Business Research Methods

William G. Zikmund

Chapter 18:

Fieldwork

Fieldworker

Who Conducts Fieldwork?

FIELD-FIELD-WORKERSWORKERS

FIELD INTERVIEWINGFIELD INTERVIEWINGSERVICESERVICE

IN-HOUSEIN-HOUSEINTERVIEWERSINTERVIEWERS•BRIEFING SESSIONSBRIEFING SESSIONS

In-House Training

MAKING INITIALMAKING INITIALCONTACTCONTACT

PROBINGPROBING

RECORDING RECORDING RESPONSESRESPONSES

ASKINGASKINGQUESTIONSQUESTIONS

TERMINATINGTERMINATINGINTERVIEWSINTERVIEWS

Making Initial Contact and Securing the Interview

• “Good afternoon, my name is…”

• Foot-in-the-door

• Door-in-the-face

Asking the Questions

• Exactly as worded

• Read slowly

• Questions in the proper order

• Ask every question

• Repeat questions that are not understood

Probing

• Verbal attempts made by a field-worker when the respondent must be motivated to communicate his or her answers more fully

• Probes enlarge and clarify

SILENTSILENTPROBEPROBE

REPEAT REPLYREPEAT REPLY

NEUTRAL NEUTRAL QUESTIONQUESTION

REPEAT QUESTIONREPEAT QUESTION

Probing Tactics

Recording the Response

Terminating the Interview

• How to close interview and exit household is important

• Reinterviewing may be required

Fieldwork Management• Select • Train• Supervise• Control

Interviewer Cheating

• Filling in fake answers or falsifying interviews

• Verification by reinterview