Research interviews are one of most used methods of qualitative data generation, implemented across a wide variety of study designs, including ethnography, grounded theory method, and thematic analysis.

As Silverman (2017) has argued, however, interviews are often inadequately theorized (and, consequently, poorly analyzed). In fact, the research interview is a complex social practice, constituted by its interactional, intersubjective, material, spatial, temporal, memorial, and affective facets. Moreover, diverse theoretical and practical approaches to research interviewing exist, the precise combination of which has important consequences for methodological decision-making, ethical practice, and the status of any constructed knowledge.

Blending scholarly discussion with hands-on and reflective learning, this course is designed to help students develop a strong theoretical understanding of the complexity of research interviews, and the skills needed to conduct them effectively and ethically.