The critical incident technique as a qualitative study

In view of the serious outgrowth of critical phenomena in our society, the analysis of the possible factors which trigger critically social cases has today become a serious issue in different fields.
The Critical Incident Technique (CIT) could be defined as a method of gathering human behavioural facts for later interpretation in order to take key as well as effective decisions in the area studied.
According to Flanagan (1954), he stated that “[the] critical incident technique consists of a set of procedures for collecting direct observations of human behaviour in such a way as to facilitate their potential usefulness in solving practical problems and developing broad psychological principles.” (para. 2)
An incident is regarded as any event which has affected or might affect the normal development of a social activity. It is worth mentioning that a critical event does not necessarily need to be dramatic but an event which has a substantial impact and poses some inconvenience for society. Human behaviour tends to be unpredictable although it has for long been observed and studied. Highly trained and competent observers are responsible for this fact-finding mission and they have for centuries monitored human behaviour as well as carefully noted down the results of their observations, whose prime aim is to hinder subsequent unfolding crises.
In order to carry out a CIT research, a number of steps are to be taken into account. Data collection is one of the critical steps in this process. CIT does not consist of a single inflexible set of rules for collecting information. On the contrary, it should be regarded as a pliable method which is to be adapted or modified according to the specific situations to be analysed. Nevertheless, there exist a number of other crucial steps which precede the gathering of facts. The formulation and description of the study is the basis of the process. In other words, before the research commences, there must be a clear general aim sensibly and suitably sketched which will lead the activity and help avoid possible deviations from the investigation. Although there is no technique better than other, the careful and right choice of the methodology to follow is indispensable and fundamental as the evaluation and final report would be unattainable without a proper identification of the aim. There are three basic steps to be taken into account before qualified authorities formulate the general aim in order to collect data (Flanagan, 1954):
1. To make a brief statement or formulate the hypothesis which will guide the study.
2. To accomplish a well-defined purpose.
3. To outline the general steps included in the investigation.
These steps are to be executed by those expert participants who will take part in the study after they have obtained precise information and instructions from the authorities in the field.
Once the general aims have been defined, observers are prepared to start collecting data. The gathering of data could be carried out through the internet, surveys, telephone calls or by using participant observers. Participant observation is extremely valuable as better comprehension can be obtained directly from the fields to which those people being observed belong. Furthermore, this method is highly important as observers are allowed to contextualise the problems studied. However, there are potential risks which cannot be disregarded when this method is used. Observers may lose objectivity when recording their actual observations due to the fact that they may become emotionally involved when analysing thorny dilemmas. Another factor which is likely to develop into more of a hindrance is the role of the observer’s memory. More often than not memory can fail and, thus, observation would cast doubt on validity. Consequently, this method may sometimes be unsuitable to collect and analyse the relevant aspects of the situation (Polit & Beck, 2008, p. 409).
Deciding which method is to be applied when it comes to collecting data in CIT has always posed a difficult question. Yet, there are four main procedures frequently followed (Pintos, 2008):
• Interviews: this technique consists of responding to detailed questionnaires containing closed or open questions. The usage of closed questions does not make the interviewee feel forced to reveal much information since the answers will be offered in either a single word or phrase whereas open questions deliberately seek longer answers. Notwithstanding these differences, it is fundamental for the interviewer to inform the interviewee the anonymity of the data provided.
• Group interviews: due to the high cost of carrying out personalised interviews, group interviews have been developed to replace individual interviews. One of the advantages of this technique is that interviewers have the possibility of addressing a larger audience and give them the opportunity for questions before they start to give their answers in a specially prepared form. Furthermore, candidates may be required to work in teams and given a work-related task to perform while each candidate’s participation is closely observed and noted ("What to expect", n.d.).
• Questionnaires: if the group to be interviewed becomes too large, questionnaires are the most appropriate technique to receive answers from respondents as the questionnaire can be mailed or handed in to each group or interviewee. This technique does not require much effort from the questioner as forms are composed of standardised questions.
• Record forms: this procedure is followed by means of written records. There are two varieties of recording: one is to record details as they occur at the right moment and the other is to record incidents on specially designed forms by placing a tally in the appropriate place.
Once the process of data collection has finished, the next step is to analyse and interpret the data to report the requirements of the activity studied. This last but not least step is probably the most tedious and complex stage as a large number of data is being manipulated.
In educational fields the use of questionnaires might be applicable as the most appropriate technique, since by means of well-designed forms, data in large quantities can be easily collected and later analysed.
To conclude, CIT, thus, consists of collection and later compilation of data over a period of time to learn from experience and prevent future accidents or emergency situations which may seriously damage a system. Not only might CIT be considered a useful method which helps trace and find solutions to pertinent problems in different fields but also, due to its low cost, one of the most widely chosen techniques by companies and institutions.



References

Byrne, B. (2001). AORN Journal. Retrieved October 2nd, 2009, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSL/is_4_74/ai_80159552/

Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The Critical Incident Technique. Psychological Bulletin. American Institute for Research and University of Pittsburgh. 51(4).

Polit, D., & Beck, C. (8th edition, 2008). Nursing Research: generating and assessing for nursing practice. Retrieved October 2nd, 2009, from
http://books.google.com.ar/books?id=Ej3wstotgkQC&pg=PA409&lpg=PA409&dq=objectivity+in+analysing+data&source=bl&ots=wdNxCNaDBl&sig=XK9rTe3EYVW7cfoGxAm0x4Jvbe4&hl=es&ei=RwGlSvzvN5ez8QacsO3SDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=&f=false

What to expect in group interviews. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2009, from http://www.best-job-interview.com/group-interviews.html