Research Paper on Exploring Teen Pregnancy in Low-Income Communities: An In-Depth Interview Study

Introduction

In-depth interviews are useful when the phenomenon of interest in the study cannot be quantified. Variables that cannot be measured quantitatively are known as qualitative variables. Many qualitative or non-numerical variables can be addressed through the use of interviews. In the proposed study, the variable of interest is participants' experiences regarding the social and economic factors associated with teenage pregnancy in low-income communities. Because experience cannot be quantified, an in-depth interview is appropriate for collecting the data. Additionally, in-depth interview is the most suitable data collection technique when the issue being explored in a study is a sensitive or personal topic (Guest & Namey, 2014; Kaura, 2019; Morris, 2015).

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Jugenheimer, Kelley, Hudson, and Bradley (2015) emphasized that in-depth interviews are beneficial when a researcher is dealing with sensitive topics, e.g., personal care products and interpersonal relationships. They are also crucial when dealing with confidential topics such as domestic violence (Alston & Bowles, 2018; Kumar, 2014). Specifically, an in-depth interview is suitable for my proposed study because teenage pregnancy is a sensitive topic because of the social, health, and emotional problems associated with it.

Consequently, if the issue is explored using another data collection technique other than the in-depth interview, the respondents may not openly and fully answer the questions necessary to address the research problem and the research questions. However, in-depth interviews can help the interviewees to establish rapport, thus making interviewees feel comfortable- thus generating more insightful responses. Moreover, the choice of in-depth interview provides the interview with a chance to ask follow-up questions, probe for more information, and go back to key questions later- thus yielding a rich understanding of interviewees' perspectives regarding the phenomenon of interest to the study.

Features, Problems, and Pitfalls of Interview Techniques

Some of the key features of in-depth interviews are small sample size, use of open-ended questions, conversational, recording of reflections, recording of observations, recording of responses, seeking of understanding and interpretation, and semi-structured format. Despite its importance in exploring sensitive and confidential topics, in-depth interviews have been reported to have some problems. One of the problems associated with the use of this data collection technique is that because the sample is small, the findings of the study lack generalizability to the overall population (Hua, 2016; Neelankavil, 2015). There is also a likelihood of interviewer bias in in-depth interviews because of the lack of structure (Roller & Lavrakas, 2015). Lastly, the pitfalls associated with interviewing include jargon, authenticity, and apology pitfalls (Hecker & Thorpe, 2015).

Plans

Organizing the Interview

The interview will be organized into four phases; initiation, main narration, questioning phase, and concluding phase. In the initiation phase, the field in which the interview will be conducted will be explored, and interview questions formulated. In the initiation phase, the first topic for narration is developed. In the narration phase, the interviewees get the opportunity the respond to all the questions without interruption. Next, in the questioning phase, immanent questions are asked. Lastly, in the concluding phase, the interview recorder is switched off, and informal small talk is conducted with the interviewee.

Incorporating Concepts from Theory/Model into Interview Guide

Each of the social and economic concepts associated with the human capital theory will be translated into open-ended interview questions. To ensure that the questions are worded in so that responses are open-ended, I will begin the questions with words such as "what," "tell me," or "since."

Other Resources/Support Required to Develop A Good Data Collection Tool

The following resources are needed for a successful in-depth interview:

• A computer for recording field notes
• Audio-recorder
• Video-recorder
• Professional transcriptionist.

References

Alston, M., & Bowles, W. (2018). Research for social workers: An introduction to methods. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Guest, G., & Namey, E. E. (2014). Public health research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

Hecker, J., & Thorpe, G. (2015). Introduction to clinical psychology. Abingdon, UK: Psychology Press.

Hua, Z. (2016). Research methods in intercultural communication: A practical guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Jugenheimer, D. W., Kelley, L. D., Hudson, J., & Bradley, S. (2015). Advertising and public relations research. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Kaura, A. (2019). Crash course medical research, audit and teaching: The essentials for career success. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Kumar, R. (2014). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.

Morris, A. (2015). A practical introduction to in-depth interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.

Neelankavil. (2015). International business research. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

Roller, M. R., & Lavrakas, P. J. (2015). Applied qualitative research design: A total quality framework approach. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.