Qualitative Interviewing
Date:
18/09/2019
Organised by:
Social Research Association
Presenter:
Dr Line Nyhagen
Level:
Entry (no or almost no prior knowledge)
Contact:
Lindsay Adams T: 0207 255 0695
E: Lindsay.Adams@the-sra.org.uk
Description:
Introduction/Overview
As a qualitative method, qualitative interviewing can generate wonderfully rich and nuanced data, but it requires considerable social, listening and questioning skills. This one-day course is designed to help participants become aware of and practise some of the techniques involved. As well as a grounding in the principles of semi-structured and in-depth interviewing, participants will gain hands-on experience of conducting interviews, acting as an interviewee, and/or giving and receiving detailed feedback. We will use example topic guides to examine the difference between interview approaches and styles (for policy, intervention, assessment, and academic applications). The course will briefly cover relevant issues around recording, transcription and analysis.
Course objectives:
By the end of the course participants should:
- Have practical and critical awareness of the theory and logic of qualitative (interpretive) interviewing
- Be familiar with diverse styles of, and approaches to, qualitative interviewing
- Be equipped to independently conduct qualitative interviews
- Be confident to handle difficult situations and complex interview situations
- Acquire good listening and probing skills
- Be equipped to undertake appropriate design and planning of interviews
- Have critical awareness of how to evaluate the quality of an interview
Topics
During the course we will cover:
- theories of interviewing
- when to use this method
- different kinds of interview and degrees of structure
- questioning and probing skills (how to criticise and improve on these)
- using a topic guide
- practical issues involved in setting up interviews
- interviewing different kinds of participant, dealing with some challenges
- recording and transcription
- how analysis relates to interview design
Who will benefit: The course will benefit those who intend to use qualitative interviewing as the main method in a project or just a small element of it. It is also designed to support those who need to know what to look for when commissioning good quality research. It is suitable for participants with very little or no experience of interviewing but also can be of benefit for those wishing to brush-up their skills or simply acquire new skills without a specific project in mind. Participants come from diverse academic and policy backgrounds and very diverse topic areas. Some knowledge of qualitative research or attendance on the Designing a qualitative study is advisable.
Course tutor
Dr Line Nyhagen is Reader (Associate Professor) of Sociology at Loughborough University. She has researched a broad range of social science topics for over twenty years, using qualitative interviewing, focus groups and survey questionnaires. Having conducted research in multiple contexts, including various countries and different social groups, she is particularly attuned to the importance of designing research in ways that responds to the needs of specific contexts - be they organisations, groups or individuals. She is a member of the ESRC Peer Review College (since 2015), and from 2007 to 2012 she was a member of the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Commissioning Panel. Line has taught research methods in higher education contexts for more than ten years. In 2018 she was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at Loughborough University, and in 2016 she won the Loughborough University’s Research-Informed Teaching Award, presented by the Vice-Chancellor. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Cost:
£270.00 Members of SRA receive a 25% discount and pay £202.50
Website and registration:
Region:
East Midlands
Keywords:
Qualitative Interviewing
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