While the methods used to study 'elites' are of particular relevance in policy research, to date there has been little examination of the particular challenges associated with 'elite' interviewing in this field. More specifically, the issues associated with interviewing 'elites' while conducting qualitative research in a contested policy domain,…

For decades, policy makers, advocates, and researchers have been engaged in efforts to make educational opportunity more equal for students from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. A great deal of research has been conducted on their efforts; however, there is some disagreement on the extent to which the research has been…

In this paper, I map important "messy" elements that I learned from my five-month small-scale research project, one that was designed around pivotal works on online social research. I used computers and the Internet with Minan, a young man living in Guinea, West Africa, in order to examine his perceptions surrounding the value of these…

Methodological incarceration occurs when research and investigation are restricted by the traditional concepts of how a study should be designed and are hampered by those notions which dictate what research is. This paper examines several reasons why social science research in general--reading research in particular--is considered by some to be…

Qualitative research evokes rather stereotyped responses from the mainstream of social science. The following 10 standardized responses to the stimulus "qualitative research interview" (QRI) are discussed: (1) it is not scientific, only common sense; (2) it is not objective, but subjective; (3) it is not trustworthy, but biased; (4) it is not…

Describes the increased acceptance of constructivism as a research paradigm in the social sciences and its applicability for interviewing in educational research. Notes major sources of this viewpoint and highlights a validity dilemma relative to the roles of interviewer and interviewee. Proposes the strategy of hierarchical focusing as a means to…

One popular method of generating large quantities of social science research data is telephone research. The interviewer's communication skill is a critical factor in determining the reliability and validity of such research. The interviewer should have a clear, pleasant, and understandable voice; be able to read through the questions fluently;…

The group interview, or focused interview, was initially developed in the 1940's to meet certain problems growing out of communications research and propaganda analysis. Designed to determine the response of persons exposed to a situation previously analyzed by the investigator, it was discussed and exemplified as an applied social research…

Illustrates how the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods were necessary in obtaining a clearer understanding of the process of incest in American society. Argues that the exclusive use of one methodology would have obscured important information. (FMW)

Considers how sociohistorical context affects procedures by which sociologists obtain subject permission for interviews and audiotaping interviews. Reviews a 1950s study involving interviews with institutionalized, schizophrenic women contrasting ethical and institutional implications of informed consent in that context to contemporary informed…

To investigate the coping skills and adaptational outcomes among elderly survivors of the holocaust and a comparison group of aged individuals who did not endure extreme stress requires overcoming several methodological challenges. First, stress must be defined to include the personal meaning or evaluation of the sources of stress and its…

Already a standard technique in anthropology, the life history method is widely used in the development of oral and local history, and within educational and social science research the method is growing in popularity. This is in large part due to the growing respectability of qualitative research in general. Part I of this paper explains the life…

The disparity between interview and self-report data on East Asian mental health has been attributed to the following explanations: (1) incomparability of item content; and (2) cultural differences in the social desirability of questionnaire items. Examination of groups of elderly Korean, Japanese, and European-American subjects undermine these…

Describes a field study in which the researcher developed a feminist materialist alternative to the subject object dualism in ethnography; critiques the discourse of naturalistic ethnography and presents various political and ethical implications for forms of feminist and critical theory and praxis. (GLR)

Reflects upon the process of writing a thesis, from the initial choice of topic through the selection of case studies and organization of interviews and supporting material, to the data analysis and writing. Discusses some of the problems that were encountered at each stage. (MJP)