Paraphrasing in Qualitative Interviews
Some people assume that qualitative interviewing is an easy job that almost anyone can do. But that’s not quite true. Conducting and interpreting qualitative interviews would be easy if our interviewees always provided well-thought-through ideas, and explained those ideas using clear, simple language. But with many people, we have to help them help us understand them. In other words, the …
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Cross-Cultural Qualitative Interviewing
In the ideal world, the primary language and culture of the qualitative interviewer matches that of the interviewee. But, as the diversity of our population increases, the likelihood that a white American qualitative researcher like myself will be called upon to interview a person from a non-Western culture, increases exponentially. It’s happened to me several times: a client asks me …
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Intercultural Listening
All of the listening we do is cross-cultural to some extent. No matter how well we think we know or resonate with someone, we have not grown up in their skin. We have different values, beliefs, behavioral norms, or world-views. Add to that different genders, ages, personality types and astrological signs (grin), and even a conversation with a best friend …
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A Code of Conduct for Qualitative Interviewers
Have you ever found yourself instantly disliking one of the participants in a focus group you’re conducting? Or feeling a strong revulsion for something an interviewee is saying? It happens all the time. Good qualitative interviewing requires being a real human being. Human beings have feelings, implicit biases, moods, past histories, and preferences. It’s only natural that not everyone’s feelings …
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