B07: Qualitative Expert Interviewing: Methods Workshop

The Qualitative Expert Interviewing workshop equips you with critical knowledge, understanding and skills for advanced interviews with experts as a key method in social research. A unique feature of the workshop is its emphasis on application of methodology theory to designing, conducting and refining expert interviews in various contexts through practical hands-on experience and reflective account of practice. The workshop guides you through navigating relationships, ethical and legal issues involved in interview research, and generating valuable knowledge while mitigating the risks of biased representation and under-theorisation of data.
The workshop starts with key knowledge for designing interview research, including philosophical, methodological and theoretical underpinnings and definitions of ‘experts’. We discuss and put into practice fieldwork preparation strategies, ranging from participant selection and gaining access to interviewing techniques, framing questions and ethics forms. From there, we focus on interviewer-interviewee relationships, positionality, use of technology and other factors integral to the method. We critically examine their influence on data generation through practical experience of conducting interviews with experts and peers. We discuss and apply relevant approaches and technologies/AI to data management and analysis. The workshop concludes with discussions on quality criteria and critical self-assessment of your research projects and interview experience.

The Qualitative Expert Interviewing workshop equips you with critical knowledge, understanding, skills and hands-on experience for advanced interviewing of experts as key agents of knowledge generation in social research. The course guides you through key stages of expert interviewing, including defining your philosophical position, designing research and fieldwork strategies, thinking through practicalities of participant selection, gaining access and strategies of inquiry, navigating relationships, interactions and positionality, developing reflexivity and ethical sensibility, and engaging with data management and analysis. A unique feature of the workshop is its emphasis on knowledge application through practical training in designing, conducting, and refining expert interviews in various contexts, while mitigating risks of biased data generation, misrepresentation and under-theorisation of data.

On the first day, we outline theoretical underpinnings of expert interviews, including methodology, ontology, epistemology, types of interviews, and ethics. Through the lens of sociology of knowledge, we explore understanding and definitions of ‘experts’ and ‘expert knowledge’, and discuss what distinguishes them from interviewing ‘elites’, ‘specialists’ and other social actors. 

The second day focuses on fieldwork preparation strategies, including participant selection and persuasive techniques for gaining access to relevant experts. We design interview guide and explore how to frame questions for achieving breadth and depth at different interview stages. We discuss ethical and legal challenges, particularly in relation to GDPR and informed voluntary consent. 

These insights are applied to real-life situations of conducting and reflecting on interviews with experts and peers on the third day, when we examine the art of interviewing. We discuss face-to-face and mediated interviews and consider factors of influence, including relationships, positionality, power, culture, language and technology/AI, and critically evaluate their potential impact on enhancing and/or jeopardising data generation. We outline key interviewer skills and responsibilities as well as the importance of the reflective account of practice to learn, theorise and improve your interviewing skills. 

On the fourth day, we turn to data management and analytical approaches to complex, voluminous, and contextualised interview data. The strengths and limitations of traditional ‘by hand’ vs. computer and AI assisted qualitative data analysis are reviewed. We discuss the importance of transparent, ethical and critical use of AI in interview research, its potential advantages (transcription and identifying data patterns), as well as ethical and legal challenges (data ownership, recording, copyrights, and storage).

The workshop concludes with a critical reflection on interview research. We adopt ethical theory to summarise and (re)consider the risks and dilemmas emerging from expert interviews and transactional theory to examine the role of reflexivity, critical self-assessment, researcher’s influence on the research process and ‘truthfulness’ of data. We review current methodological debates evolving around interviews and their quality criteria, strengths, risks and limitations in relation to your projects and experience.

Learning outcomes

1. Demonstrate and apply advanced critical knowledge and understanding of qualitative expert interviews.
2. Develop contextually and culturally sensitive skills in designing expert interviews, participant selection, access strategies and interview guide/questions for situated data generation.  
3. Gain hands-on experience in conducting expert interviews and develop advanced strategies for navigating relationships, interactions, biases, and challenges. 
4. Develop advanced skills for ethically sensitive data management and critical evaluation of approaches and technologies for analysis, including the use of AI. 
5. Critically reflect on methodological, ethical and legal requirements and challenges in expert interview research. 
6. Critically reflect on your positionality and epistemological integrity in expert interviews and their implications for knowledge generation, dissemination and impact. 

Indicative readings

Bogner, A. Littig, B., & Menz, W. (Eds.). (2009). Interviewing Experts. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, New York: Palgrave /MacMillan.

Denzin, N. K., Lincoln, Y. S. Giardina, M. D., & Cannella, G. S. (Eds.). (2024). The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (6th ed.). Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC, Melbourne: Sage. 

Fujii, L. A. (2018). Interviewing in Social Science Research: A Relational Approach. New York, London: Routledge.

King, N., Horrocks, C. & Brooks, J. (2019). Interviews in Qualitative Research (2nd ed.). London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, Singapore: Sage.

This description is subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor.

1 Credit For completion of all pre-course work as decided by the Instructor. 2 Credits For completion of daily assignments, 90% participation and attendance of the course as decided by the Instructor. 2  Additional Credits 1 or 2 credits for a course specific final assignment, depending on the length of the assignment, to be completed after the course as decided by the Instructor.