InterViews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing

by Steinar Kvale

Interviewing is an essential tool in qualitative research and this introduction to interviewing outlines both the theoretical underpinnings and the practical aspects of the process. After examining the role of the interview in the research process, Steinar Kvale considers some of the key philosophical issues relating to interviewing: the interview as conversation, hermeneutics, phenomenology, concerns about ethics as well as validity, and postmodernism. Having established this framework, the author then analyzes the seven stages of the interview process - from designing a study to writing it up.

Genres: Research, Nonfiction, Research Methods, Psychology, Sociology, Qualitative Research, Textbooks

Paperback

First published March 14, 1996

About the author

Steinar Kvale was professor of educational psychology and director of the Centre of Qualitative Research at the University of Aarhus, and adjunct faculty at Saybrook Institute, San Francisco. He was born in Norway and graduated from the University of Oslo. He continued his studies at the University of Heidelberg with an Alexander von Humboldt scholarship and was a visiting professor at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and West Georgia University, Carrolton, and the University of Bergen. His long-term concern was with the implications of such continental philosophies as phenomenology, hermeneutics, and dialectics for psychology and education.

Reviews

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detta är en utmärkt metodbok för att förstå samtalet kring intervjuer inom delar av akademin. Det är också en bok som har gått så långt ned i det hermaneutiska träsket att man tappat det som Gadamer från början sökte - strävan efter att förstå världen utan att bryta sönder den under processen.

I dessa författares värld framgår det inte om han menar att världen skulle överleva deras egen död - det som är tydligt är att man har övergivit kontakten med verkligheten, först genom att hävda att vetenskapen övergivit försöken att skapa verklighetstrogna modeller (jag skriver detta på en dator, resultatet av en framgångsrik användning av en relativt verklighetsnära modell, som alltså inte borde utvecklas eftersom verklighetstrogna modeller inte längre spelar någon roll), därefter genom att hävda att filosofin övergivit verkligheten (vilket kan gälla för delar av debatten, men ignorerar andra; förefaller vara en felläsning av Gödel). Över huvud taget känns det som om författarna har läst för mycket Latour, och därefter applicerat hans tankar okritiskt.

Detta sagt: Inom det som faktiskt är fokuset, dvs. hur man strukturerar en intervju för att undvika de vanligaste misstagen, är författarna kunniga, och skriver lättförståeligt. Problemet är att författarnas förfelade ontologi och misstänksamhet mot epistemologi smyger sig in på snart när varje sida, vilket gör det till en obehaglig och akademiskt krävande läsning.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. As the subject matter would suggest the text was fairly dry and dense. There was a fair amount of useful information in here for conducting qualitative research interviews (which I have done previously in my schooling and career, and may or may not end up doing in the future as well), but there was also a lot of philosophizing about the worth of qualitative research in general and interview research in particular, which felt self-involved and not particularly relevant to actually learning how to do interview research. So, some useful parts but a lot of boring, un-useful stuff to wade through to get to them. I'd suggest reading selectively from chapters / sections that you think will be relevant to you and skimming or skipping the rest (which was what I was doing by the end). I will admit, though, to not being the primary audience for this book, as I am much more familiar with quantitative research and come from different research and philosophical traditions than the authors (they are educational psychologists and I'm a decision psychologist; I suspect European psychology is also fairly different than here in the US, and the authors seem to be committed postmodernists, whereas I'm fairly skeptical of postmodernism). So someone with the same educational backgrounds and philosophical commitments as the authors would probably view the book much more positively.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very repetitive, the main message is that one should practice interviewing people to learn how to interview (which kind of defeats the purpose of writing a book about the subject).

[alternBRUNO°° · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very dynamic manual about the interviewing process. It covers the whole methodological aspects of how you conduct qualitative research. The book involves how you can collect data, catalogue and analyse it.

What I like most about this book is how comfortable is to look for information with all the charts included in it. Also, the examples and illustration that aid in the new or veteran researcher in how to acquire the toolbox needed.

I specially recommend it for people who have questions or is interested in learning the how and why behind the curtains of interviewing people for research.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intricate and useful book, InterViews combines a 'how to interview' guide with a considered understanding of interviewing as a method.

In this second edition, the balance between the 'craft' of interviewing and interviewing as a research method is shifted to the former. There is attention to research ethics and also a wide-ranging exploration of different modes of interviewing through the social sciences.

I was also very impressed by the exploration of both the transcription process and assessing the content generated through the interview.

[Christina Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good methods book. Any methods book that references Michel Foucault is a good methods book, as far as I'm concerned. I can assure you the book will remain among my well-utilized sources (right next to my bible - the APA Publication Manual). It is a good conceptual look at interviewing concentrating on developing the craft of interviewing rather than providing interview structuring or tasks. However, in all honesty, I am adding it to my "Read" list so I can increase the numbers on my Goodreads.com 2014 reading challenge. (Yes, I can be that shallow.)

[Elizabeth Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really helpful when working through the Qualitative interview process. The authors do a good job guiding the reader and provide an outline to follow while also allowing the researcher to incorporate personal style.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to conduct ethnographic interveiw. Well writen and easy to read. Currently wracking up late fees.

[Nikolai Tuborg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interview bibelen.

[Cimuchowski]

Suggested by Roy Terry.

[Jumah Al-mazrooie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great book for qualitative researcher