Successfully conducting in-depth interviews requires much more than being a good listener. Researchers must choose interview subjects carefully, push for concrete details, and pore over reams of transcripts to develop their stories. But the result can be a rich and compelling understanding of people's lives.
References
1.
CharmazKathy. “Grounded Theory: Objectivist and Constructivist Methods.” In Handbook of Qualitative Research, eds. DenzinNormanLincolnYvonna. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2000. This is both a brief exposition of how to do a qualitative study and a discussion of constructivist ideas.
2.
HermanowiczJoseph C.. The Stars Are Not Enough: Scientists—Their Passions and Professions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. Hermanowicz describes the interplay of ambition, career and self-appraisal among physicists.
3.
HochschildArlie RussellMachungAnneThe Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home. New York: Viking, 1989. This study describes the unequal distribution of familial responsibilities in two-job families.
4.
LewisOscarThe Children of Sanchez, Autobiography of a Mexican Family. New York: Random House, 1961. In this classic study, Lewis recounts the life stories of a Mexican worker and his children.
5.
OakleyAnn. “Interviewing Women: A Contradiction in Terms.” In The American Tradition in Qualitative ResearchVol. III, eds. DenzinNormanLincolnYvonna S.. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001. This is an influential feminist critique of traditional approaches to interviewing.
6.
SternJessicaTerror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill. New York: Harper Collins, 2003. Stern uncovers the aims, strategies and motives of terrorists who believe they are doing God's work.
7.
VaughanDiane. The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. This book describes the rational decision making that led to the tragically mistaken Challenger launch.
8.
WeissRobert S.Learning From Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies. New York: Free Press, 1994. This is a text on qualitative interview methods.
