IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/qualqt/v50y2016i1p193-212.html

Quantitative conversations: the importance of developing rapport in standardised interviewing

Author

Listed:
  • Karen Bell

  • Eldin Fahmy
  • David Gordon

Abstract

When developing household surveys, much emphasis is understandably placed on developing survey instruments that can elicit accurate and comparable responses. In order to ensure that carefully crafted questions are not undermined by ‘interviewer effects’, standardised interviewing tends to be utilised in preference to conversational techniques. However, by drawing on a behaviour coding analysis of survey paradata arising from the 2012 UK Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey we show that in practice standardised survey interviewing often involves extensive unscripted conversation between the interviewer and the respondent. Whilst these interactions can enhance response accuracy, cooperation and ethicality, unscripted conversations can also be problematic in terms of survey reliability and the ethical conduct of survey interviews, as well as raising more basic epistemological questions concerning the degree of standardisation typically assumed within survey research. We conclude that better training in conversational techniques is necessary, even when applying standardised interviewing methodologies. We also draw out some theoretical implications regarding the usefulness of the qualitative–quantitative dichotomy. Copyright The Author(s) 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Karen Bell & Eldin Fahmy & David Gordon, 2016. "Quantitative conversations: the importance of developing rapport in standardised interviewing," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 193-212, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:50:y:2016:i:1:p:193-212
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-014-0144-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11135-014-0144-2
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11135-014-0144-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joanna Sale & Lynne Lohfeld & Kevin Brazil, 2002. "Revisiting the Quantitative-Qualitative Debate: Implications for Mixed-Methods Research," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 43-53, February.
    2. Anthony Onwuegbuzie & Nancy Leech, 2005. "Taking the “Q” Out of Research: Teaching Research Methodology Courses Without the Divide Between Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 267-295, June.
    3. Lynn, Peter & Sala, Emanuela & Noah Uhrig, S.C., 2008. "The development and implementation of a coding scheme to analyse interview dynamics in the British Household Panel Survey," ISER Working Paper Series 2008-19, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    4. Gabriele Durrant & Frauke Kreuter, 2013. "Editorial: The use of paradata in social survey research," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 176(1), pages 1-3, January.
    5. Gremler, Dwayne D. & Gwinner, Kevin P., 2008. "Rapport-Building Behaviors Used by Retail Employees," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 84(3), pages 308-324.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chinaza Uleanya & Ke Yu, 2023. "Data Collection in Times of Pandemic: A Self-Study and Revisit of Research Practices During a Crisis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, March.
    2. Melany Horsfall & Merijn Eikelenboom & Stasja Draisma & Johannes H. Smit, 2021. "The Effect of Rapport on Data Quality in Face-to-Face Interviews: Beneficial or Detrimental?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-10, October.
    3. Raginie Duara & Georgia Pavlopoulou & Siobhan Hugh-Jones & Nicola Shaughnessy & Ruth Herbert & Sylvan Baker & Emma Williams & Edmund Sonuga-Barke & Kamaldeep Bhui & Anna Mankee-Williams & Paul Cooke, 2025. "Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Merijn Eikelenboom & Melany Horsfall & Stasja Draisma & Jan H Smit, 2023. "Investigating people’s lifetime history of suicide attempts: a roadmap for studying interviewer-related error," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 3183-3197, August.
    5. Rosalind Edwards & Ann Phoenix & David Gordon & Karen Bell & Heather Elliott & Eldin Fahmy, 2017. "How paradata can illuminate technical, social and professional role changes between the Poverty in the UK (1967/1968) and Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK (2012) surveys," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2457-2473, November.
    6. Mary Kung’u & Rhoda Kabuti & Hellen Babu & on behalf of The Maisha Fiti Study Champions & Chrispo Nyamweya & Monica Okumu & Anne Mahero & Zaina Jama & Polly Ngurukiri & Emily Nyariki & Mamtuti Panneh , 2023. "Conducting Violence and Mental Health Research with Female Sex Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethical Considerations, Challenges, and Lessons Learned from the Maisha Fiti Study in Nairobi, Kenya," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Brooke Craik & Helen E. Owen & Sarah Derrett & Emma H. Wyeth, 2025. "Interviewing injured New Zealanders for paired longitudinal studies: a qualitative exploration of interviewers’ experiences," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 1621-1640, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. C. Poortman & K. Schildkamp, 2012. "Alternative quality standards in qualitative research?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1727-1751, October.
    2. Grippo, Valeria & Vastola, Antonella, "undated". "Evaluation Of Bran Use Through Multi Criteria Analysis," 2018 Seventh AIEAA Conference, June 14-15, Conegliano, Italy 275646, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    3. Alyssa L. Grecu & Andreas Hadjar & Kevin Simoes Loureiro, 2022. "The Role of Teaching Styles in the Development of School Alienation and Behavioral Consequences: A Mixed Methods Study of Luxembourgish Primary Schools," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, June.
    4. Alessandra Mazzei & Alfonsa Butera, 2016. "Brand consistent behavior of employees on social media: the role of social media governance and policies," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(4), pages 85-106.
    5. Haegeman, Karel & Marinelli, Elisabetta & Scapolo, Fabiana & Ricci, Andrea & Sokolov, Alexander, 2013. "Quantitative and qualitative approaches in Future-oriented Technology Analysis (FTA): From combination to integration?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 386-397.
    6. Petra C Gronholm & Oluwadamilola Onagbesan & Poonam Gardner-Sood, 2017. "Care coordinator views and experiences of physical health monitoring in clients with severe mental illness: A qualitative study," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 63(7), pages 580-588, November.
    7. Ameet Sao & Sagar Mohite & Stuti Jain & Gautam Bapat, 2022. "Evaluating Relationship between CRM, Customer Satisfaction and Client Loyalty in Indian Real Estate," Acta Universitatis Bohemiae Meridionalis, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Economics, vol. 25(2), pages 113-125.
    8. Carl Allwood, 2012. "The distinction between qualitative and quantitative research methods is problematic," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1417-1429, August.
    9. Sanjay Lama & Sojen Pradhan & Anup Shrestha, 2020. "Exploration and implication of factors affecting e-tourism adoption in developing countries: a case of Nepal," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 5-32, March.
    10. Dwayne Jefferson & Frederick Paige & Philip Agee & France Jackson, 2021. "User Experience of Green Building Certification Resources: EarthCraft Multifamily," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-23, July.
    11. Muhammad Ishtiaq, 2019. "Book Review Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage," English Language Teaching, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(5), pages 1-40, May.
    12. Rosalia Diaz‐Carrion & Macarena López‐Fernández & Pedro M. Romero‐Fernandez, 2020. "Sustainable human resource management and employee engagement: A holistic assessment instrument," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1749-1760, July.
    13. Eugenio De Gregorio & Ivana Tagliafico & Alfredo Verde, 2018. "A comparison of qualitatively and quantitatively driven analytic procedures of psychotherapeutic group sessions with deviant adolescents," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1731-1760, July.
    14. Rebeca Raijman & Oshrat Hochman, 2011. "National attachments, economic competition, and social exclusion of non-ethnic migrants in Israel: a mixed-methods approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 45(6), pages 1151-1174, October.
    15. Nguyen Hong Phuoc & Le Nguyen Hau & Pham Ngoc Thuy, 2022. "The dual outcomes of frontliner’s autonomous motivation and deep acting in service co-creation: a dyadic approach," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 16(1), pages 159-186, March.
    16. Dant, Rajiv P. & Brown, James R., 2008. "Bridging the B2C and B2B Research Divide: The Domain of Retailing Literature," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 84(4), pages 371-397.
    17. Stephen Buetow, 2014. "How Can a Family Resemblances Approach Help to Typify Qualitative Research? Exploring the Complexity of Simplicity," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(4), pages 21582440145, October.
    18. Ramya Tauh & Savitha Basri, 2025. "Interactional Value Formation in Digital Banking: Exploring Key Precursors and the Role of Customer Emotional Intelligence," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(4), pages 21582440251, November.
    19. Liao, Shuling & Chou, Cindy Yunhsin & Lin, Tzu-Han, 2015. "Adverse behavioral and relational consequences of service innovation failure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(4), pages 834-839.
    20. Akamavi, Raphaël K. & Mohamed, Elsayed & Pellmann, Katharina & Xu, Yue, 2015. "Key determinants of passenger loyalty in the low-cost airline business," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 528-545.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:50:y:2016:i:1:p:193-212. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.