Conducting Challenging Qualitative Interviews: Advanced Skills

Description:

Overview:

This online course provides attendees with an insight into the design and practice of challenging qualitative interviews. 'Challenging interviews' include, for example: interviews on sensitive topics, interviews involving distress, interviews with vulnerable participants, or interviewees with difficult participants (i.e. when it is difficult to build rapport). Crucially, the course provides participants with hand-on strategies, guidance and reflections on how to manage these difficult situations as interviewer and build confidence in doing so. It provides participants with an understanding of how vulnerability, distress, sensitivities, and risk are assessed in qualitative interviewing and the importance of being able to respond to these, if, and when, necessary.

The training provides guidance on, for example: defining and identifying vulnerability, distress and risk, sensitive and therapeutic interviews, the importance of empathy, the interview dynamic, boundaries and reciprocity, researcher reflexivity, identifying and responding to distress, and distress protocols. It also introduces types of ‘difficult’ interviewee and strategies for dealing with them in interviews (i.e. interviewees who are difficult to create rapport with or to involve in the interview).

Participants will view examples of different interviewing styles and respond to various mock 'challenging interview' scenarious with their peers, in order to gain insight into the dynamics of challenging interviews and build confidence in their use of different strategies.

The training is delivered on Zoom and includes a combination of presentations, discussions and practical activities. It is designed to equip participants to confidently conduct challenging interviews with vulnerable or difficult participants and on sensitive topics in applied research projects across a range of settings. By the end of the day, participants will be able to design and conduct challenging interviews and will have built their confidence in this space.

 

Topics to be covered:

· Defining and understanding distress, vulnerability, and risk in interviews

· Sensitive, therapeutic and empathy interviews

· Identifying and responding to distress (including distress protocols)

· How to be a reflexive interviewer

· Types of ‘difficult’ participant and how to respond

· How to shape the dynamics of a challenging interview

· Strategies including rapport and reciprocity / boundaries / active listening / the power of silence

· Examples of interviews with vulnerable participants and on sensitive topics typically including: children and young people; victims of crime; the bereaved; health, illness and well being

· Ethical considerations and guidelines

· Viewing examples of challenging interviews and reflecting on different scenarios with peers and trainer.

 

Who should attend and who will benefit from this course?

This course will benefit participants who wish to advance their knowledge of qualitative interviewing methods by exploring the intricacies, sensitivities, practical, and ethical considerations in conducting challenging interviews with vulnerable groups and/or difficult interviewees in a range of applied and policy settings. Prior knowledge of qualitative methods is essential.

The training is beneficial for doctoral students and academics. It is also relevant for researchers who design and/or conduct qualitative interviews in government, policy, consultancy, social research organisations or charities.

Please note: this is an interactive live course with presentation, group activities, group discussions, and opportunities to ask questions. You should be prepared to participate and have access to a working camera and mic to take part on Zoom.

 

Trainer biography:

Dr Karen Lumsden is an expert qualitative trainer, consultant, coach and mentor. She has held a number of academic posts, including most recently, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Aberdeen, UK. She was previously Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Leicester, Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham, and Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Loughborough University.

She has over 20 years’ experience delivering qualitative methods courses and training to academics, PhD students, social researchers, and practitioners. This includes courses at universities including, for example, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Essex, Kings College London, Royal Holloway, Kingston, Cardiff ,and Bournemouth. She has delivered training for the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She regularly delivers a range of qualitative methods courses via the Social Research Association, and delivers Focus Group training for the European Consortium for Political Research. She has designed and delivered bespoke training for local authorities, government departments (including DWP), ONS, NHS, charities, police organisations, and social and market research organisations.

Karen has written and edited a number of books and journal articles on qualitative methods including Crafting Autoethnography (Routledge, 2023) and Reflexivity: Theory, Method, Practice (2019). She is on the Editorial Board of the journal Qualitative Research and was previously Chair of the Editorial Board of Sociological Research Online, and on the Editorial Board of Sociology. For more details of her work and services visit: www.qualitativetraining.com

 

Bookings:

Bookings for this course can be made via Eventbrite tickets. If your organisation requires payment via invoice, please contact me directly to check if this will be possible. I only issue invoices for UK based organisations or individuals and confirm booking/s when payment terms are mutually agreed and confirmed in writing prior to the event date. Payments must be received in full 2 working days before the training date for invoice payment. Email: karen@qualitativetraining.com for invoice queries.

 

Refund policy:

There is a 14 day 'cooling off' period from the date of booking on this course (unless there are 14 days or less between the booking date and training date, in which case, no refund is possible). Out with this, the refund policy is 100% refund up to 21 working days prior to the course date. After 21 days the entire course fee is payable.

If the course is fully booked and has a waiting list then transfer to another course or future course date might be possible, however this is at the discretion of the trainer. You may be able to transfer your place to another person at your organisation, at the discretion of the trainer.

Please note that Dr Karen Lumsden delivers a range of courses for other training providers in addition to these Qualitative Training courses. She takes no responsibility or liability for individuals booking on similar courses or training with other providers which may contain similar course content. Refunds will not be given under these circumstances.

Cost:

£140 (discounted PhD student or unwaged rate)

£180 (full rate)

Website and registration:

Register for this course

Region:

International

Keywords:

Data Collection, Qualitative Interviewing, Qualitative interview design, Face-to-face qualitative interviewing, Qualitative telephone/video call interviewing, Email/online qualitative interviews, Semi-structured interviews, Data Collection (other), Research Ethics, distress, sensitivities, empathy, challenging interviews, risk, vulnerability, difficult participants

Related publications and presentations from our eprints archive:

Data Collection
Qualitative Interviewing
Qualitative interview design
Face-to-face qualitative interviewing
Qualitative telephone/video call interviewing
Email/online qualitative interviews
Semi-structured interviews
Data Collection (other)
Research Ethics

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