Ashley Pfaff

     Because of our difficulties getting an interview from an older source who raises their own livestock, Kaitlyn decided to give the interview a new perspective and gets a child's view on the benefits of raising your own livestock. She interviewed both her sister (13) and her cousin (12), both of them raise there own pigs for 4H and sell them for profit. Although it was not what we wanted or expected out of an interview, it added a comedic touch to our overall research collaboration.

      During class, Kaitlyn and I looked over the video she took, which was on a video camera she purchased solely for research. She admitted it was difficult trying to figure out to work something so new, and we also had trouble with the sound as we watched it. I myself had to hold it up to my ear to listen closely to the interview process, it was a bit annoying, but I had no other choice. We still have yet to transfer the video to a computer, but I have fears that it may be another part of our process that will refuse to run smoothly. My fingers are crossed!

     As for the interview itself, the process didn't last as long as she expected, it was about eight minutes total. This was a bit nerve wrecking considering we need about 20 minutes of recording, but she hopes to try again. Questions had to be switched up to meet a child's understanding, and even with 18 different questions and improvisation, the interview was short winder. They did not take the questions too seriously, and had the tendency to answer with short responses, something that we feared from the beginning. We hope to add to what they gave to us with interviews from others who are willing to cooperate. This is probably the most stressed out that I have ever been regarding a class project, but I am hoping for the best.

     To start this post, I would like to point out that I have no interest in reading either or the writing pieces that my professor assigned this week. Half because I am already overwhelmed in work and hate informational readings, and the other half being because of the overwhelming length of each piece. But as much as I dreaded the thought of reading, they both helped me gain a better understanding of what our upcoming research was going to entail. 

     Qualitative research relates to sociology, which personally, I am fascinated with. It is focused on how humans behave and why they do so. It is often a collaboration of multiple resources, whether they come from personal experiences or already put together things, such as videos or interviews. You're personal opinions and direct contact with others with similar or opposite opinions will help you form your final thoughts or outcome.

     In relation to this research is narrative inquiry. Similarly, they both relate to studying human behavior. However, narrative inquiry focuses on how humans create an understanding of something through experiencing things, mostly personal experience.

     Using these two types of research will be useful for my upcoming project with my group. We will need to use our personal experiences as buyers of food, on top of the opinions and detailed facts that we receive from the person that we are to interview. The final project will be one big collaboration of everyones' research and thoughts, each person having their own part in the process.