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If the digital voice recorder is meant for conducting interviews, these are two features you might want to look out for in a voice recorder:
(1) An important issue is the file format, since it will determine what you can do with the recordings once they have been generated. For instance, if you need to edit the recording, then you need to be recording in a more generic format, say .mp3 or .wav. Additionally, for the purpose of my qualitative research project, I will most probably be using coding to analyse the data collected, hence ensuring that the file format is compatible with the analytical software (in my case, NVivo 10).
(2) The quality of the recorded audio is another issue that is very important when carrying out interviews. In addition to buying a voice recorder that is of a good quality (especially in terms of the sound quality of its recordings), the interviewer can:
- Reduce the amount of background noise by being in a quiet place; and
- Having two voice recorders.
I even thinking whether we have smaller video recorder like this size that can capture the scene of interview and the ways of people talking.
ReplyDeleteHi Phang, I'm not sure if capturing the scene of the interview will be a good idea (unless of course, this isn't made known to the interviewee). Do you recall the Hawthorne effect which Kerry mentioned in class? Simply put, the Hawthorne effect is a form of reactivity whereby subjects improve or modify an aspect of their behaviour in response to the fact that they know they are being studied. I'm not sure how would that impact your interview outcomes! Let me know your thoughts!
DeleteOther than that, I think we do in fact have mini-camcorders (pocket-sized) which we can go about filming and recording. Not sure if you're a great fan of spy/action movies, but the use of peephole cameras seems to suggest that technology has advanced greatly that we now have cameras that are THAT small.