

An evaluation toolkit for e-library developments



Reasons for using interviews

Interviews are a useful method to:

Advantages of interviews

The main advantages of interviews are:

Disadvantages of interviews

The main disadvantages of interviews are:

Interview process

Stage 1: Determine what information is required. What do you want to find out?

Stage 2: Decide on the method of data collection and the audience for the interviews eg students, library staff, academics.

Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, by telephone or using chat messaging.

Interviewees might be contacted by email, posters or flyers or, if particular individuals are to be targeted, by individual invitations sent by post or email. Tutors may be useful to help to recruit students. Invitations should describe:

Stage 3: Draft the interview schedule, considering content, wording, format, structure and layout

Issues to consider

Stage 4: Pilot/test the interview schedule with colleagues or a sample of potential interviewees and revise as necessary

Stage 5: Conduct the interviews

In the introduction, the evaluator should:

Stage 6: Transcribe interviews

Stage 7: Analyse the transcripts

Stage 8: Write up, present and use the findings

Case studies