PhD thesis Title Page Final _Richard Juma - Victoria University ...

interviews and/or interviewees. There are some cases when the method
appeared time consuming, reduced my concentration with the respondent
and surrounding, and when i could not probe promptly where necessary.
In these cases, I had to supplement note taking and use an audio recorder.
Audio recording: According to Bryman (2004), recording of conversations
and interviews is to all intents and purposes mandatory if the approaches
used entail detailed attention to language, such as conversion analysis and
discourse analysis.
This study used audio recording as a method, but it was employed
cautiously so as not to affect the progress of my research. For example,
after conducting one household interview where I used an audio recording,
the respondent went outside and called one of my research assistants and
asked him nervously in his mother tongue (Ngaturkana): “Are you sure he
is just a student or will he take my answers to relief food officers in
Lodwar, I told him every thing…..” (Household Interview 8 th April 2007,
Lokichar Village)
To avoid such a reaction, respondents were informed in advance of the use
of an audio device, shown the gadget, and I requested permission to use it
to record the interview. This device gave me an opportunity to record for
many hours continuously, and to catch up with what I had missed during
the interview session. One disadvantage with this type of recording was
that it needed a continuous supply of electricity from batteries, and these
were not readily available within my research sites, especially in Morulem
village. Interviews were only recorded with a few of my key informants and
household heads.
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