Impact of in‐depth interviews on the interviewer: Roller coaster ride

Abstract

The authors investigated the experiences of parents with children/adult children in metropolitan Sydney, Australia who were living with, or had recovered from, an eating disorder. During regular team meetings, the research assistant who conducted the interviews had described her reactions which led the research team to investigate her experience in more depth. The aim of the present paper was to explore the impact on the research assistant who conducted 22 in-depth interviews with the parents. One of the members of the research team interviewed the research assistant to elicit her reactions. The interview was content analyzed and the following themes were identified: (i). appreciation of an egalitarian model of research; (ii). the emotions expressed by the research assistant; (iii). making sense of the inexplicable and (iv). reflections and comparison to her own life role. The research team would like to advance the theory that the adoption of a formal debriefing mechanism be integrated into the qualitative research process.

Staying safe: strategies for qualitative child abuse researchers

“…These include the relationship that develops between researcher and participant, the counsellor versus researcher role, being empathic and sensitive to participant distress, and frequent exposure to participant trauma during the research process (Dickson-Swift et al, 2007, 2008Dunn, 1991;Johnson and Clarke, 2003). Beale and Hillege (2004) cite a number of authors who have undertaken research on sensitive topics and with vulnerable populations. They assert that the researcher is particularly prone to experiencing physical and emotional symptoms of secondary trauma.…”

Infant illness spanning the antenatal to early neonatal continuum in rural northern Ghana: local perceptions, beliefs and practices

“…26 Interviewers used a semistructured instrument and detailed probes to guide the discussion. The interviews occurred mostly in respondents' homes except for those with HCP, which were held in local clinics and the district hospital.…”

Data collectors’ field journals as tools for research

“…Thus, personal diaries had an additional benefit of constituting an intimate and effective way to handle the emotional impact of the interviews, a finding that has been described by authors like Beale et al (2004). By sharing their encounters and reflections, the interviewers evoked robust discourse in team meetings.…”