Task 6a (Part Two): Planning an Informal Trial
After reading and reviewing Reader Six, and reflecting on the various tools presented for research, I have decided to plan an Informal Trial with my professional network using the Interview method, as this is the main research method I intend to use throughout the inquiry and the method I have the least experience of, so naturally need the most practice at!
I feel that depending on the particular production, the opening questions may differ slightly. For example, a play that has been on recently at the theatre I am interning at has been on the subject of intensive chicken farming (sounds strange, I know, but it's been very popular and got great reviews!): if I was using this play as a research subject my opening question would be along the lines of; "After seeing this production, what are your feelings towards your own eating and shopping habits?" Possible responses that I would predict to this question could vary from; "Nothing, it was just an evening out at the theatre for me." to "It's made me change the way I think about my shopping and I'm going to make an effort to avoid cheap meat in the future." In this second case, I would potentially follow up the interview with a questionnaire a couple of weeks further down the line to determine whether this participant had actually made active changes in their habits as a result of the production, or if it was simply a spontaneous response to a hard-hitting subject that actually didn't have much impact after the occasion.
I intend to plan a series of open, but focused questions; questions that permit more than a 'yes or no' response, but are focused towards the specific production that has been seen. Obviously not all plays are going to carry such a strong message, so this stage will be determined by the programmed season at the theatre during the inquiry process.
After speaking with my professional network, they have agreed to inform me of any plays they are going to see in the near future so that I can plan a time to conduct an interview with them.
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I feel that depending on the particular production, the opening questions may differ slightly. For example, a play that has been on recently at the theatre I am interning at has been on the subject of intensive chicken farming (sounds strange, I know, but it's been very popular and got great reviews!): if I was using this play as a research subject my opening question would be along the lines of; "After seeing this production, what are your feelings towards your own eating and shopping habits?" Possible responses that I would predict to this question could vary from; "Nothing, it was just an evening out at the theatre for me." to "It's made me change the way I think about my shopping and I'm going to make an effort to avoid cheap meat in the future." In this second case, I would potentially follow up the interview with a questionnaire a couple of weeks further down the line to determine whether this participant had actually made active changes in their habits as a result of the production, or if it was simply a spontaneous response to a hard-hitting subject that actually didn't have much impact after the occasion.
I intend to plan a series of open, but focused questions; questions that permit more than a 'yes or no' response, but are focused towards the specific production that has been seen. Obviously not all plays are going to carry such a strong message, so this stage will be determined by the programmed season at the theatre during the inquiry process.
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