Evaluation of Police and Fire Reform: Year 3 informants report

How the data was collected

All of the national key informant interviews took place face to face. Ethical approval for the national key informant element of the evaluation was obtained from NatCen Social Research (NatCen) Ethics Committee. Access was granted to conduct the research with police officers and firefighters through the Scottish Government protocols.

Access to all participants was arranged directly with them or their assistants. Before the interviews the purpose of the evaluation and why they had been invited to take part was explained to all potential participants. Verbal consent was recorded before commencing the interview.

With the consent of participants, the interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. All interview data were stored securely, with access limited to the research team. Interview data were coded with NVivo, a software package for qualitative data analysis, using an analytical framework based on the key themes discussed by interviewees. This system of coding facilitates the organisation and analysis of qualitative transcripts and provides a tool to explore the range and diversity of views expressed by participants.