Preparing & Conducting a Qualitative Interview

Imagine you’re about to conduct your first qualitative interview. You’re nervous because it’s your first time sitting one-on-one with an interviewee, and there's no escaping now because you've got your dissertation to submit in two weeks. In other words, “Your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy” (Eminem, 2002).

Hey, we’ve all been there, running a qualitative interview is frickin hard! Today let's talk about a few things you can do beforehand to prepare yourself. The more familiar you are with the process, the more confident you may feel while turning up to your next interview regardless of how it actually goes (like a boss). And like most things in life, qualitative interviewing is a skill you develop over time through practice and reflection. Here are six things to consider before, during, and after your next interview.

Interview protocol is a procedural script for the entire session that covers both instructions for participants and questions, it is sometimes referred to as a ‘schedule’ or a ‘guide,’ although terminology varies across qualitative research traditions. Structured interviews follow a predetermined set of questions with little room for deviation or curiosity (if I may dare). Unstructured interviews begin with a broad topic and allow the conversation to develop naturally following the participant's experiences and perspectives. And then there's the alluring middle-path: semi-structured interview, which is commonly used in qualitative research. You have a plan and a set of questions prepared beforehand, but you also remain open to asking follow-up questions, adapting to the conversation. 

The interview schedule should be informed by your academic interests, research questions, existing literature, and the specific aims of your study. If you're working with a particular population or exploring an unfamiliar topic, you can consult subject experts and experienced qualitative researchers. Make sure your questions are clear, relevant, and open-ended. Avoid leading questions that steer participants towards a particular answer. (do you like how this conversation is going?..... Umm No)

Contrary to popular opinion, conducting an interview isn't as easy as it might seem. You need a range of skills and many of these develop only through practice and experience. For starters, there's active listening. Are you genuinely listening to what the participant is saying? Are you busy thinking about your next question? Then there's probing: asking follow-up questions that encourage participants to elaborate on their experiences. Could you tell me a little more about that? or What do you mean? can take the conversation somewhere you hadn't anticipated. A particular challenge for most newbies is silence. You ask a question, the participant pauses, and suddenly your brain starts screaming: This is awkward. This is awkward. This is awkward… resist the urge to fill every pause, and give your participant the space to respond, for not everyone formulates their thoughts immediately.

You also need to be mindful of power dynamics. Your role as a researcher, your age, gender,  professional status, or the circumstances in which the interview takes place may influence what participants feel comfortable sharing. Being aware of these dynamics is an important starting point for managing them. Try conducting mock interviews! Practise with a few friends, fellow PhD scholars and pester them to give you feedback on the clarity of your questions, your listening skills, the flow of the conversation, and anything that makes them uncomfortable. If no one listens, consult the cats in your department. 

Thinking about the technical and practical stuff is very, very important! When it comes to research, a good rule of thumb is Hardware breaks. Software crashes. And somehow, both seem to happen precisely when you need them the most (FML).

If you're conducting the interview online, have a back up internet connection in case the WiFi starts messing around, make sure you know how to record the session if recording is part of your approved procedure. Think about what will happen if the interviewee has a bad network, do you reschedule or do you conduct a telephonic interview instead? You will have to adapt on the fly. If you're meeting in person, think carefully about the location. A coffee shop might seem convenient but there’s background noise and interruptions. So, look for a quiet, comfortable setting where the participant can speak freely.

You should also confirm the date, time, expected duration, and mode of the interview with your participant beforehand. Let them know the general topic of discussion and what to expect. AI-assisted transcription tools can save considerable time but always check the resulting transcript against the original audio.

Cover the essential ethical considerations: confidentiality, voluntary participation, informed consent. Participants should know that they can decline to answer questions and withdraw from the study at any point. If the interview is online, consent may be obtained electronically or verbally where appropriate and permitted.

THINK ABOUT: What happens when things don't go according to plan? This is particularly important if you're interviewing people about potentially distressing experiences or sensitive topics, you may also be working with a vulnerable population. One thing I find useful is thinking through the worst-case scenarios beforehand. Ask yourself: What might happen during this interview, and how would I respond if it did? For example, if a participant starts crying while talking about a loss? Would you know how to respond without making them feel uncomfortable? Would you be able to offer them a pause or stop the interview if needed? You don't need to have a perfect answer to every possible situation. But you should recognise your own limitations and know when to seek supervisory guidance or refer someone to appropriate support.

An interview might last 10 minutes or extend to two hours or more. If you anticipate a lengthy interview, it’s good practice to offer breaks or, where methodologically appropriate, conducting multiple sessions on separate occasions. Always start by establishing rapport tho! Rapport begins to develop from your first interaction with a potential participant: how you communicate, how you invite them to join your study, how you listen, and whether they feel comfortable opening up to you. A brief, natural conversation at the beginning can help ease participants into the interview. Explain what the session will involve, check whether they're comfortable proceeding, and give them an opportunity to ask questions.

Once the interview begins, be like a good buddhist practitioner and focus on being present. Allow the conversation to develop without losing sight of your research objectives. Let your interviewing skills guide your decision-making. You may also want to take brief field/interview notes if it doesn't interfere with your listening or make the participant uncomfortable.

At the end of the interview, always show gratitude and thank the participant for their time. They've shared their experiences with you, usually without any direct personal benefit. If you're able to compensate them for their time through money, vouchers, or something else of value, that's great! But most researchers are broke, so I can't be mad at that.. 

Once you're done with the interview, come back to your interview diary or your notes section and record your reflections while the experience is still fresh. Things to write about: Your own experience (your feelings before, during, and after the interview? Were you comfortable?) The interview itself (what questions elicited the most? Any specific moments that stand out? Contextual observations (anything that stood about the setting?) Challenges (Did you struggle to navigate a sensitive topic? Did the participant raise something you hadn't anticipated?) What you'll do differently: (Is there anything you'd like to change or practise before your next interview?)

If you encounter a recurring challenge, you can also discuss it with your supervisor or a suitably experienced peer. This is also one reason pilot interviews can be valuable. After about 3 interviews you can tell if something is off or not and whether you can do this shit or not, which I’m certain you CAN coz you read till here. Peace out.

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