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1.) Do you tape record your interviews with end users and/or SMEs? If so,
why? If not, why?
I use a tape recorder quite often. Typical situations are those where the
subject matter is complex; the interviewee has, based on previous
experience, a tendency to wander from the point and provide unrelated, but
ultimately important, information; or the interview/discussion is over the
phone - especially conference calls. The time saved can be substantial -
fewer follow-up questions, higher confidence that I got the information down
correctly, etc. I have even used the recordings to critique and rethink my
interview approach and the questions I ask.
I always ask if the participants mind being recorded and have only had a
handful of negative responses.
Kevin
Kevin F. Shea
Scientific & Technical Consulting
KFShea -at- Sci-TechConsult -dot- com
