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Overview |
| Personal interviews are an excellent research method when there are highly knowledgeable individuals whose expertise is needed for the understanding of an issue. Personal interviews can also be used prior to survey design, prior to focus group design, or as a method of understanding the specific technical nature of a project. Personal interviews allow for open conversation between Responsive Management staff and individuals in a one-on-one setting. The use of personal interviews provides researchers with insights, new hypotheses, and understanding through the process of interaction. They allow for extensive probing, follow-up questions, discussion, and observation of emotional reaction not possible in a quantitative study such as a telephone or mail survey. Personal interviews allow analyses of thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and opinions that have a high level of content validity (Babbie, 2006). Personal interviews are an appropriate qualitative data collection methodology in a variety of settings including exploration of issues in sensitive areas such as internal agency evaluations or internal agency satisfaction studies. Personal interviews allow participants to share qualitative information in a manner that allows freer expression of ideas and opinions. |
| Responsive Management has estensive experience in a variety of qualitative research methods used to gain fuller perspectives on issues, to test the effectiveness of messages, and to identify important issues for further exploration. Responsive Management has performed personal interviews in a variety of settings for a range of clients from needs assessments and evaluations of federal and state programs to studies of conservation organizations' membership. |
| An excellent example of the use of personal interviews and other qualitative research techniques is Responsive Management's evaluation of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Personal interviews, along with a variety of other qualitative research methods, were vital in understanding the areas of interest to stakeholders in the evaluation of NAWCA. During Responsive Management's evaluation of NAWCA, on-site case studies and personal interviews were conducted to gain first-hand knowledge for the project. Site visits involved a walking tour of each project location, meetings with representatives from various organizations, and personal interviews both during and after the site visit. The interviews provided first-hand input, opinions, and attitudes towards NAWCA. Responsive Management's qualitative research conducted for NAWCA illustrates the power of personal interviews in agency and program evaluations. |
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Responsive Management Experience |
| Responsive Management has extensive experience in the use of qualitative and quantitative research on natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. Responsive Management has conducted almost 1,000 qualitative and quantitative projects over the past 18 years. Clients include the federal natural resource and land management agencies, most state fish and wildlife agencies, state departments of natural resources, environmental protection agencies, state park agencies, tourism boards, as well as most of the major conservation and sportsmen's organizations. Many of the nation's top universities use Responsive Management for data collection because they recognize the quality of Responsive Management's data services. Because Responsive Management specializes in researching only natural resource and outdoor recreation issues, our senior research staff and research associates conduct personal interviews only on these topics and understand the nuances involved in conducting such research. |
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