Reflections on a Qualitative Interview

Abstract

Interviewing is one of the more commonly deployed data collection method in qualitative research. Textbooks and journal articles abound that describe the process for conducting various types of interviews. In this paper, I offer a short methodological and reflexive discussion of an interview I conducted as part of a course requirement, focusing on the potential impact of the interview process on the collection and interpretation of data. The purpose of this paper is to draw researchers' attention to some issues that may arise in the context of a qualitative interview, and to propose possible approaches to addressing these.