Research Report and Data Interview

Research Report and Data Interview Order Description   Length: 1500-2000 words assignment consists of 1500-2000 word report written in the style of a journal article (see the Report Writing Guidelines). comprise a half hour interview with someone working fulltime. Procedure Choose one topic that you are interested in from the Report Topic page Do the relevant reading around the topic Identify an interesting theoretical perspective or point of view Formulate a simple, testable hypothesis Conduct at least one half hour interview with a relevant person, focusing on the issues of interest. This interview is to be confidential and anonymous and the name of the interviewee is to be changed when a summary is presented in the appendix of the report and referred to in the body of the report. Make sure the interviewee signs the permission form (at the end of this page). Present the results and discussion in an integrated and coherent fashion following the Guidelines to Writing a Report Discuss the limitations of the study (and case studies in general), come to some conclusions and point the way for future research. IMPORTANT: Remember, it is impossible to generalize from a case study. Consequently, although a single case study can provide evidence in support of a theory, it cannot confirm the theory. On the other hand, it can be a useful tool for disconfirming theories. If our observations and results do not support a particular theoretical position, think about some possible reasons for the discrepancy. The approach you choose to take is entirely up to you. The important points to remember are: Do your reading FIRST. You cannot know what questions to ask your subject(s) until you have decided what it is, exactly, that you want to know. Select some kind of theoretical approach or perspective to guide your enquiry and to keep you focused. Don't try to cover too many theories or approaches – keep it simple and well structured. Draw up an interview schedule (list of questions you want to ask) and include in the appendix. Be prepared to go beyond your listed questions if your subject has plenty to say, but use your list to remind you of those essential questions which you'll need to ask if your report is to make sense. To encourage your subject to talk freely, you should be sure to ask open-ended questions (without being too vague). For example, don't ask questions like 'Is is the boredom that gets you down?" but rather 'What is the most stressful aspect of your job". Remember your goal is to explore your subject's experiences and perceptions, not to confirm your hunches or hypotheses. Do remember to be warm, friendly and encouraging; make the interview an enjoyable experience for your subject(s). Use plenty of nonverbal communication (nods, 'uh- huhs' etc); do not push for a response when the respondent is clearly uncomfortable or unwilling to answer a question. There is no need for deception in this study. Be frank with your respondents about the purposes of the exercise. Get your consent form signed and identify yourself as a bona-fide Macquarie Uni student. Note: If you are interviewing managers and workers in the same company, you may have to remind management that the data are confidential if they ask to see the final report. Thank the respondent when you have finished the interview – it should be an enjoyable experience for both parties. respondents know their responses are completely confidential and anonymous (and keep them that way). Even when the interview is put in the appendix of your report, the name(s) should not be included.