Faculty Training Programme

FASS612 Interviewing as a Research Technique (summer sessions)

Module description

These two sessions offer an opportunity to think in depth about qualitative research interviews. Issues such as contacting potential interviewees, the tone of the interview and listening skills will be considered. We will think about what kind of questions one can ask in an interview, how to phrase and order these and what tone to adopt. Alongside these more practical matters, there will be the chance to think about recruiting 'hard to reach' and vulnerable people, asking sensitive questions and considering the participants' emotional needs when interviewing. In the second session, we will think about how interviews can be analysed, including the use of qualitative analysis computer software, and we will spend time discussing what kind of knowledge interview-based data brings to the social sciences.

Reading list

The books listed below are just a few of the many books available on interviews. I would also suggest you read some interview-based research in an area of interest to you. The long interview extracts and analysis in Bourdieu (1999) are unusual and very valuable for those trying to get a grasp of how interviews work in a social science context.

Alvesson, M. (2010). Interpreting interviews. London: Sage.

Bourdieu, P. et al. (1999). The weight of the world: social suffering in contemporary society (trans Ferguson P.P.). Cambridge: Polity Press.

Busher, H. And Nalita, J. (2009).Online interviewing. London: Sage.

Danby, S., Ewing, L. & Thorpe, K. (2011) The novice researcher: interviewing young children. Qualitative Inquiry, 17 (1), 74-4.

Garton, S., & Copland, F. (2010). 'I like this interview; I can get cake and cats!': The effect of prior relationships on interview talk. Qualitative Research, 10(5), 533-551.

King, N. & Horrocks, C. (2010). Interviewing in Qualitative Research. Los Angeles, California, Sage.

Kvale, S. (2007). Doing Interviews. London, Sage.

Kvale, S. and Brinkmann, S. (2009). Inteviews: learning the craft of qualitative interviewing.(2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks (California): Sage.

Mason, J (2010) 'Creative interviewing' Realities, Morgan Centre. Video, retrieved 12 May 2012 http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/morgancentre/realities/av/creative_interviewing/index.html.

Mishler, E. G. (1986). Research interviewing: Context and narrative. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University, Press.

Roberts, C. (2009). Interviewing: Getting into Difficulties Lecture, Lancaster University.

(NB: This lecture was part of a previous course. The text by Bourdieu mentioned refers to: Bourdieu (1999) Social suffering in contemporary society.)

Timing and Location

Term:	Summer
Date(s):	18/06/13 - 25/06/13
Number of sessions:	2 x 2 hour sessions
Timing and Location:	2.00-4.00, Tuesdays, Bowland North Seminar Room 6

Additional information

Minimum quota: 6

Maximum quota: 40

Charge to non-FASS departments: £85

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