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Interviewing for Qualitative Inquiry: A Relational Approach

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by John A. Creswell and Cheryl N. Poth

In this book, John A. Creswell and Cheryl N. Poth provide a comprehensive overview of the relational approach to interviewing for qualitative inquiry. They offer a step-by-step guide to designing, conducting, and analyzing relational interviews, and include numerous examples and exercises to help readers develop their skills.

Interviewing for Qualitative Inquiry: A Relational Approach

by Ruthellen Josselson

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	951 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	226 pages

The Relational Approach to Interviewing

The relational approach to interviewing is based on the idea that the interviewer and interviewee are co-constructing the interview experience. This approach emphasizes the importance of building rapport, establishing trust, and creating a safe space for the interviewee to share their experiences and perspectives.

The relational approach to interviewing is particularly well-suited for qualitative research that seeks to understand the lived experiences of individuals and groups. This approach can be used to explore a wide range of topics, including:

Personal narratives
Social and cultural experiences
Political and economic issues
Health and well-being
Education

The Benefits of the Relational Approach

The relational approach to interviewing offers a number of benefits over other interview approaches. These benefits include:

Increased rapport and trust: The relational approach emphasizes the importance of building rapport and establishing trust with the interviewee. This can lead to more open and honest responses from the interviewee.
Greater depth of understanding: The relational approach allows the interviewer to explore the interviewee's experiences and perspectives in greater depth. This can lead to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the research topic.
Increased validity and reliability: The relational approach can help to increase the validity and reliability of the research findings. This is because the interviewer is more likely to collect accurate and reliable data when the interviewee feels comfortable and trusts the interviewer.

The Steps of the Relational Interview

The relational interview process consists of four main steps:

Pre-interview planning: In this step, the interviewer develops the interview guide, selects the participants, and schedules the interviews.
Interviewing: In this step, the interviewer conducts the interviews. The interviewer should focus on building rapport, establishing trust, and creating a safe space for the interviewee to share their experiences and perspectives.
Data analysis: In this step, the interviewer analyzes the interview data. The interviewer should use a variety of data analysis techniques, such as thematic analysis, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis.
Writing the report: In this step, the interviewer writes the research report. The report should include a description of the research methods, the findings of the study, and a discussion of the implications of the findings.

Examples of Relational Interviewing

The relational approach to interviewing has been used in a wide range of qualitative research studies. Here are a few examples:

A study of the experiences of cancer survivors
A study of the impact of poverty on families
A study of the experiences of undocumented immigrants
A study of the role of social media in political campaigns

The relational approach to interviewing is a powerful tool for qualitative researchers. This approach can be used to explore a wide range of topics, and it can lead to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the research topic. If you are interested in conducting qualitative research, I encourage you to consider using the relational approach to interviewing.

References

Creswell, J. A., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Holstein, J. A., & Gubrium, J. F. (2010). The active interview. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kvale, S. (2011). Interviews: An to qualitative research interviewing (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Interviewing for Qualitative Inquiry: A Relational Approach

by Ruthellen Josselson

4.6 out of 5