WhQuas ive i tatatInteri l viewing? - NCRM

1 What is Qualitative Interviewing? i7/5/2013 3:26:13 PM7/5/2013 3:26:13 PM What is? Research Methods series E d i t e d b y G r a h a m C r o w , U n i v e r s i t y o f E d i n b u r g h I S S N : 2 0 4 8 6 8 1 2 Th e What is? series provides authoritative introductions to a range of research methods which are at the forefront of developments in the social sciences. Each volume sets out the key elements of the particular method and features examples of its application, drawing on a consistent structure across the whole series.

2 Written in an accessible style by leading experts in the fi eld, this series is an innovative pedagogical and research resource. What is Online Research? Tristram Hooley, Jane Wellens and John Marriott What is Social Network Analysis? John Scott What is Qualitative Research? Martyn Hammersley What are Qualitative Research Ethics? Rose Wiles What are Community Studies? Graham Crow What is Discourse Analysis? Stephanie Taylor Forthcoming books: What is Narrative Research?

3 Molly Andrews, Mark Davis, Cigdem Esin, Lar-Christer Hyden, Margareta Hyden, Corinne Squire and Barbara Harrison What is Inclusive Research? Melanie Nind What is Quantitative Longitudinal Data Analysis? Vernon Gayle and Paul Lambert ii7/5/2013 3:26:14 PM7/5/2013 3:26:14 PM W h a t i s qualitative interviewing? R o s a l i n d E d w a r d s a n d J a n e t H o l l a n d LONDON NEW DELHI NEW YORK iii7/5/2013 3:26:14 PM7/5/2013 3:26.

4 14 PM Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA First published 2013 Rosalind Edwards and Janet Holland, 2013 Th is work is published subject to a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence. You may share this work for non-commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher. For permission to publish commercial versions please contact Bloomsbury Academic.

5 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-1-7809-3852-3 PB: 978-1-8496-6809-5 ePub: 978-1-8496-6801-9 ePDF: 978-1-8496-6802-6 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Design by Newgen Knowledge Works (P) Ltd., Chennai, India Printed and bound in Great Britain iv7/5/2013 3:26:14 PM7/5/2013 3:26:14 PM List of tables and fi gures vii A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s i x What do the key terms used about qualitative interviews mean?

6 H o w h a v e q u a l i t a t i v e i n t e r v i e w s d e v e l o p e d ? What forms can qualitative interviews take? W h e r e c a n q u a l i t a t i v e i n t e r v i e w s t a k e p l a c e ? What sort of research tools can be used in conducting qualitative interviews? What are the practicalities involved in conducting qualitative interviews? What are the power and emotional dynamics of qualitative interviews?

7 What are the strengths, challenges and f u t u r e o f q u a l i t a t i v e i n t e r v i e w s ? Annotated bibliography References Index C o n t e n t s v7/5/2013 3:26:14 PM7/5/2013 3:26:14 vi7/5/2013 3:26:15 PM7/5/2013 3:26:15 PMvii Ta b l e . Qualitative research: historical moments Figures . Routes and selected photographs taken on t w o w a l k i n g i n t e r v i e w s.

8 T o p i c g u i d e . E x a m p l e o f a v i g n e t t e . Template for an emotional closeness circle map . Factors to consider in selecting digital audio recording equipment Tables and fi gures vii7/5/2013 3:26:15 PM7/5/2013 3:26:15 viii7/5/2013 3:26:15 PM7/5/2013 3:26:15 PMix Th is book is the sum of many years of experience of doing qualitative inter-views so we would like to thank all the people on whom we have practiced interviewing across the years.

9 We also learned a considerable amount from our qualitative research colleagues. Th anks too to Graham Crow for asking us to write this book and for his continuing interest in the work. Acknowledgements ix7/5/2013 3:26:15 PM7/5/2013 3:26:15 x7/5/2013 3:26:15 PM7/5/2013 3:26:15 PM I n t r o d u c t i o n Interviews are ubiquitous in everyday life. We have all been interviewed, at school, at university, for jobs, in a medical setting, and seen or read interviews with others.

10 We know the format, what to do and how to do it. Modern society has been called the interview , or even the confessional society, the latter calling up a particular type of interview where intimate matters may be revealed (Atkinson and Silverman 1997 ). Most of us are probably more personally familiar with the role of interviewee, but many of us will have undertaken interviews ourselves, and most of these will have been qualitative interviews in the broadest sense, one person asking another person questions on a particular topic or issue, and the other responding.