Qualitative Research for Veterinary Scientists
From Jill MacKay
Related Media
An overview of research methods (03:30)
An overview of data collection (05:19)
An example semi-structured interview (11:07)
An overview of thematic analysis (18:30)
An overview of constructionist grounded theory (32:40)
How you can use other theories to analyse your data (45:30)
The semi-structured interview features actress Ruth Quigley. A transcript of the interview is as follows:
Jill: So thank you for filling in the consent form and you’ve had the opportunity to read over that, and the project information sheet, you have no questions, and just for the record we are now recording this meeting. So, Ruth, can you tell me a little bit about Missy?
Ruth: Missy, em, I adopted her a few years ago, it’s probably, honestly, actually I automatically go to three years but it’s actually been a bit longer than that and I think she was maybe about seven when I got her so she is coming up on probably I would say coming up on being a wee old lady. She’s a tabby, I would say and she’s very independent but also rules the roost, I am quite happy to just let her do what she wants, but she’s a sleepy little girl but she has her zoomies and she’s got, she’s quite the character, she’s very chatty when she wants to be, she knows when she wants food – I have cramp in my foot I’m so sorry
Jill It’s quite alright these things happen!
Ruth: Yeah she’s a wee cutie I love her
Jill: So can you tell me how do you feed Missy
Ruth: I keep Missy on a dry food diet and so I probably give her a fresh bowl in the morning and then usually I work from, usually its 9-5 or 10-4 and then in the evening, I’ll refill it with fresh dry food. I kind of measure it, I actually just measure it with like a handful really and kind of compare to like what I know she’s eaten already before I’ve emptied the bowl. And she also gets a stick in the morning and a stick at night and sometimes a stick when I come home.
Jill: You say that you measure it, why do you do that?
Ruth: Because she is overweight actually and she wasn’t overweight when she came to me. And so proportioning wasn’t something I paid too much attention to when I first had her, and then actually she went to my mum and then to my dad and then she came back to me, and they kind of tried to pay attention to proportions but its never actually, it’s not been something that I actually thought of I used to like fill the bowl and then, I didn’t think about it
Jill: Yeah
Ruth: And now she’s fat
Jill: And what’s a stick?
Ruth: So its like a dry meaty treat that she can have that’s probably like this wide and this thin
Jill: And you say that’s like a treat?
Ruth: Yeah uh huh. So also like the dreamies as well? She’s not like a fan of like little squares, but the sticks she’ll go mad for, so I don’t really give her them that often.
Jill: You mentioned that you were trying to control her weight with her proportioning out of the food.
Ruth: Mmhmm
Jill: Why is that important to you?
Ruth: Well because I know, she is overweight which can’t be good for her wee legs
Jill: And can I ask how do you know that?
Ruth: Well. That’s a good question. Because the last,. Actually its just because she’s got a wee pudgy tummy. She is a fat. When you look at her you can see that she’s fat rather than how she used to be
Jill: Sorry I interrupted you
Ruth: No its okay
Jill: You were telling me about why you were doing portion control
Ruth: Yeah so its just because I know she’s changed and I’m kind of worried that it’s a change for the negative and the weight that she’s gained so I kind of want to start keeping an eye on it and also I’ve been advised by like my mum that I do give her too much and more like it’s a waste of food rather than, because sometimes she won’t eat it like she does control herself so its more like a waste of food um than a threat to her
Jill: Okay. Are you concerned. What would you say is your main motivation for trying to reduce the food waste?
Ruth: Well so reduce food waste its more about like financially for me because it means that we still have bags of food for her like you don’t use it up as much and you don’t have to buy it as often?
Jill: What would you say in general are the biggest challenges for somebody trying to manage the weight of their cat?
Ruth: I think probably not the biggest but the one that comes to mind the most is the willpower you have? Because I think a lot of it can also come down to how much you feed them outside of their bowl? So like with my cat I know, and like my previous cat as well, I was very partial to giving them like loads of treats, more than they really needed to, more often throughout the day so I have to be quite strict with that. And I think it can all add up very quickly more than you realise.
Jill: And why are treats given? Why do you give treats?
Ruth: I give her treats because it makes her happy and also it’s become a routine for us almost. Like in the morning she will wake me up and she will go to the kitchen and she’s got her food and if I refill her food that’s fine, but like she’ll stay in the kitchen and meow until I give her the treat and then she’s happy so its almost like I know she wants it?
Jill: And she specifically wants the treat not the food?
Ruth: Yeah uh huh like she will eat a little bit of the food but like if I refill the food first and don’t give her the treat she’s still meowing at me and she’s still like waiting at the cupboard where she knows we keep them.
Jill: Well thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. You have on your project information email the information about if you wish to withdraw your data from this interview and from this project at any point up until the end point of the experiment which is in the detailed information sheet. Is there anything else you want to raise about this topic before I turn off the recording?
Ruth: No I’m quite happy. I just hope I haven’t outed myself as (laughs) not feeding my cat enough or too much!
Jill: I’m sure that’s not the case! I’ll end the recording now!
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