Educational Research Methods
A site to support teaching and learning...
Researcher - participant rapport
Developing a rapport with research participants can be very important, especially in interpretative research.
“There are numerous relationships that can exist between interviewee and interviewer in a one-to-one interview, from peer, friend, and counsellor to remorseless interrogator. In group interviews the situation is slightly different. The interviewer wants to allow free discussion and yet at the same time keep the thread moving in a particular direction so that the needs of the research design are met.” (Watts & Ebbutt, 1987: 28-29)
Watts, M., & Ebbutt, D. (1987). More Than the Sum of the Parts: Research Methods in Group Interviewing. British Educational Research Journal, 13(1), 25-34.
“Interviews are a crucial source of data for many research questions. The quality of the research interpretation and analysis depends upon the quality of the text generated in the interview. The text generated in an interview depends upon the relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee.” {Limerick et al., 1996: 59.)
Limerick, Brigid, Burgess-Limerick, Tracey & Grace, Margaret (1996) The politics of interviewing: power relations and accepting the gift, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 9 (4), pp.449-460.
"The formation and development of relationships between respondents and ourselves were influenced, as is always the case, by myriad factors, including gender, ethnicity, and differential backgrounds, occupations, and perceived status." (Warren & Vincent, 2001: 41)
"In the light of these criticisms, gender and ethnic matching appears to offer the possibility of nonexploitative, nonhierarchical researcher–respondent relationships. However, the link between the (justifiable) criticisms and the ‘‘ solution’’ owes something to a sleight of hand."" (Warren & Vincent, 2001: 43)
"Those processes raised a number of ethical dilemmas concerning negotiating access, the incomplete nature of apparently informed consent, interviewing, data analysis, and dissemination.” (Warren & Vincent, 2001: 52)
Warren, S., & Vincent, C. (2001). "This won't take long...": Interviewing, ethics and diversity. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 14(1), 39-53. doi: 10.1080/09518390010007674
This is a personal site of Keith S. Taber to support teaching of educational research methods.
(Dr Keith Taber is Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.)
2015
