This Guide Has Moved
Please note: This guide can now be found at https://guides.library.harvard.edu/qualitative/interviewing, on the "Qualitative" guide.
Updates to the version you're looking at right now will not continue, so please refer to the version linked above. After a transition period, this guide will be removed.
Conducting Research Interviews: Selected Resources
IRB: Seek Informed Consent, Respect Confidentiality, Mitigate Uneven Power Dynamics
Securing Interview Data at Harvard
- Information Security Quick Reference GuideStorage guidelines, based on the data's security classification level (according to its IRB classification) is displayed on page 2, under "handling."
Handbooks
- A Practical Introduction to In-Depth Interviewing (See Chapter 2: "Ethics—The Need to Tread Carefully".)Pay special attention to the sections in chapter 2 on "How to prevent and respond to ethical issues arising in the course of the interview," "Ethics in the writing up of your interviews," and "The Ethics of Care."
- Handbook on Ethical Issues in AnthropologyThis publication of the American Anthropological Association presents and discusses issues and sources on ethics in anthropology, as well as realistic case studies of ethical dilemmas. It is meant to help social science faculty introduce discussions of ethics in their courses. Some of the topics are relevant to interviews, or at least to studies of which interviews are a part. See chapters 3 and 4 for cases, with solutions and commentary, respectively.
- Iphofen, Ron. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research Ethics. 2018.This handbook is a much-needed and in-depth review of the distinctive set of ethical considerations which accompanies qualitative research. This is particularly crucial given the emergent, dynamic and interactional nature of most qualitative research, which too often allows little time for reflection on the important ethical responsibilities and obligations. Contributions from leading international researchers have been carefully organized into six key thematic sections: Part One: Thick Descriptions Of Qualitative Research Ethics; Part Two: Qualitative Research Ethics By Technique; Part Three: Ethics As Politics; Part Four: Qualitative Research Ethics With Vulnerable Groups; Part Five: Relational Research Ethics; Part Six: Researching Digitally. This Handbook is a one-stop resource on qualitative research ethics across the social sciences that draws on the lessons learned and the successful methods for surmounting problems - the tried and true, and the new.
Textbooks, Guidebooks and Handbooks
- Denzin, Norman K., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. Fifth ed. Los Angeles: Sage, 2017."The substantially updated and revised Fifth Edition of this landmark handbook presents the state-of-the-art theory and practice of qualitative inquiry. Representing top scholars from around the world, the editors and contributors continue the tradition of synthesizing existing literature, defining the present, and shaping the future of qualitative research. The Fifth Edition contains 19 new chapters, with 16 revised—making it virtually a new volume—while retaining six classic chapters from previous editions."--Publisher
- Patton, Michael Quinn. Practical Evaluation. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1982. (See chapter 6: "Thoughtful Interviewing".)Surveys different interviewing strategies, from, a) informal/conversational, to b) interview guide approach, to c) standardized and open-ended, to d) closed/quantitative. Also discusses strategies for wording questions that are open-ended, clear, sensitive, and neutral, while supporting the speaker. Provides suggestions for probing and maintaining control of the interview process, as well as suggestions for recording and transcription.
- Sage Research Methods (online database)With this database, researchers can explore methods concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method, conduct their research, and write up their findings. A "methods map" facilitates finding content on methods.
- Saldana, Johnny. Fundamentals of Qualitative Research. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. (See chapter 2: "A Survey of Qualitative Data Collection Methods”.)Provides a soup-to-nuts overview of the qualitative data collection process, including interviewing, participant observation, and other methods.
- Spradley, James P. The Ethnographic Interview. New York: Holt, 1979.“Spradley wrote this book for the professional and student who have never done ethnographic fieldwork (p. 231) and for the professional ethnographer who is interested in adapting the author’s procedures (p. iv). Part 1 outlines in 3 chapters Spradley’s version of ethnographic research, and it provides the background for Part 2 which consists of 12 guided steps (chapters) ranging from locating and interviewing an informant to writing an ethnography. Most of the examples come from the author’s own fieldwork among U.S. subcultures . . . Steps 6 and 8 explain lucidly how to construct a domain and a taxonomic analysis” (excerpted from book review by James D. Sexton, 1980).
Article
- Fowler, Floyd J. Jr. "Structured Interview" in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods, 2011.A concise article noting standards, procedures, and recommendations for developing and testing structured interviews. For an example of structured interview questions, you may view the Current Population Survey, May 2008: Public Participation in the Arts Supplement (ICPSR 29641), Apr 15, 2011 at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR29641.v1 (To see the survey questions, preview the user guide, which can be found under the "Data and Documentation" tab. Then, look for page 177 (attachment 8).
Recording Your Interviews
- Tech Loan- Lamont Library loans microphones and podcast starter kits, which will allow you to capture audio (and you may record with software, such as Garage Band).
- Cabot Library loans digital recording devices, as well as USB microphones. If you prefer to use your own device, you may purchase a small handheld audio recorder.
Videos about the Interviewing Process (semi-structured interviews)
- Levy, N. (Academic). (2019). Researching post-conflict peace building using semi-structured interviews & secondary data [Streaming video]. Retrieved from SAGE Research Methods.Naomi Levy, a professor of political science at Santa Clara University, discusses her work on post-conflict peace building and the role of the international community in post-conflict countries. Click the link above to view full video.
- Mikuska, E. (Academic). (2018). The Importance of Pilot Studies, Segment 2: Conducting Semi-Structured Interviews [Streaming video]. Retrieved from SAGE Research Methods.Eva Mikuska discusses the importance of piloting ideas and research before pursuing a project. Click the link above to view full video.
Handbooks about Interviewing
- Mack, Natasha, Cynthia Woodsong, Kathleen M. MacQueen, Greg Guest, and Emily Namey. "Qualitative research methods: A data collector’s field guide," 2005 (See Module 3: "In-Depth Interviews".This field guide is based on an approach to doing team-based, collaborative qualitative research that has repeatedly proven successful in research projects sponsored by Family Health International (FHI) throughout the developing world. With its straightforward delivery of information on the main qualitative methods being used in public health research today, the guide speaks to the need for simple yet effective instruction on how to do systematic and ethically sound qualitative research. The aim of the guide is thus practical. In bypassing extensive discussion on the theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research, it distinguishes itself as a how-to guide to be used in the field.
- A Practical Introduction to In-Depth InterviewingAre you new to qualitative research or a bit rusty and in need of some inspiration? Are you doing a research project involving in-depth interviews? Are you nervous about carrying out your interviews? This book will help you complete your qualitative research project by providing a nuts and bolts introduction to interviewing. With coverage of ethics, preparation strategies and advice for handling the unexpected in the field, this handy guide will help you get to grips with the basics of interviewing before embarking on your research. While recognising that your research question and the context of your research will drive your approach to interviewing, this book provides practical advice often skipped in traditional methods textbooks.
- The SAGE Handbook of Interview Research: The Complexity of the CraftThe new edition of this landmark volume emphasizes the dynamic, interactional, and reflexive dimensions of the research interview. Contributors highlight the myriad dimensions of complexity that are emerging as researchers increasingly frame the interview as a communicative opportunity as much as a data-gathering format. The book begins with the history and conceptual transformations of the interview, which is followed by chapters that discuss the main components of interview practice. Taken together, the contributions to The SAGE Handbook of Interview Research: The Complexity of the Craft encourage readers simultaneously to learn the frameworks and technologies of interviewing and to reflect on the epistemological foundations of the interview craft.
Articles on Interviewing Methodology
Semi-Structured Interviews:
- Roulston, Kathryn. “Working through Challenges in Doing Interview Research.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods, (December 2011), 348–66. doi:10.1177/160940691101000404The article explores (1) how problematic interactions identified in the analysis of focus group data can lead to modifications in research design, (2) an approach to dealing with reported data in representations of findings, and (3) how data analysis can inform question formulation in successive rounds of data generation. Findings from these types of examinations of interview data generation and analysis are valuable for informing both interview practice as well as research design in further research.
Structured Interviews:
- Fowler, Floyd J. Jr. "Structured Interview" in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods, 2011.A concise article noting standards, procedures, and recommendations for developing and testing structured interviews. For an example of structured interview questions, you may view the Current Population Survey, May 2008: Public Participation in the Arts Supplement (ICPSR 29641), Apr 15, 2011 at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR29641.v1 (To see the survey questions, preview the user guide, which can be found under the "Data and Documentation" tab. Then, look for page 177 (attachment 8).
Transcribing Interviews
- Flick, Uwe The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis. London, : SAGE Publications Ltd, 2014. doi: 10.4135/9781446282243. (See chapter 5: "Transcription as a Crucial Step of Data Analysis".)Covers basic terminology for transcription, shares caveats for transcribers, and identifies components of vocal behavior. Provides notation systems for transcription, suggestions for transcribing turn-taking, and discusses new technologies and perspectives. Includes a bibliography for further reading.
- Transcription pedals are in circulation and available to borrow from the Circulation desk at Lamont, or use at Lamont Library's Media Lab on level B. They work in conjunction with software such as Express Scribe, which is loaded on Media Lab computers, or you may download for free on your own machine (Mac or PC versions; scroll down the downloads page for the latter). The pedals are plug-and-play USB, allow a wide range of playback speeds, and have 3 programmable buttons, which are typically set to rewind/play/fast-forward. Instructions are included in the bag that covers installation and set-up of the software, and basic use of the pedals.
Coding and Themeing Interviews
- LeCompte, Margaret D. "Analyzing Qualitative Data." Theory Into Practice 39, no. 3 (2000): 146-54. http://www.jstor.org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/stable/1477546This article walks readers though rules for unbiased data analysis and provides guidance for getting organized, finding items, creating stable sets of items, creating patterns, assembling structures, and conducting data validity checks.
- Saldana, Johnny. Fundamentals of Qualitative Research. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. (See chapter 4: “A Survey of qualitative Data Analytic Methods”.)Provides an in-depth introduction to coding as a heuristic, particularly focusing on process coding, in vivo coding, descriptive coding, values coding, dramaturgical coding, and versus coding. Includes advice on writing analytic memos, developing categories, and themeing data.
Theory
A theory should reveal rather than color your discoveries. Try different ones on for size, and allow your data to guide you to what's most suitable. More experienced researchers may develop their own theory where current theories fail to provide insight.
- Jarvie, Zamora Bonilla, & Jarvie, I. C. (2011). The SAGE handbook of the philosophy of social sciences. London: SAGE (See Part 3, chapters 14–26, “A Philosopher's Guide to Social Science Paradigms”).This handbook provides a comprehensive view of the fundamental philosophical and methodological problems characteristic of the social sciences, as well as of the main approaches and school of thought within the discipline. It is a reference for researchers and teachers to employ in their investigations and lectures.
Software for Qualitative Data Analysis
- Bazeley, Patricia., and Kristi. Jackson. Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo. 2nd ed. Los Angeles [i.e. Thousand Oaks, Calif.]; London: SAGE Pubications, 2013.Practical, clear and focused, this book shows how NVivo software can accommodate and assist analysis across a wide range of research questions, data types, perspectives and methodologies. It sets out the power and flexibility of the NVivo software and how best to use NVivo at each stage in your research project. Provides examples from the authors' own research and sample data that accompanies the software. Includes screen shots and a website with links to data, sample projects, supplementary/updated instructions, and SAGE journal content.
- Qualitative Research at Harvard: NVivoThis research guide will help you get started with NVivo, software that supports qualitative and mixed methods research. The guide also provides information about the NVivo User Group at Harvard, which is open to students, faculty and staff who are interested in the software and in qualitative and mixed-methods research generally.