Interview Practices Reflection
Going into these interviews, something I have to consider regarding positionality and bias is that I can unintentionally include leading words in my questions. When creating questions that I want answered, I realized that I sometimes worded them in a way that exposed my views. No matter how much I tried to make them unbiased, there were still a few questions that slipped through the cracks. Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, I had to always double-check each question I made, from the way I worded it to the order in which I presented them.
After putting my bias in check, I had to consider the best way to make my interviewer comfortable. It’s an obvious reality that if they aren’t comfortable, they might not answer honestly or want to go into detail with their responses. In addition to that, they might not want to continue the interview in general if they feel uncomfortable. To avoid that problem, I started by introducing myself and asking them about their day. By making conversation with them about things other than the interview, I hoped to help them relax and see that this isn’t an uptight, overly professional interview where they need to stress about every little word they say. I also made sure to keep my manner of speech normal, as if I were just having an everyday conversation and not an interview. Being in the same age group also helped with that method because it already broke down the wall of needing to be overly professional that you would encounter when interviewing for a job or similar situations.
Lastly, when it comes to my research design, the ethical considerations I must prioritize are informed consent and confidentiality. I will be recording my interviewers’ voices for research purposes and asking for sensitive information that most individuals may prefer not to share publicly. Although the recordings will be deleted after they are transcribed and no identifying information will be used in the questions, they are placing their trust in me to handle their data responsibly.
To address these concerns, I will send them the consent statement that explains in detail what will happen, reassuring them that none of their information will be linked back to anyone personally. Additionally, I will demonstrate that I am committed to abiding by these ethical practices by following through on my promises regarding the use of their data.