Written, descriptive, longitudinal accounts of what an individual or groupsays or does over a period of time. Field notes often include subjective impressions and interpretations. Unplanned interviews are like naturally occurring informal chats. Planned, unstructured interviews use one or two rich opening questions to stimulate responses. Structured interviews use a series of predetermined questions.
Open questionnaires ask for information in respondents own words.
Closed or multi-choice questionnaires ask respondents to select among possible responses. Recording lessons, meetings, or discussions can produce large amounts of useful data which can be later transcribed and analyzed. Focus groups are targeted toward specific issues and usually involve 5-8 persons. Participants respond to structured questions. Adapted from The Action Research Planner , edited by Stephen Kemmits and Robin McTaggart, Deakin University Press, Victoria 3217, Australia and The Maine Center for Educational Services newsletter.