required into the phenomena.
... A document analysis of existing reports allows us to access a large amount of data on journalists' safety experiences, i.e., types, risks, sources such actors and institutions (Bryman 2012;Bowen 2009). Semi-structured in-depth interviews allow us to reveal how journalists manage and negotiate such insecure circumstances, for example risk assessments, strategies of protection, dealing with emotionality and journalistic objectivity (Hollway and Jefferson 1997;Mahat-Shamir, Neimeyer, and Pitcho-Prelorentzos 2021). The former gives us insights into the landscape of (un)safety that journalists in the KRI have to navigate (e.g., threat vectors, methods, actors and informal practices), uncovering the context that shapes their emotional labor. ...
This paper focuses on the (in)direct tools of governmental bureaucracy used to control journalistic work in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). It calls for understanding media capture not only through structural-level consequences, but also through the methods used to create an environment of instability and unsafety. To make sense of these processes, and how they are experienced and negotiated by journalists, this paper combines scholarship on the emotional labor of journalism with scholarship on processes of media capture in deeply restrictive environments. The mixed-methods approach aims first to uncover structural conditions of media capture in the KRI through a document analysis of 21 public reports published by the Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate (KJS) and the Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights and Advocacy (MC) between 2014 and 2020. Second, it aims to reveal how journalists and editors-in-chief from diverse media organizations manage and negotiate these chronic conditions of precarity and instability, through 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The results show multiple strategies that have been developed by journalists and editors to mitigate or acclimate direct and indirect bureaucratic violence (e.g., editorial support, socialization skills and networks, understanding of unspoken and unwritten rules, etc.)
... Thus, individuals with CKD being assessed for KT will be interviewed (Fig. 1), until theoretical data saturation is reached. In line with the relevant scientific literature [57,58] and our overall research objectives, data will be collected using semi-structured interviews based on conversational techniques. An Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. ...
Background:
Waiting time for kidney transplants (KT) is an important health determinant for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). During this time, ongoing evaluation and participation is necessary in order to guarantee the quality and suitability of the proposed treatment. There is no existing literature on the potential impact of inclusion of an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role in the hospital setting on care for CKD patients who are candidates for KT. The main objectives of this protocol are: to analyse outpatient nursing activity in the care of individuals with KT in Spain; to identify the needs of individuals who are KT candidates; and to measure the impact of the APN role through patient outcomes and experiences. These objectives are fulfilled through 5 specific related substudies.
Methods:
A convergent parallel mixed methods approach will be conducted between July 2021 and April 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analysed separately to ascertain whether the findings confirm or contradict one another. Each of the 5 substudies of the project require a specific design, sampling method, and data collection procedure in order to meet the overall objectives for the project.
Discussion:
The results of the project are expected to inform the design of future nursing roles and contribute to future improvements in the quality of care provided. The data that may be obtained from this protocol are limited to the specific context of the study facility and may be extrapolated but not compared to other settings due to the variability of care pathways for KT candidates internationally.
Trial registration:
This project was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee (no.2020/9418/I). The study was supported by the "Strategic Plan for Health Research and Innovation" from the Generalitat de Catalunya, registration number SLT017/20/000001, with a contribution of 57,239 euros.
... It aimed to explore how social factors can both facilitate the development of depression in adolescents and be utilized to assist adolescents already suffering from depression. In keeping with the spirit of qualitative analysis, this research was primarily orientated on making sense of different individuals' attitudes, ideas, and perspectives rather than predicting human behavior [31]. Therefore, the research design was closely linked to this study's purpose [32]. ...
... Under the umbrella of qualitative research, semi-structured interviews (also known as in-depth interviews) are a method of obtaining qualitative material that focuses on obtaining cases or real ideas from the experiences and mental activities of the interviewees and exploring their deeper implications [41]. They have the advantage of successfully enabling the interviewer to improvise appropriate questions based on the participant's responses and leaving space for the participant's personal verbal expression [42][43][44]. The interviews that authors conducted were divided into six phases: (1) discourse organization; (2) interview outline design; (3) interviewee recruitment; (4) interview execution; (5) data code and analysis; and (6) report generation. ...
Much current discussion about the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health focuses on urban green space and rarely on historic conservation areas (HCAs). With the pandemic’s lasting influence and advances in medical technology, people’s mental health needs and attitudes toward epidemic prevention changed, and the importance of HCAs has received great attention. This study aims to explore the positive impact of heritage tourism on mental recovery under the influence of the pandemic. The Kuanzhai Alley HCA was selected as the location for the field survey and in-depth interviews. A total of 48 respondents were recruited for the semi-structured interviews, and qualitative data were analyzed through MAXQDA 2020, and the motives and mental feedback of tourists visiting Kuanzhai Alley were summarized. The results showed that there is great landscape integrity and continuity in the area. During the pandemic, the inclusive cultural atmosphere, human-based spatial scale, and cultural activities in the form of intangible heritage, such as Sichuan opera and live-action role-playing (LARP), had significant effects on eliminating loneliness, relieving anxiety, and improving happiness. The study results are expected to provide reference and guidance for current and future management of heritage tourism, social well-being, and a sustainable cultural economy.
... Invasive research can trigger distressing emotions for both the researcher and the participants (Schmied et al., 2011). Semi-structured interviews have been used effectively in previous bereavement research (Downar et al., 2020;Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021), so were chosen as the method of data collection. A particular benefit of using interviews is that they allow rapport to be built up between the researcher and the participants, encouraging the interviewees to feel protected and relaxed with discussing their experiences (DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). ...
Road traffic collisions (RTCs) are a global public health concern; however, research on the impact of bereavement on families remains limited. A critical realist approach was adopted to explore experiences of families suffering bereavement following RTCs, using interviews with 14 participants in the United Kingdom (UK) who have lost a family member. Three key themes were identified: (1) worsening mental health following bereavement, (2) negative impact of an RTC-related bereavement upon family members, (3) limited support following an RTC. Findings highlighted the requirement for appropriate support for bereaved families, and outlined significant flaws within the UK legal system, sentencing, and treatment of families.
... Data for the study were collected over a 12-month period in 2019-2020, through indepth semi-structured interviews (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021), which allowed the generation of reflective data on participants' mobility experiences (Allen et al., 2022;Alvesson, 2003). We invited participants to tell their stories of their migration and employment journeys (Maclean et al., 2012, including relocation, network ties, and integration (or otherwise). ...
How can we better understand the puzzle of low-skilled migrants who have acquired citizenship in a European Union (EU) country, often with generous social security provision, choosing to relocate to the United Kingdom (UK)? Drawing on Elias’s figurational theory as a lens, we explore how relational interdependencies foster the mobility of low-skilled African European Citizens (AECs) from EU states to the UK. We found that AECs rely on ‘piblings networks’, loose affiliations of putative relatives, to compensate for deficits in their situated social capital, facilitating relocation. The temporary stability afforded by impermanent bonds and transient associations, in constant flux in migrant communities, does not preclude integration but paradoxically promotes it by enabling an ease of connection and disconnection. Our study elucidates how these relational networks offer AECs opportunities to achieve labour market integration, exercise self-efficacy, and realize desired futures; anchoring individuals in existing communities even when they are perpetually transforming.
... The interviews examined the meanings reconstructed by offspring of IPF of their loss, focusing, among other topics, on the narrative identities of the 11 adult Israeli female offspring of IPF victims. Questions were phrased in accordance with the six propositions for understanding bereavement and guidelines for revealing the meaning of reconstruction after loss (see Mahat-Shamir et al., 2021). Questions included, for example, "How do you perceive yourself in light of your mother's death?"; "How did your views of the world/yourself/people in the world change after the death of your mother?"; "How did your close family, friends, and others react to your mother's death?" ...
The current qualitative study aimed to examine the narrative identities of women bereaved to intimate partner femicide. Eleven adult Israeli female offspring whose biological mothers were murdered by their biological fathers were interviewed for the purpose of this study. Due to the uniqueness of their loss experience and circumstances, participants’ identity is narrated as a “trisonance”: They are not like their fathers, their mothers, nor as society perceives them. This very particular route for identity reconstruction as a means of psychological survival is discussed in light of the literature on identity construction and bereavement and derives recommendations for practice.
... Therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted as part of this research. According to Mahat-Shamir et al. (2019), semi-structured interviews are essential to understand the other person's perspective. In the current study, such in-depth interviews probed individuals' viewpoints, experiences, and observations on the role of Palestine TV in presenting patriotism in their news. ...
Drawing upon observations regarding the crisis in Palestine, media is sometimes the only source of information consumed by society. This raises the critical question of how the Palestinian state media generates awareness of societal issues, such as the patriotism of citizens as a sense of devotion to one's country. This study examines whether the state media TV in Palestine contributes to existing patriotism because such a contribution should be explored separately. For this purpose, we first analyse the strategies employed by Palestine TV in delivering news during the period 2020-2021. Second, we examine whether the information framed in the state media effectively promotes Palestinian patriotism to the target audience. To discuss this issue, we use agenda-setting theories through the first level, wherein we describe the power of media to persuade viewers, influence public opinion and construct a hierarchy of being patriotic. The results revealed that the news portrayed on Palestine TV enhanced Palestinian patriotism. This finding implies that media can augment citizens' views on patriotism. This study provides insights into future investigations on the role of media in the time of crisis particularly related to the Israeli occupation in Palestine and the impacts of its occupation on Palestinians.
... In May and June 2020, we conducted 15 qualitative interviews with 17 informants, involving 13 artists and four concert promoters, all of which had fresh experiences with live-streamed concerts, at the time. Through semi-structured interviews we sought an in-depth understanding of the informants' experiences, aiming for "thick descriptions" of live-streamed concerts as a social phenomenon (Mahat-Shamir, et al., 2021;Aspers and Corte, 2019). Our sample spans over artists from a wide range of popular musical genres, stretching from acoustic and un-plugged varieties of country, folk and jazz; via energetic rock and popular (party) music; to more artistically ambitious acts within the electronic musical landscape. ...
This study was initiated as the pandemic erupted in the spring of 2020, triggered by our curiosity about the wave of Internet-mediated concerts which followed in the wake of COVID-19. The article examines what kind of social and cultural phenomenon these events were, and how their presentational and participatory potential was explored within a few, hectic spring months. Basing our analysis on interviews with 13 performers and four promoters in Norway, we find that the performances transcended traditional modes of live concerts in innovative ways, while responding to the stresses associated with the pandemic crisis. We identify three performance strategies, intimization, intensification and expansion, which in different ways rearticulated established modes of live musical expression by fusing them with the liveness of mediated communication.
... In May and June 2020, we conducted 15 qualitative interviews with 17 informants, involving 13 artists and four concert promoters, all of which had fresh experiences with live-streamed concerts, at the time. Through semi-structured interviews we sought an in-depth understanding of the informants' experiences, aiming for "thick descriptions" of live-streamed concerts as a social phenomenon (Mahat-Shamir, et al., 2021;Aspers and Corte, 2019). Our sample spans over artists from a wide range of popular musical genres, stretching from acoustic and un-plugged varieties of country, folk and jazz; via energetic rock and popular (party) music; to more artistically ambitious acts within the electronic musical landscape. ...
... Interviews are necessary for identifying the needs of solid waste management products in welding workshops. According to Mahat-Shamir, Neimeyer & Pitcho-Prelorentzos [11], semi-structured interviews are often open-ended questions focused on particular subjects. A set of interview questions was developed and a pilot study was conducted to validate the questions before they could be circulated to respondents via various mediums, such as face-to-face interviews. ...
Due to the rapid growth and development, technology and industry have become the major contributors to the degradation of environmental quality. Looking at the growing amount of solid waste disposal that is taking place around the global, it is obvious that there is a lack of awareness on the part of enforcement authorities and society regarding the nature, and also vulnerabilities of the solid waste management system, including in Malaysia. A few studies have indicated that the increase in the solid waste is becoming a matter of environmental pollution Therefore, this study was conducted in order to incorporate and identify the product that promotes the management of solid waste in the welding and metal fabrication in welding industry. Hence, the main objectives of this study is to study the potential of environmentally friendly of waste products that are based on Human, Technology and Sustainable (HTS) concepts towards recycling known as Trash Bank. The methodology of the study involves qualitative methods in which the experts in the welding workshop industry were interviewed. Population and sampling were selected randomly to determine the respondents of the study. Subsequently, thematic analysis was used to assess the respondents' views and perspectives on the design criteria or requirements of the Trash Bank. The findings of the study showed that all the respondents gave positive feedback by which the design aspects should emphasize on the size, material selection, HTS elements, and functional elements with ergonomic aspects, durability and functionality. The results of the interview were used to design the Trash Bank. As such, this study has been seen to have substantial advantages and benefits for the industry sector, particularly in manufacturing sector. This also has implications for the quality and sustainability of solid waste management.
... Because in-depth semi-structured interviews enable the investigator to 'enter into the other person's perspective' (Patton, 2002, p. 341) and produce contextual meanings of social phenomenon (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2019), they were suitable for data collection. Additionally, as qualitative research focuses on 'meaning and meaningmaking' as 'context-bound, positioned and situated' (Braun and Clarke, 2019, p. 591), in-depth interviews are befitting for generating meaningful data (Mahat-Shamir et al., 2019). ...
Corruption poses a substantial danger to human rights, political stability, and development, particularly in developing countries like Ghana. Despite the supposed fight against corruption in most developing countries, including Ghana, little success has been achieved in arresting the problem. This article's objective is to examine what can be done to address Ghana's corruption. Based on primary data from in-depth interviews with Ghanaians, the article focuses on a key question: What can be done to address corruption in Ghana? The findings indicate that unless corruption offences become high-risk crimes through strict implementation of laws to punish offenders regardless of their identities, power, or wealth, the Ghanaian anti-corruption work will likely be a lost battle. The study also shows the need for state anti-corruption agencies to be well-resourced and de-politicized to function independently. This article makes useful contributions to the literature on corruption by investigating and documenting citizens’ perspectives, which can inform anti-corruption policies and practices.
... The basis for utilizing the mixed-method approach is to guarantee participant enrichment, ensuring instrument fidelity, assessing treatment integrity and enhancing significance (Collins et al., 2006). Conducting semistructured interviews provide a well-set interaction between a researcher and participant focusing on the research items effectively, and these interviews are among the primary methods utilized in qualitative research (Schultze and Avital, 2011;Oltmann, 2016;Mahat-Shamir et al., 2019). ...
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges hindering the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0)
among construction companies.
Design/methodology/approach – The construction industry needs innovative technologies due to its
complex and dynamic nature. In this respect, the latest trends such as digitalization, building information
modeling (BIM), Internet of things (IoT) are of utmost importance in terms of fostering the change in managing
projects and encouraging industry practitioners to adopt the change for better performance. This paper focuses
on I4.0adoption among construction companies. In this respect, a questionnaire was designed and administered
to construction professionals to reveal the challenges in I4.0 adoption among construction firms. The
respondents were requested to fill in the questionnaire on the I4.0 efforts of their companies. The questionnaire
was intended to collect the perceptions of industry practitioners working at large construction companies.
Based on these, the challenges listed were ranked based on their relative importance and success indices.
Finally, the Mann–Whitney U test was conducted to test whether statistically significant responses exist
among groups of respondents (i.e. young and old companies, large and small, high and low revenue and main
area of expertise).
Findings – The results of the study indicated that resistance to change, unclear benefits and gains and cost of
implementation are the major important challenges in terms of I4.0 adoption in construction projects. On the
other hand, the data analysis implied that the majority of construction organizations successfully deal with the
problems arising from lack of standardization, legal and contractual issues and cost of implementing in terms
of promoting I4.0 adoption.
Research limitations/implications – The study is expected to guide construction practitioners in terms of
benefitting from I4.0 applications and deliver projects with better outcomes. This study might be used as a
guide for the companies aiming to start their I4.0 transformation knowing the challenges and develop
strategies for how to handle them. A concrete plan would help them achieve greater performance and benefit
from the I4.0 implementation at the maximum level. Finally, the study implies that construction firms shall
prepare action plans for handling each challenge listed and monitor their performance based on the planned
and actual data of their projects.
Originality/value – This study investigates the major challenges of I4.0 among construction companies. This
is one of the important studies, which puts I4.0 focus forefront of the construction industry with a clear
identification of challenges that construction organizations have to address to transform their organizations
into construction 4.0. The study has the potential to guide both industry practitioners and researchers to
develop awareness for the benefits of using the latest technology and fostering innovation. This is expected to
create value for construction clients in terms of achieving the product with serious gains such as time and cost.
Keywords Industry 4.0, Construction, Technology, Challenges, Opportunities
... Besides, it allows a broader comprehension of the grieving experience than would be captured by a focus on grief symptomatology alone. This position is supported by other authors, such as Mahat-Shamir et al. (2019). Considering the clinical applicability of the instrument, there is some value in conducting an exploratory analysis of profiles that allow the categorization of respondents, which facilitates decision making in clinical practice. ...
This study describes the development and the preliminary validation of the Family Caregiver Anticipatory Grief Clinical Interview (FcAG-CI). This instrument, conceptually based in Adult Attachment Theory, evaluates Anticipatory Grief response patterns of cancer family caregivers; semistructured interviews were conducted in a sample of family caregivers in palliative care ( n = 72, mostly women, adult children, or spouses, mean age of 52.37) and coded according to the rating guidelines. FcAG-CI, composed of eight domains, shows convergent and concurrent validity with self-reported predeath prolonged grief disorder symptoms as well as divergent validity with the Zarit Burden Interview. The tests for reliability suggest that it has reasonable consistency (Cronbach’s α = .750) and very good interrater reliability. Two factors were identified, corresponding to the two major sources of distress: traumatic and relational aspects of end-of-life caregiving. This instrument, allows the categorization of respondents in four different profiles (Avoidant, Adjusted, Traumatic, and Intense Anticipatory Grief), with clear implications for clinical practice.
... The general aim of constructivist therapy for bereavement is to alleviate acute grief symptoms, such as ruminative counterfactual thinking, and to help the person to achieve valued goals. Guided by this line of thought, we will introduce four main issues via illustrative cases of ruminative counterfactual thinking in bereavement, as well as ways they were dealt with in constructivist therapy or in in-depth semi-structured research interviews, as during the course of a welldone interview, new insights and meanings can emerge (Mahat-Shamir, Neimeyer, & Pitcho- Prelorentzos, 2019). ...
When grief over the death of a loved one becomes complicated, protracted and circular, ruminative counterfactual thinking in which the bereaved relentlessly but vainly seeks to somehow reverse the tragedy of the loss often plays a contributory role in sustaining the person’s suffering. In this article we summarize the growing evidence implicating this cognitive process in interfering with meaning reconstruction following loss, and identify four foci for counterfactual, “if only” cognition, directed at the self, the deceased, relevant others, or the circumstances of the death itself. We then illustrate each with an actual case vignette, along with approaches to resolving, dissolving, mitigating, or redirecting such rumination, and conclude with a general principle of practice for other therapists whose clients struggle with similarly anguished and entrenched counterfactual preoccupations.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a topic that has been heard by many and fantasized about for decades. This study proposes a guide for semi-structured interviews to identifying AI in ERP systems in accounting functions. The guide presented in this study was tested by three different techniques, (1) internal testing, (ii) expert assessment and (iii) field-testing. With this guide we can evaluate the existence, the challenges and opportunities and the future trends of AI in the accounting functions of ERP systems.
The current qualitative interpretative phenomenological study explored the intricate experiences of Israeli adults who lost a parent during childhood and subsequently navigated the challenges of adapting to a stepfamily dynamic. Through semistructured interviews, nine participants revealed three key themes: "Unbreakable Bonds: Loyalty to the Deceased Parent," illustrating efforts to preserve the original family structure amid changes; "Replacement Bonds: Loyalty to the New Parent," depicting the loyalty conflicts arising when connecting with a stepparent; and "Harmonic Bonds: Loyalties to All Three Parents," showcasing instances in which bereaved children successfully maintained connections with their deceased parent while forming meaningful relationships with their stepparent and living biological parent. The study findings informed a model elucidating the dialectical stance family members may adopt in response to such complexities. The model emphasizes the prioritization of orphaned children's emotional needs in a pyramid-shaped family structure, in which the psychological presence of the deceased parent remains integral.
The historical development of social service supervision reveals that the professional and organisational demands do not co-exist without challenges. The tension that often manifests between professional and managerial supervision is explained using the analogy of “polity dualism”, a concept widely used in political science to describe the co-existence of democratic and traditional rulership. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory-descriptive design underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. Seventeen social workers and supervisors were purposively sampled at the Department of Social Development, King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal. The findings were presented in terms of two main themes and two related subthemes. These included participants’ understanding of supervision and relating their understanding of supervision with experience. The recommendations could be summarised to involve the need to limit supervisors’ responsibilities to providing supervision only and to address the challenges posed by polity dualism by relying on professional supervision that offers more support and guidance and encourages collaboration between supervisors and supervisees. Keywords: managerial supervision, neoliberalism, polity dualism, professional supervision, social worker, social work supervisor
Aim
This study was conducted to determine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, prolonged grief, meaning reconstruction, and posttraumatic growth of elderly individuals who have lost loved ones.
Methods
A total of 122 elderly individuals who had lost loved ones were included in the research conducted in a nursing home.
Results
The levels of Prolonged Grief Inventory (PG‐13), Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory (GMRI), and Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) scale were found to be high among the individuals in the study. While the PG‐13 scores of single individuals who have lost their spouses are statistically significantly higher compared to married individuals, the scores for GMRI are higher for elderly individuals with chronic illness and expected death compared to those who have experienced sudden loss. A significant negative correlation was also determined between PG‐13, GMRI, and PTG scores.
Conclusion
Counseling to reconstruct grief and meaning is recommended for at‐risk groups. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; ••: ••–•• .
Purpose of this study is the attitudes of students before the service for pedagogical practice in study program Preschool Education and Primary Education. Since the scope of these programs within the Faculties of Education has the mission of teaching. Research was carried out using the qualitative method, instrument for realization of the research was a semi-structured interview with a total of 15 students of these programs for pedagogical practice. Through reviewed literature and qualitative research, we have obtained results that pedagogical practice is useful and prepares students to be ready for service after graduation, also mentor teachers at school as well as supervising professors make an extraordinary contribution to the professional development of students before the service. To conclude, we have extracted the attitudes of students about importance of practical learning, students from pedagogical practice in educational institutions have benefited from experiences related to cooperation, planning, inclusiveness, plan realization, and should use these potentials for benefits of them regarding preparation for teachers in the future. Research is of particular importance in the field of education, serves students of Faculties of Education, teachers, professors of higher education, and as such is useful for sciences of Education in general. Disponível em: <https://revistas2.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa> 2 âmbito das Faculdades de Educação têem a missão de ensinar. A pesquisa foi realizada utilizando o método qualitativo. O instrumento para realização da pesquisa foi uma entrevista semiestruturada com um total de 15 alunos desses programas de prática pedagógica. Por meio da literatura revisada e de pesquisas qualitativas, obtivemos resultados de que a prática pedagógica é útil e prepara os alunos para estarem prontos para o trabalho docente ao final do curso. Além disso, o programa orienta os professores na escola, bem como os professores supervisores dão uma contribuição extraordinária para o desenvolvimento profissional dos alunos em formação. Para concluir, extraímos as atitudes dos alunos sobre a importância da aprendizagem prática. Os alunos da prática pedagógica em instituições de ensino têm se beneficiado de experiências relacionadas à coooperação, ao planejamento, à inclusão e à realização de planejamento. A investigação assume particular importância no domínio da educação, serve estudantes de Faculdades de Educação, prodessores da Educação Básica, docentes do Ensino Superior, e como tal é útil para as ciências da Educação em geral. Palavras-chave: Formação de professores. Prática pedagógica. Faculdade de Educação. Resumen: El objetivo de este estudio son las actitudes de los estudiantes hacia la asistencia a la práctica pedagógica en la carrera de Educación Preescolar y Educación Primaria. Ya que el ámbito de estos programas dentro de las Facultades de Educación tiene como misión la docencia. La investigación se realizó mediante el método cualitativo, el instrumento para realizar la investigación fue la entrevista semiestructurada a un total de 15 estudiantes de estos programas de práctica pedagógica. A través de la literatura revisada y la investigación cualitativa, obtuvimos resultados de que la práctica docente es útil y prepara a los estudiantes para estar listos para el servicio después de la graduación, también orienta a los docentes de la escuela, además de supervisar que los docentes hacen un aporte extraordinario al desarrollo profesional de estudiantes antes del servicio. Para concluir, se extrajeron las actitudes de los estudiantes sobre la importancia del aprendizaje práctico, los estudiantes de la práctica pedagógica en las instituciones educativas se han beneficiado de experiencias relacionadas con: cooperación, planificación, inclusión, realización de planes, etc., y deben aprovechar estas potencialidades para los futuros docentes. Beneficios de la preparación. La investigación es particularmente importante en el campo de la educación, al servicio de estudiantes de las Facultades de Educación, docentes, docentes de educación superior, y como tal es de utilidad para las ciencias de la educación en general. Palabras clave: Formación docente. Práctica pedagógica. Universidad de Educación.
The evaluation of graduate profiles is essential for the innovation of curricular proposals. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the graduate profiles of a primary education program at a private university in Lima, Peru, from the point of view of employers and graduates. Using an evaluative qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three directors and a focus group with six graduates. Then, through open coding and triangulation processes, emerging categories were generated. Finally, the evaluation showed that graduates manage pedagogical proposals by applying teaching and evaluation strategies, but they need to reinforce curriculum approaches. They participate in curriculum management but not in administrative management. They develop tutoring for students and parents, but need to reinforce these strategies. And they do not show evidence of participating in research projects.
Purpose
This paper aims to uncover the key enablers of an agile supply chain in the manufacturing sector amidst disruptions such as pandemics, trade wars and cross-border challenges. The study aims to assess the applicability of existing literature to manufacturing and identify additional industry-specific enablers contributing to the field of supply chain management.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology is comprehensively described, detailing the utilization of extent literature and semistructured interviews with mid- and top-level executives in a supply chain. The authors ensure the robustness of the data collection process and results interpretation.
Findings
The study identifies six essential dimensions of an agile supply chain: information availability, design robustness, external resource planning, quickness and speed, public policy influencing skills and cash flow management. The study provides valuable insights for industry professionals to develop agile supply chains capable of responding to disruptions in a rapidly changing world.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited by its focus on the manufacturing sector, and future research may explore the applicability of these findings to other industries. By focusing on these essential dimensions identified in the study, managers can develop strategies to improve the agility and responsiveness of their supply chains. In addition, further research may investigate how these enablers may vary in different regions or contexts.
Practical implications
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced executives to reconsider their sourcing strategies and reduce dependence on suppliers from specific geographies. To ensure business continuity, companies should assess the risk associated with their suppliers and develop a business continuity plan that includes multisourcing their strategic materials. Digital transformation will revolutionize the supply chain industry, allowing for end-to-end visibility, real time insights and seamless integration of business and processes. Companies should also focus on creating a collaborative workforce ecosystem that prioritizes worker health and well-being. Maintaining trust with stakeholders is crucial, and firms must revisit their relationship management strategies. Finally, to maintain business leadership and competitiveness during volatile periods, the product portfolio needs to be diversified and marketing and sales teams must work in tandem with product teams to position new products accordingly.
Social implications
This work contributes substantially to the literature on supply chain agility (SCA) by adding several new factors. The findings result in a more efficient and cost-effective supply chain during a stable situation and high service levels in a volatile situation. A less complex methodology for understanding SCA provides factors with a more straightforward method for identifying well-springs of related drivers. First, the study contributes to reestablish the factors such as quickness, responsiveness, competency, flexibility, proactiveness, collaboration and partnership, customer focus, velocity and speed, visibility, robustness, cost-effectiveness, alertness accessibility to information and decisiveness as applicable factors for SCA. Second, the study suggests a few more factors, such as liquidity management, Vendors’ economic assessment and economic diversity, that are the study’s unique contributions in extending the enablers of SCA. Finally, public policy influencing skills, local administration connects and maintaining capable vendors are the areas that were never considered essential for SCA. These factors have emerged as a vital operational factor during the lockdown, and academicians may consider these factors in the future to assess their applicability.
Originality/value
This study provides new insights for decision-makers looking to enhance the resilience and agility of their supply chains. The identification of unique enablers specific to the manufacturing industry contributes to the existing body of literature on agile supply chains in the face of disruptions.
Purpose
Globally, mobile technology is a significant factor influencing how libraries are changing the ways of delivering services to today’s users. This paper aims to explore academic librarians’ perceptions of the usefulness of mobile technology in delivering library services and the efforts required for its successful adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted within an interpretive paradigm. The research objectives were underpinned by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology as a theoretical framework. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyses using NVIVO for thematic analysis.
Findings
Results show that, in general, academic librarians support the use of mobile technology to provide services such as access to eBooks and Journals, Online Public Access Catalogue, Bookmyne application, information literacy consultations and training. Library managers, fellow librarians and users were identified as encouraging the adoption of mobile technology to enhance library services. The paper further confirms that the successful adoption of mobile technology requires some effort. However, due to some of the challenges presented in the study, a majority of respondents felt that their libraries are not yet ready to fully embrace mobile technology the way it is envisioned in today’s world.
Practical implications
The study endeavours to address the divergence between students and academic librarians’ viewpoints regarding the application of mobile technology in the provision of library services.
Originality/value
This paper highlights numerous ways that academic librarians could adopt and embrace mobile technology, which can benefit both academic libraries and other institutions of higher learning. The knowledge presented in this paper could assist academic librarians in assessing their institutions’ vulnerabilities, challenges and strengths in using mobile technologies to provide library services.
Despite almost one-third of women suffering from the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, it is surprising how little research examines how such loss affects the identity and stigmas experienced by these individuals. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with bereaved mothers (in particular, mothers who lost a baby during pregnancy or within one year after birth), this research sheds light on the bereaved mother’s experiences after loss. Specifically, this research applies the identity-threat model of stigma to showcase the process of stigmatized loss. Based on our findings, we also introduce the process model of stigmatized loss that can apply to all types of stigmatized loss. Key themes emerged as we explored stigmatized loss discourses. These include situational cues that trigger stigma, identity-based responses that aim to preserve both a baby’s and mother’s identity, as well as nonvolitional and volitional responses that help restore control and reconstruct identity. Additionally, other themes revolve around positive and negative outcomes stemming from avoiding stigmatized identity activation and identification of triggers that initiate a recursive process through stigmatized baby loss. Importantly, stigma can be perceived as both an identity threat (negative) and an identity confirmation (positive). Findings inform theory and practice alike.
Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate the motivators and barriers affecting the choice of supervisor type for post-operative exercises and the effect of the experience with the preferred supervisor on future type of supervisor choice in patients with bone tumor resection.
Design
This study used a qualitative approach with thematic analysis. Subjects participated in either supervised or non-supervised exercise program according to their choices. Semi-structured, in-depth manner interviews were done with participants both pre and post-exercises period. Two researchers determined codes and themes by analysing content using Atlas.ti.23.
Participants
Subjects underwent bone tumor resection surgery were included.
Results
Participants preferred face to face supervisor because of desire feeling safe, ensuring that the exercises are done correctly, and adhering to the program in a disciplined manner. Time flexibility and home comfort encouraged the choice of online supervisor. Negative experiences, health system problems, and difficulty in transport made the participants away from the preference of face-to-face supervisor. Participants with self-discipline did not choose the presence of a supervisor while doing exercise. Technical inadequacies were found to be the only barrier to choosing the online supervisor type.
Conclusion
The factors determining the supervisor type were individual, environmental and related to health professional factors. Self-discipline, the need for a companion, transportation, the need to feel confident are the strongest factors that determine the type of supervisor.
This is the Pre-Publication Copy of Chapter 1 of this book. The book is available for purchase from the end of August, 2023.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the educational landscape in the Philippines as schools transitioned to flexible instruction delivery far from the default face-to-face platform. This calls for adjustment and recalibration in the instructional practices and, more importantly, in assessing the student’s learning outcomes. The current study is a qualitative inquiry exploring the experiences of Junior High School secondary science teachers in the execution of the four facets of assessment in the context of flexible instruction: their assessment obligations; expected outcomes in assessing science learners; obstacles hindering assessment practices; and opportunities brought by the new platform of assessing science learning. Findings from this study uncovered that continuity of teaching and learning during the health crisis brought new expectations from the teachers as assessors of learning while adhering to the essential core learning outcomes. At the same time, though direct and indirect challenges were perceived to complicate the assessment process, various opportunities emerged, highlighting new practices that can be applied in the context. The results offered implications for policy, research, and practice.
Background. Waiting time for kidney transplants (KT) is an important health determinant for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). During this time, ongoing evaluation and participation is necessary in order to guarantee the quality and suitability of the proposed treatment. There is no existing literature on the potential impact of inclusion of an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role in the hospital setting on care for CKD patients who are candidates for KT. The main objectives of this protocol are: to analyse outpatient nursing activity in the care of individuals with KT in Spain; to identify the needs of individuals who are KT candidates; and to measure the impact of the APN role through patient outcomes and experiences. These objectives are fulfilled through 5 specific related substudies.
Methods. A convergent parallel mixed methods approach will be conducted. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analysed separately to ascertain whether the findings confirm or contradict one another. Each of the 5 substudies of the project require a specific design, sampling method, and data collection procedure in order to meet the overall objectives for the project.
Discussion. The results of the project are expected to inform the design of future nursing roles and contribute to future improvements in the quality of care provided. The data that may be obtained from this protocol are limited to the specific context of the study facility and may be extrapolated but not compared to other settings due to the variability of care pathways for KT candidates internationally.
Trial registration. This project was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee (no.2020/9418/I). The study was supported by the “Strategic Plan for Health Research and Innovation” from the Generalitat de Catalunya, registration number SLT017/20/000001, with a contribution of 57,239 euros.
This reflexive account of fieldwork with disaster-affected communities in Kerala, India, recounts the researcher’s engagement with positionality and ethics. A participatory method was adopted—enlisting local field guides who mediated the researcher’s interactions with participants. Apart from offering pragmatic solutions for accessing participants, the method enhanced the researcher’s contextual/cultural insight, and facilitated a relationship of trust. The researcher-guide dynamic is explored as a co-constructing and relational method that minimizes harm and maximizes benefit for participants. Ethics of care is elucidated as a practicable ethical framework for thinking and doing disaster research, illustrated with reference to the present method.
The media are often considered an essential player in the fight against corruption. As part of the measures to combat corruption, it is essential to understand how to make the media play a critical watchdog role in sub-Saharan Africa. Using Hallin and Mancini’s work on media systems and data from in-depth semi-structured interviews, the following question is addressed: How can the Ghanaian private media be strengthened to investigate and expose corruption? The findings show the need to establish an investigative journalism fund, address political parallelism, improve journalistic professionalism, and ensure favourable state interventions. The implications these findings have for policy are presented in the conclusion. This article contributes to the theoretical, empirical, and policy debates on strengthening the media to be an active, critical watchdog in fighting corruption.
In view of the mounting death toll of COVID-19 worldwide and the complicating circumstances that commonly accompany such losses, we studied the grief experiences of 209 adult mourners who lost a loved one to coronavirus with a focus on self-blaming emotions and unresolved issues with the deceased. We found universal endorsement of one or more forms of self-blame (guilt, regret, shame) or unfinished business (UB), with over one-third of mourners endorsing all four experiences. Those having a closer relationship to the deceased reported both greater distress over UB and more intense and dysfunctional grief symptomatology. Strikingly, unresolved conflict, a major dimension of UB, accounted for nearly 40% of the unique variance in problematic grief, which bore no relation to time since the loss.
Intimate partner homicide is a major public health concern around the world and the most lethal outcome of domestic violence. Its impact on the surviving bereaved offspring is immense, yet there is a significant gap in the literature regarding the long-term effects of this type of loss. The current qualitative study is aimed at filling this gap. The study used the constructivist paradigm of bereavement as a theoretical background to reveal the meanings constructed by bereaved Israeli daughters whose biological mothers were killed in acts of intimate partner homicide by their biological fathers. Three main themes of meaning emerged from 12 in-depth semi-structured interviews: “destruction of one’s home”; “blast injury”; and “in doubt”. An examination of the three themes in the current study reveals a deep shatter in participants’ world of meaning to its very basic foundations. In light of intense psychological and social forces, the participants constructed and reconstructed such narratives of meaning in a continuous process of meaning making throughout their lives, years, and decades post loss. Derived from the findings are implications for practice. Mental healthcare professionals must attend to this basic shatter with an extreme level of caution, as they help homicide survivors reconstruct a world of meaning shattered by loss. Moreover, the long-lasting effects emphasize an appropriate legal and political involvement; specifically, policy regulations and rights should provide psychosocial care programs that are suited to the needs of offspring co-victims of intimate partner homicide in particular. In light of the strong social influence on participants’ loss experience, further efforts are required to raise social awareness about this burning social concern and to fight the stigmatization of co-victims of homicide in general and co-victims of intimate partner homicide in particular.
The private media are often seen as a part of the corrupt network, particularly in developing countries considered corrupt. Using Giddens’s theory of structuration and data from in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article addresses a key question: What motivates some Ghanaian private media to expose political corruption? I argue that human agency and structural conditions are important in understanding whether the private media tackle political corruption. Whether the private media choose to expose political corruption depends on democratic freedoms, journalistic professionalism, financial considerations, personal experience, and political interests among different agents, including media owners, journalists, politicians, and business owners. The findings indicate that unless media owners and journalists are determined to address political corruption, the enabling structural conditions for the performance of media watchdog functions are meaningless. This study suggests that agents and, for that matter, human beings are not machines programmed to act only in certain ways based on structural conditions in which they are embedded. This article makes significant contributions to the literature in the fields of media, corruption, political science, and sociology.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the private media are often considered corrupt and thus incapable of performing critical watchdog functions. Using the Ghanaian case, the objective of this study is to examine how the private media contribute to exposing political corruption and demanding accountability. Based on the media-as-a-watchdog theory and on primary and secondary data, this article argues that private media outlets make significant contributions to the fight against political corruption. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary data in Ghana. Relevant secondary data from media reports and scholarly work supplement the primary data. The research findings show that Ghanaian private media address political corruption through investigative reporting, agenda-setting, providing a forum for anti-corruption discussions, and acting as a pressure group for institutional and legal reforms as well as political accountability. This article thus questions the popular claim that in sub-Saharan Africa, the private media cannot contribute meaningfully to combatting corruption involving influential political actors. Policy and future research implications are presented in the conclusions.
The field of thanatology emphasizes understanding grief as situated within social contexts. Yet, existing research largely examines individual experiences, neglecting to critically examine the role that sociocultural systems and forms of oppression play in how people grieve. In this manuscript, we use the social constructionist model of grief as an epistemological stepping stone to operationalize intersectionality as a framework to engage in this critical qualitative research. We provide an overview of the research process implementing an intersectional framework, including examples of research questions and procedures throughout, and discuss implications for helping praxis and education and future scholarship.
Suicide loss represents particularly a difficult form of bereavement due to the challenges that volitional death poses to survivors. Understanding these challenges requires recognition of the idiosyncratic processes of meaning reconstruction for this specific group of grievers. The current study investigates such processes in survivors of suicide loss (SOSL) by utilizing the Meaning of Loss Codebook (MLC) to analyze the narratives of eight SOSL. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of meaning making following suicide, strengthen the validity of the MLC by demonstrating its appropriateness for SOSL, and illuminate unique challenges faced by SOSL, resulting in the proposal of supplemental MLC codes. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
A mourner’s success in making meaning of a loss has proven key in predicting a wide array of bereavement outcomes. However, much of this meaning-making process takes place in an interpersonal framework that is hypothesized to either aid or obstruct this process. To date, a psychometrically validated measure of the degree to which a mourner successfully makes meaning of a loss in a social context has yet to be developed. The present study examines the factor structure, reliability, and validity of a new measure called the Social Meaning in Life Events Scale (SMILES) in a sample of bereaved college students (N = 590). The SMILES displayed a two-factor structure, with one factor assessing the extent to which a mourner’s efforts at making meaning were invalidated (Social Invalidation subscale), and the other assessing the extent to which a mourner’s meaning-making process was validated (Social Validation subscale). The subscales displayed good reliability and construct validity in reference to several outcome variables of interest (complicated grief, general health, and post-loss growth), as well as related but different variables (social support and meaning made). The subscales also demonstrated group differences according to two demographic variables associated with complications in the mourning process (age and mode of loss), as well as incremental validity in predicting adverse bereavement outcomes over and above general social support. Clinical and research implications involving the use of this new measure are discussed.
In this paper we focus on important considerations when planning and conducting qualitative interviews on sensitive topics. Drawing on experiences of conducting interviews with dementia caregivers, a framework of essential elements in qualitative interviewing was developed to emphasize study participants' needs while also providing guidance for researchers. Starting with a definition of sensitive research, the framework includes preparing for interviews, interacting with gatekeepers of vulnerable groups, planning for interview timing, and location, building relationships and conducting therapeutic interactions, protecting ethically vulnerable participants, and planning for disengagement. This framework has the potential to improve the effectiveness of sensitive interviewing with vulnerable groups. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interviews are a staple method used in qualitative research. Many authors hold face-to-face interviews to be the gold standard, or the assumed best mode in which to conduct interviews. However, a large number of research projects are based on conducting interviews via telephone. While some scholars have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of using telephones to conduct interviews, this work is scattered across multiple disciplines and lacks a cohesive, comprehensive framework. The current article seeks to rectify this gap in the literature, by explicitly developing the constructs of the interviewer context and the respondent context. By examining key components in each of these contexts, the qualitative interviewer can make an informed, reflective decision about the best interview mode to use for a particular project.
URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1602156
This study is the first to our knowledge to provide an in-depth account of the meanings reconstructed by bereaved Israeli mothers of homicide victims. Homicide survivors tend to receive little or no support from society; this is especially true in Israel, where homicide victims are a neglected population whose voice is socially muted. Constructivist theories have informed understanding of grief, emphasizing the role of meaning reconstruction in adaptation to bereavement, as well as the role of social support in the process of meaning reconstruction. We derived 3 prototypes of meaning from interviews of 12 bereaved mothers: the existential paradox; a bifurcated worldview; and oppression, mortification, and humiliation. Most informants used all 3 prototypes in the process of reconstructing meaning, describing changes in the perception of themselves, the world, and society. However, change was also accompanied by continuity, because participants did not abandon their former worldview while adopting a new one. The findings suggest that meaning reconstruction in the aftermath of homicide is a unique, multifaceted, and contradictory process. Implications for practice are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record
To identify important trends in thanatology as a discipline, the authors analyzed over 1,500 articles that appeared in Death Studies and Omega over a 20-year period, coding the category of articles (e.g., theory, application, empirical research), their content focus (e.g., bereavement, death attitudes, end-of-life), and for empirical studies, their methodology (e.g., quantitative, qualitative). In general, empirical research predominates in both journals, with quantitative methods outnumbering qualitative procedures 2 to 1 across the period studied, despite an uptick in the latter methods in recent years. Purely theoretical articles, in contrast, decline in frequency. Research on grief and bereavement is the most commonly occurring (and increasing) content focus of this work, with a declining but still substantial body of basic research addressing death attitudes. Suicidology is also well represented in the corpus of articles analyzed. In contrast, publications on topics such as death education, medical ethics, and end-of-life issues occur with lower frequency, in the latter instances likely due to the submission of such work to more specialized medical journals. Differences in emphasis of Death Studies and Omega are noted, and the analysis of publication patterns is interpreted with respect to overall trends in the discipline and the culture, yielding a broad depiction of the field and some predictions regarding its possible future.
Aim:
To reflect on the author's personal and professional journey when undertaking semi-structured interviews on sensitive topics with potentially vulnerable people.
Background:
When discussing care at the end of life, researchers must accept that some participants may become distressed or emotional, depending on their previous experiences. Interviews that involve sensitive topics require careful planning.
Data sources:
The semi-structured interviews were conducted as part of the author's PhD study examining the experiences of advance care planning among family caregivers of people with advanced dementia.
Review methods:
A reflection on my personal and professional journey when undertaking semi-structured interviews on sensitive topics with potentially vulnerable people.
Discussion:
The frustration and tragedy of dementia, as experienced by the family caregivers, were powerful and required the author to exert self-control to avoid being overly sympathetic and offering words of reassurance, agreement and comfort.
Conclusion:
This blurring of roles between researcher and nurse has implications for all nurse researchers who undertake qualitative interviews, particularly when an intense emotional response is likely.
Implications for research/practice:
Nurse researchers should plan and prepare for potential blurring of roles during emotional interviews and should never automatically assume that they are sufficiently prepared as a result of their previous experience and nurse training.
In contrast to dominant Western conceptions of bereavement in largely intrapsychic terms, we argue that grief or mourning is not primarily an interior process, but rather one that is intricately social, as the bereaved commonly seek meaning in this unsought transition in not only personal and familial, but also broader community and even cultural spheres. We therefore advocate a social constructionist model of grieving in which the narrative processes by which meanings are found, appropriated, or assembled occur at least as fully between people as within them. In this view, mourning is a situated interpretive and communicative activity charged with establishing the meaning of the deceased's life and death, as well as the post-death status of the bereaved within the broader community concerned with the loss. We describe this multilevel phenomenon drawing first on psychological research on individual self-narratives that organize life experience into plot structures that display some level of consistency over time, whose viability is then negotiated in the intimate interpersonal domain of family and close associates. Second, we explore public communication, including eulogies, grief accounts in popular literature, and elegies. All of these discourses construct the identity of the deceased as he or she was, and as she or he is now in the individual and communal continuing bonds with the deceased. Finally, we consider different cultural contexts to see how expressions of grief are policed to ensure their coherence with the prevailing social and political order. That is, the meanings people find through the situated interpretive and communicative activity that is grieving must either be congruent with the meanings that undergird the larger context or represent an active form of resistance against them.
Background
The one-to-one interview is a commonly used data collection method in health and social research. Increasing attention has been given in the literature to the process of conducting an interview, particularly with respect to the role of the interviewer and the relationship between the interviewer and interviewee. The individual interview is a valuable method of gaining insight into people's perceptions, understandings and experiences of a given phenomenon and can contribute to in-depth data collection. However, the interview is more than a conversational interaction between two people and requires considerable knowledge and skill on behalf of the interviewer.
Content
Interviews vary in type and structure depending on their philosophical orientation. This article examines the process of conducting the interview from a generic point of view, while making reference to different approaches. Considerations are also raised regarding interviewing in challenging situations.
Conclusions
Several important stages need to be followed when conducting an interview. The nature of the questions, questioning techniques, listening and the interviewer-interviewee interactions are crucial to obtaining a successful outcome. Similarly, ethical considerations and the protection of participants are fundamental aspects of interviewing. Although interview data may be used as evidence about people's perceptions and understanding, it is pertinent to remember that responses may be shaped by variables such as if and how the interviewer has influenced the interviewee, and the level of trust and rapport between the two people. Hence, it is essential that interviewers are cognisant of the various techniques underpinning the interview process to maximize results.
Milan Kundera's novel Immortality bears a close relation to contemporary social science debates about the production of the self. Commentators like Kleinman and Mishler seem to have introduced a new version of authenticity based on a reinvention of the Romantic subject with the interview (as the medium) and the narrative (as the content) portrayed as the means for constructing and sharing biographical expenence. Unlike such contem porary Romantics, Kundera examines how the subject is constructed in literary biography and mass media "imagology." The authors show how Kundera's work leads in two possible directions: an analysis of the interview society and a concern with strategies for the invention of the self. By locating styles of the self, the authors reveal lively and skillful biographical work, overlooked by cultural critique and not reducible to any structural determinism.
This article explores the co-constructed nature of interview narratives in the context of a qualitative bereavement study and the implications of adopting a `collaborative paradigm'. This approach encompasses the emotional impact of the interview on the researcher as much as the participant. It considers the importance of and difficulties encountered in engaging with this aspect. It argues that not only is this essential to achieving an ethical stance, but an invaluable methodological tool for enhancing an understanding of one's findings. Only when I was able to `appreciate' the nature and extent of my own part in narrative constructions did I start to `hear' and `appreciate' more fully the meanings that were being shaped. This process was intimately related to the cultivation of an ethical stance, something that cannot be a once and for all position. Rather it develops from an ongoing reflexive engagement with the research endeavour.
Viewed in an expanded frame, the phenomena of grief and bereavement call for analysis in sociological, psychological, and psychiatric terms. In this article, the authors argue that a common theme in these accounts is that of the meaning of loss as expressed in both individual and collective attempts at adaptation. At a societal level, communal rituals, discursive practices, and local cultures provide resources for integrating the significance of loss for survivors and regulating the emotional chaos of bereavement. At an individual and interpersonal level, survivors struggle to assimilate the loss into their existing self-narratives, which are sometimes profoundly challenged by traumatic bereavement. Complicated grief can therefore be viewed as the inability to reconstruct a meaningful personal reality, an outcome to which individuals with insecure working models of self and relationships are especially vulnerable. Nonetheless, evidence suggests that grief can prompt personal growth as well as despair, augmenting rather than only reducing the survivor's sense of meaning.
Work on the psychological aftermath of traumatic events suggests that people ordinarily operate on the basis of unchallenged, unquestioned assumptions about themselves and the world. A heuristic model specifying the content of people's assumptive worlds is proposed. The schema construct in social cognition is used to explore the role of these basic assumptions following traumatic events. A major coping task confronting victims is a cognitive one, that of assimilating their experience and/or changing their basic schemas about themselves and their world. Various seemingly inappropriate coping strategies, including self-blame, denial, and intrusive, recurrent thoughts, are discussed from the perspective of facilitating the victim's cognitive coping task. A scale for measuring basic assumptions is presented, as is a study comparing the assumptive worlds of people who did or did not experience particular traumatic events in the past. Results showed that assumptions about the benevolence of the impersonal world, chance, and self-worth differed across the two populations. Findings suggest that people's assumptive worlds are affected by traumatic events, and the impact on basic assumptions is still apparent years after the negative event. Further research directions suggested by work on schemas are briefly discussed.
To describe three styles of interviews and discuss issues regarding planning and conducting interviews.
Interviews are probably the approach most used to collect data in studies. They are particularly useful in uncovering the story behind a participant's experiences. Researchers can follow a line of questions to gain information about a topic, or further explore responses or findings. But the researcher needs to plan and decide the format of the interview before collecting data.
The authors included papers on structured, unstructured and semi-structured interviews published in a peer-reviewed joumrnal and in English.
Interviews are one of the most common metods of data collection in qualitative research. However they require the researcher to have a sound understanding of their use and appropriateness. The ability to conduct interviews is one that develops over time and to aid the researcher in developing their interview skills they should consult with other researchers, seeking comments and advice and, critically, to appraise audio recordings.
This article aims to support students who are undertaking research modules as part of their academic studies, writing a research proposal or novice researchers who are about to use interviews as a means of data collection. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH/PRACTICE: To conduct a successful interview, researchers need to develop their interview technique, choose the right method and carefully plan for all aspects of the process.
Interviewing is a popular way of gathering qualitative research data because it is perceived as "talking," and talking is natural. This column discusses the type of interview most often used in educational evaluation: the semistructured interview. A semistructured interview means questions are predetermined, but the interviewer is free to ask for clarification. During an interview evaluation, the following issues and decisions need to be addressed: (1) Decide whom to interview; (2) Choose when to stop a particular interview; (3) Select a place for the interview; (4) Decide which questions to ask; and (5) Consider how the data will be collected.
This methodological paper addresses practical strategies, implications, benefits and drawbacks of collecting qualitative semi-structured interview data about Internet-based research topics using four different interaction systems: face to face; telephone; email; and instant messaging. The discussion presented here is based on a review of the literature and reflection on the experiences of the authors in performing completed research that used those four interaction systems. The focus is on functional effects (e.g. scheduling and other logistics, data transcription and data management), as well as methodological effects (e.g. ability to probe, collecting affective data, and data representation). The authors found that all four methods of data collection produced viable data for the projects they completed, but that some additional issues arose. Five themes emerged that form the organization of the paper: (1) interview scheduling and participant retention; (2) recording and transcribing; (3) data cleaning and organizing; (4) presentation and representation of data; and (5) the detection/presentation of affective data.
A large proportion of social science investigations rely on interview data, yet few researchers received formal training in interviewing. The authors investigated how novice researchers developed their interview skills, reporting on postgraduate students' experiences and reflections during an intensive 15-day interview course. Data analyzed for the article include audiotapes and transcripts of in-depth interviews and students' written critiques and journal reflections. Challenges faced by novice interviewers conducting in-depth interviews included unexpected participant behaviors, dealing with the consequences of the interviewers' own actions and subjectivities, constructing and delivering questions, and handling sensitive research topics. The authors also discuss the transcription of audio-recorded talk and include their own and students' reflections concerning the learning and teaching of interviewing. Finally, the authors provide recommendations for teaching interview skills for the purpose of doing social science research. This study informs teachers of qualitative research and researchers who seek to develop their interview skills.
Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is an increasingly popular approach to qualitative inquiry. This handy text covers its theoretical foundations and provides a detailed guide to conducting IPA research.
Extended worked examples from the authors' own studies in health, sexuality, psychological distress and identity illustrate the breadth and depth of IPA research.
Each of the chapters also offers a guide to other good exemplars of IPA research in the designated area. The final section of the book considers how IPA connects with other contemporary qualitative approaches like discourse and narrative analysis and how it addresses issues to do with validity. The book is written in an accessible style and will be extremely useful to students and researchers in psychology and related disciplines in the health and social sciences.
Discovery Interviews have become widely used in the UK National Health Service as a service improvement tool and patient involvement mechanism. This first paper in a series of three explores the development of Discovery Interviews in the NHS in the context of explicit central government policy of the development of patient-centred services and user involvement in shaping health service organization and delivery. It draws on the published literature on Discovery Interviews to date, including that on evaluation.
Interest in meaning and meaning making in the context of stressful life events continues to grow, but research is hampered by conceptual and methodological limitations. Drawing on current theories, the author first presents an integrated model of meaning making. This model distinguishes between the constructs of global and situational meaning and between "meaning-making efforts" and "meaning made," and it elaborates subconstructs within these constructs. Using this model, the author reviews the empirical research regarding meaning in the context of adjustment to stressful events, outlining what has been established to date and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of current empirical work. Results suggest that theory on meaning and meaning making has developed apace, but empirical research has failed to keep up with these developments, creating a significant gap between the rich but abstract theories and empirical tests of them. Given current empirical findings, some aspects of the meaning-making model appear to be well supported but others are not, and the quality of meaning-making efforts and meanings made may be at least as important as their quantity. This article concludes with specific suggestions for future research.
The death of a significant person, especially when it comes tragically or prematurely, can shake the foundations of our assumptive and relational world and lead to anguished attempts to find meaning in the loss and in our lives in its aftermath. In this article, I review one program of research focused on this attempt at meaning reconstruction, describe recently developed measures of meaning in mourning, and discuss several therapeutic techniques for helping clients make sense of the death and rework their attachment relationship to the deceased. I conclude by illustrating some of this work in my therapy with a couple grieving the loss of not one but two children to tragic accidents, as they try to adapt to a compound traumatic bereavement.
This qualitative study examined the meanings constructed by Israeli adults to their loss of a father before birth. Using the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, three themes of meaning were derived from in-depth semistructured interviews conducted with 12 Israeli adults who lost their fathers before they were born: (a) mother’s grief—a transmission of loss and grief; (b) defect, shame, guilt, and anxiety—congenital anomaly; and (c) ambiguous loss—phantom limb pain caused by an organ they did not have to begin with. An integrative view of all three themes highlights the notion that meaning construction in response to loss is a process forged by social and cultural forces and the use participants make in metaphoric language regarding physical aspects when constructing meanings to their loss. Practical implications are outlined.
Bereavement, understood as the loss of a significant person through death, can challenge the mourner’s self-narrative in a way that requires active meaning reconstruction to revise or reinstate a sense of significance and security. When this natural process of making sense of the death and one’s life in its aftermath is complicated, meaning-oriented therapy can help to reconstruct a self-narrative that integrates the loss while also affirming the value of life. In this chapter, we address two narrative processes playing a central role in narrative change in the course of bereavement: the processing of the event story of loss and the accessing of the back story of the relationship to the deceased. We then outline a Meaning in Loss therapy protocol that encompasses distinct but complementary narrative-constructivist techniques, and illustrate its application in a case study.
Stillbirth (SB), death of a fetus in late stages of pregnancy or during birth, usually leads to extended and intense grief among women.
However, their grief is often disenfranchised and they are denied the social right to mourn their loss. Constructivist theories
recently assuming a central place in bereavement studies inform this article, which aims to identify the meaning that women
who experience SB ascribe to their loss in general and to the lost figure. This tack may offer the opportunity to examine
the consequences of the discrepancy between personal and environmental constructions of this loss on its personal construction
and to learn about the essence of the loss. Within the domain of qualitative research, the current article draws on phenomenology
and the research method that has emerged from this approach. Specifically, the article focuses on in-depth interviews with
10 women who experienced SB. Its findings suggest that for these women, the lost figure and the loss in general engender ambiguity
both internally—that is, within the psyche of women themselves—and externally, within the women’s social environment. Thus,
ambiguity, uncertainty, and doubt infused women’s experience of SB. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The study provides a view of ideological meaning-making processes of 10 Israelis who lost a child examining the parents' perspectives and written public documents. The texts and interviews were analyzed using Gadamer's hermeneutic philosophy. Findings indicate that bereaved parents construct conflicting ideologically oriented viewpoints: doubting and affirming the Zionist ideology; ascribing sense and senselessness to the loss; and joining the ethos but keeping personal meanings. Our conclusion is consistent with theorists who reject the notion that the human narrative should be coherently unified. We point to potential links between relational dialectics and meaning-making theory and outline implications for practice.
The publication of the third edition of Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods offers the author an opportunity to reflect back over two decades of developments in qualitative inquiry. Major developments include: the end of the qualitative-quantitative debate; the flowering of diverse and competing approaches within qualitative inquiry; the increased importance of mixed methods; the elaboration of purposeful sampling approaches; increasing recognition of the creativity at the center of qualitative analysis; the emergence of ever more sophisticated software to facilitate qualitative analysis; and new ethical challenges in the face of the potential impacts of qualitative inquiry on both those studied and those engaged in the inquiry.
A central feature of the fear of crime debate is the fear-risk paradox: the finding that those least at risk, namely, elderly women, are most fearful, and vice versa. This article argues that this paradox can be resolved theoretically by placing an anxious, defended subject rather than a rational, risk-avoiding one at the center of the debate, and explores some of the methodological implications of so doing, especially the importance of eliciting narratives. This methodological position, appropriately adapted for this study's rather different purposes, derives from the biographical-interpretive method first developed in Germany for the collection of life stories of Jewish survivors of the concentration camps. The authors outline the principles of this approach and the importance of eliciting concrete stories in a nondirective way in pursuit of the respondent's "gestalt," and then put this to work in attempting to operationalize their theoretical position into appropriate interview schedules. Specifically, the authors contrast the results of pilot interview schedules conducted in traditional question-and-answer format, in which "why" ques tions loom large, with those obtained by a schedule based on eliciting narratives from respondents, demonstrating both what the former misses and the latter (unconsciously) reveals. The authors also show how they use the same narrative-based principles in their follow-up interviews.
A prominent theme presented in this volume is that symptoms in the bereaved individual have meaning-making significance and that meaning reconstruction in response to loss is the central process in grieving. More scientifically oriented readers will find comprehensive discussions of research programs supporting these tenets, particularly those linking grief with responses to loss involved in trauma. Practitioners will find clinically informed models and ample case descriptions to bridge concepts with real people suffering real loss. All will find new paradigms for approaching loss and reconstruction of meaning in a respectful, revealing way that has significance both personally and professionally. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Information Systems (IS) publications that use interviews for data generation tend to provide very little insight into the research process and very few rely on a carefully chosen and well-articulated interviewing method. Given the wide variety of interviewing approaches available to qualitative researchers, it seems that the IS discipline is lagging behind and can easily enhance its methodological sophistication. In this paper, we address this opportunity by (i) highlighting the potential of interviewing as a means of generating data that provides insight into people's experiential life; (ii) discussing the various epistemological stances that can be taken to interviewing; (iii) introducing and illustrating three interviewing methods (i.e., appreciative, laddering and photo-diary interviewing); and (iv) juxtaposing these methods to identify the conditions under which they are most effective.
The Hyperemesis Impact of Symptoms Questionnaire is a clinical tool designed to assess holistically the impact of the physical and psychosocial symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) on individuals. Its purpose is to aid planning and implementation of tailored care for women with HG. To our knowledge no similar tool exists.
To assess the validity and reliability of the HIS questionnaire.
As no similar tool exists, we compared the HIS with three tools that reflect its key areas: physical impact (Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis--PUQE score and markers of severity of HG), psychological impact (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score--HADS) and social impact (SF12 quality of life score).
A large regional referral, women and children's hospital in the North West of England.
The HIS was evaluated on 50 women admitted to hospital with HG and 50 women recruited from ante-natal clinic without severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and with an uncomplicated pregnancy.
Good criterion validity was demonstrated by strong significant correlations with all three scores (PUQE, r=0.75, p<0.001, HADS, depression r=0.76, p<0.001, and SF12, mental component r=-0.65, p<0.001). The HIS showed good internal consistency, Cronbach alpha 0.87, split half 0.80.
There is evidence for the validity and reliability of the HIS to assess the impact of the physical and psychosocial symptoms of HG. Further research is currently underway to establish the clinical utility of the HIS questionnaire in the care of women hospitalised with HG.
Interviews are a fundamental data collection method used in qualitative health research to help understand people's responses to illness or a particular situation. The risks associated with participating in 1 or 2 hour research interviews when a study focuses on vulnerable populations and sensitive issues are scrutinized by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and Human Subjects Committees. This paper shifts attention away from the risks to the benefits and describes catharsis, self-acknowledgement, sense of purpose, self-awareness, empowerment, healing, and providing a voice for the disenfranchised as the sometimes unanticipated benefits reported by interview participants.
In this article, Helen Hand provides an account of personal experience as a novice researcher collecting data using semi-structured interviews. The data were collected as part of a study involving nurse mentors who had had the experience of mentoring and subsequently failing a student nurse. The paper emphasises the importance of reflexivity as a method of signposting to the reader 'what is going on' in the research process. In conclusion, it is suggested that creating the 'joint account' is a complex but worthwhile task, but that great skill is required by the researcher in order to participate in the construction of reality.
Based on the her experiences of completing a doctoral study in which semi-structured interviews featured as the primary data collection method, Christine Dearnley offers a reflective insight into using semi-structured interviews as a method of data collection. The processes of reflection in, and on, the interview process are explored, and some of the ethical dilemmas that emerged during the study are reflected on. The practicalities of conducting semi-structured interviews are considered with a view to sharing new understandings of the process and its management.
The unstructured interactive interview: Issues of reciprocity and risks when dealing with sensitive topics
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Corbin, J., & Morse, J. (2003). The unstructured interactive
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The active interview
- J A Holstein
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Holstein, J. A., & Gubrium, J. F. (1995). The active interview. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Loss and meaning reconstruction: Propositions and procedures
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Meaning making and the art of grief therapy
- R A Neimeyer
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Towards an aesthetics of research
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Handbook of interview research: Context and method
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