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Introduction |
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Step 8: At the conclusion of the interview, thank the participant and collect any supporting materials. In bringing the interview to a close, it is appropriate to ask if the participant has anything else to say. A final open-ended question of this sort further validates the importance of the participant's views, and it is an important opportunity to bring up issues the participant felt were overlooked. This final open-ended question should be part of the protocol. The interview then should include some expression of genuine thanks to the participant for his or her participation. This can be indicated in the interviewer script. Also, if there are additional materials to collect, it is good to have this reminder (e.g., a checklist) built into the script and confirm with the participant that you have everything before leaving. It is not unusual for interviews with selected participants to be the final data collection activity in an evaluation cycle. As such, the interview may be the last chance the participant has to express reactions or concerns directly to a member of the evaluation team about his or her experience with the entire evaluation. If this is a possibility, it is important to decide beforehand how to handle it. Do you want to actively solicit the participant's comments or questions about the entire evaluation? Do you want to record these reactions? Are you and any other interviewers sufficiently qualified to answer questions about the spectrum of activities from the evaluation project (e.g., "Who else has participated?" "How will my information be treated?" "How will I find out the results of the evaluation?")? At the least, each interviewer should be able to provide the participant with a way to contact the head of the evaluation team. |