Interviewing for Qualitative Inquiry: A Relational Approach

by Ruthellen Josselson

Engagingly written, this book builds the reader's skills for conducting in-depth interviews designed to address a particular research question. With an emphasis on the dynamics of the research relationship, Ruthellen Josselson artfully demonstrates the steps of a successful interview. Each step is illustrated with excerpts from interviews on diverse topics. The book describes how to structure interviews effectively, develop questions that elicit meaningful narratives, cultivate skills for empathic listening and responding, avoid common pitfalls, and deal with problems that develop in an interview.

Pedagogical Features
*Practice exercises adapted from Josselson's popular workshops.
*Annotated examples of "good" and "bad" interviews.
*A chapter on interviewing dos and don'ts.
*Appendices with interview aids, sample follow-up questions, and a sample consent form.

Genres: Textbooks

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Ruthellen Josselson, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. She was formerly Professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Visiting Professor at Harvard University School of Education, and Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University. Dr. Josselson is a cofounder of the Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology; coeditor of 11 volumes of The Narrative Study of Lives, a series dedicated to publishing qualitative research; coauthor of Five Ways of Doing Qualitative Analysis; and author of many journal articles and book chapters that explore the theory and practice of qualitative inquiry. She has conducted workshops on interviewing skills for qualitative inquiry in the United States, France, Norway, Finland, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Based on interviews she has conducted over 35 years, she has written two books exploring women’s identity longitudinally (Finding Herself and Revising Herself) and three other books (The Space Between Us, Best Friends, and Playing Pygmalion). Dr. Josselson is a recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Henry A. Murray Award and Theodore R. Sarbin Award as well as a Fulbright Fellowship.

Reviews

[Carlos Allende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, common sense advice. Easy to read.

[Robert Southard]

L

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but pretty specifically for folks doing qualitative social science interviews.

[Derev · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a novice interviewer, I found this book extremely helpful. Clear, well written advice which also manages to convey Josselson's love and enthusiasm for interviewing.