This document provides guidance on how to conduct in-depth interviews (IDIs). It explains that IDIs are qualitative research techniques that allow for open-ended, one-on-one discussions to gain insights into people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Effective interviewing requires building rapport, actively listening, adapting questioning based on the participant, using open-ended questions, and taking detailed but concise notes for later analysis and reporting. The document outlines best practices for each stage of the IDI process from preparation to note-taking.

1. How to conduct in-depth interview(IDI)
Experience from Field
Kumar Gaurav
MLE Manager- MNCH

2. What is In-depth
Interview???
It is a qualitative research technique that
allows person to person discussion.
It can lead to increased insight into people's
thoughts, feelings, and behavior on
important issues.
This type of interview is often unstructured
and therefore permits the interviewer to
encourage an informant (respondent) to
talk at length about the topic of interest

3. Cont…
Its offer the opportunity to capture rich,
descriptive data about people‟s behaviors,
attitudes and perceptions, and unfolding
complex processes.
In-depth interview uses a flexible interview
approach.
 It aims to ask questions to explain the
reasons underlying a problem or practice in
a target group

4. How to Be an Effective
Interviewer???
• Be familiar with research documents
• Practice interviewing (zero round or
mock sessions)
• Practice using the equipment

5. Key skills for in-depth interviewing
Rapport-building
Be friendly, smile, use a pleasant tone of voice, use
relaxed body language, incorporate humor, be
humble, do not scold, coerce, or cajole participants,
be patient
Emphasizing the participant’s perspective
Treating the participant as the expert
Keeping the participant from interviewing you
Balancing deference to the participant with control
over the interview
Being an engaged listener
Demonstrating a neutral attitude
Adapting to different personalities
and emotional states
 Quickly adjust your style to suit each
individual participant
 Know how to tone down heightened
emotions, such as when a participant
starts crying or becomes aggressive

6. Question Order
Small Chat/Ice- breaker
Bridging Question
More Serious Question
Sensitive Question

7. Question types
1. Main questions
2. Prompt+Probes
 Extensions of main question
 Aimed to encourage respondents to
share more information and touch on
areas they did not initially address
 May reflect statements or use vocabulary
of respondent
• Open ended,
• Neutral,
• Sensitive,
• Clear to respondent

8. Techniques for effective questioning
• Keep track of which questions have and have not been asked and answered
• Know how to phrase questions that encourage participants to provide
elaborate, detailed (rather than brief) responses;
• Ask questions that elicit the participant’s own views and experiences as
opposed to reflecting the convictions of the interviewer.
• Ask one question at a time, verifying unclear responses,
• Ask open-ended questions, avoiding leading questions, and using follow-
ups and probes

9. The "Do’s"
• Begin interview with a friendly and familiar greeting.
• Listen with attention to capture every piece of information from
respondents.
• Explore key words, phrases, terms as they occur in the discussion.
• Listen to impressions, topics avoided by informant, deliberate
distortions and misconceptions or misunderstandings.
• Take prompt action to explore each of these.
• Where appropriate, use "probes
• Ensure a natural flow of discussion by guiding informant from one
topic to the next.
• "Play dumb"(be silent) to give the respondent plenty of room to
talk.
• Be open to unexpected information
The “Don'ts
• Influence or bias responses by introducing one's
own perceptions or asking leading questions
which encourage a particular response.
• Move too quickly from one topic to the next
Interrupt the informant.
• Do not mislead about the subject matter in
order to obtain information

10. Note taking to report writing………….
• Try to take short notes
• Write down all important phrases/words/local words
• Note down all expression/emotion of respondents
• Observe the body language
• Expansion of short notes with 24 hours of completion of interview
• Transcribed the audio (if recorded) and complete coding preferably withing 24 hours.
• Analysis and Report writing

11. Please Ask your Question/s???
Thank You