Theoretical Considerations in Qualitative Interviewing

You might expect a book on interviewing in qualitative research to focus solely on the procedures of conducting interviews; however, in Reflective Interviewing: A Guide to Theory & Practice, Kathryn Roulston (2010) offers this perspective and much more. In particular, her new book addresses ways in which the researcher’s theoretical perspective can inform not only the interview but also each stage of the research process. This thoughtful, well-written text also includes at the end of each chapter helpful suggestions of further reading and activities that relate to the chapter’s topic. Key Words: Qualitative Research, Interviewing, Reflexivity, and Theoretical Assumptions You might expect a book on interviewing in qualitative research to focus solely on the procedures of conducting interviews; however, in Reflective Interviewing: A Guide to Theory & Practice, Kathryn Roulston (2010) offers this perspective and much more. In particular, her new book addresses ways in which the researcher’s theoretical perspective can inform not only the interview but also each stage of the research process. Whether speaking of the design of a study, the transcription of an interview, or one of many other steps involved in qualitative research, Roulston reminds readers that the choices and decisions of researchers are influenced by their theoretical assumptions. While this process often occurs in an unconscious way, she explains how researchers may be benefited by actively taking their theoretical views into account as they make decisions throughout their research process. She notes, By considering the underlying assumptions of ‘neo-positivist,’ ‘romantic,’ ‘constructionist,’ ‘postmodern,’ ‘transformative,’ and ‘decolonizing’ conceptions of the qualitative interview, I argue that researchers will be better prepared to design research projects to use interviews in ways that are consistent with their epistemological and theoretical assumptions about knowledge production.How we think about the qualitative interview has implications for how interviews are structured, the kinds of questions posed, and how data are analyzed and represented. (p. 51) Not surprisingly, Roulston (2010) devotes several chapters of the book specifically to interviewing. In the opening chapter, she addresses the kinds of questions used in individual interviews, and makes helpful distinctions between approaches to interviewing depending upon whether one is conducting a phenomenological, ethnographic, feminist, oral history, or dialogical interview. This first chapter concludes with helpful suggestions for further reading, as well as several activities that will help novice researchers explore these different types of interviews. This inclusion of suggested readings and activities is a valuable feature of the text that Roulston continues in every chapter. In the second chapter, she summarizes various types of group interviewing and provides detailed guidance regarding focus groups, making this chapter a useful resource for anyone considering a study incorporating this methodology. In chapter 5, Roulston covers the steps involved in a study using interviews-from gaining consent, through recruiting participants and scheduling interviews, on to conducting, recording, and transcribing the interviews. Beyond the material covered in these chapters, which readers might expect to find in a text on interviewing, Roulston (2010) includes other material that sets the book apart. For example, in chapter 7, she shows how researchers can apply the methods of Conversation Analysis to their interview transcripts for the express purpose of sensitizing themselves to what they say and do in interviews and how this pattern of behavior may impact data generation. The contribution of this chapter seems rather unique to texts addressing qualitative interviewing. In addition, in the final chapter of the book, readers will find practical suggestions regarding how to deal with challenges they might encounter in qualitative interviewing, including dealing with topics that are sensitive to the researcher or to participants, or encountering difficulties in the relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee.