Bridging the gap between interviewer and interviewee: developing an interview guide for individual interviews by...

Area of Science:

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Health Psychology
• Oncology

Background:

• Developing effective interview guides requires robust prior knowledge.
• Existing literature was insufficient for creating a guide on weight changes in breast cancer survivors.
• Focus groups were explored to supplement knowledge for interview guide development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the utility of a focus group preceding individual interviews.
• To explore how focus groups aid in developing thematic and dynamic interview guide dimensions.
• To examine translating interview dynamics into accessible, everyday language.

Main Methods:

• Conducted one focus group with five breast cancer survivors experiencing weight changes.
• Employed content and conversation analysis for data interpretation.
• Integrated findings with literature on interview guide development.

Main Results:

• Identified key themes for the thematic dimension of the interview guide.
• Uncovered three dynamic areas for individual interviews: language/metaphors, multiple meanings, and everyday language.
• Gained insights into the use of words, images, and metaphors as self-protection.

Conclusions:

• The focus group enhanced understanding of weight change experiences among breast cancer survivors.
• Identified specific linguistic elements (metaphors, everyday language) crucial for qualitative interviews.
• Recommended an open interview framework for subsequent individual interviews based on focus group findings.