For each of the following scenarios, which is the most appropriate interviewing technique. Give a rationale for each answer.

Question

a. Office manager whose main responsibilities are ordering supplies, tracking in-house inventory and maintaining time sheets. This person has a private office and spends most of each day in that office carrying out these responsibilities
b. Teenager searching the Web looking for the best joystick for a new
computer.

c. Surgeon performing an operation. The surgical team is very busy performing operations during the week and can only see you for two hours on Saturday mornings.
d. Academic advisor who is staffing the advising hot line during daily afternoon advising hours.
e. Student using a new Web-based registration system.
f. Air traffic controllers running Arrival and Departure Control at O’Hare Airport and who work in very cramped quarters.

Answer 1

a. Think aloud. The office manager is not working with the public, so interactions with the interviewer will not affect job performance.
b. Think aloud. This is not time-critical and it’s an optional activity.
c. Most likely videotape. Usually there is a large team of people working in close quarters; the interviewer would be underfoot.
d. Talk right after. The advisor will be talking with students on the phone.
e. Think aloud. The user is not serving the public; the task is not time- or life-critical.
f. Videotape. An interviewer’s physical presence would interfere with the controller’s ability to carry out their jobs; “Talk right after” not feasible because they are busy during their entire shift.