The conversational interview is an open-ended and
informal approach to interviewing, sometimes referred
to as “unstructured interviewing.” This interview
approach is suited to ethnographic, experiential, and/or
emergent areas of research where interviewers do not
know what topics or questions are pertinent to ask
about and are seeking to explore topics or experiences
from a local perspective. Predetermined sets of questions
are not developed at the outset of the interview.
Rather, questions unfold in situ as the conversation
flows between the interviewer and respondent, in a relational
and dialogical context. The open-ended and
unstructured nature of the conversational interview
invites respondents to share rich narratives that convey
the complexity and depth of their experiences from an
emic perspective. This challenges more formal interview
approaches where questions are derived from the
assumptions of the investigator and posed to respondents
in ways that may define what information is
revealed and how it is expressed.
The conversational interview takes up a constructive
perspective of knowledge production that locates
authority and power with both the interviewer and
respondent. A more participatory and interactional context
is espoused between the interviewer and respondent
which privileges sharing, subjectivity, and personal
knowledge, and which supports the specialized knowledges
of oppressed groups. Both parties are able to pursue
information in whatever direction makes sense in
the moment, and coconstruct knowledge together.
When connected to an indigenous research paradigm,
the conversational interview is advocated as a decolonizing
method for gathering knowledge though story
(Kovach, 2010).
The conversational process allows for maximal flexibility
and spontaneity within each interview, and can
account for individual differences in respondents.
Progressive interviews can be used to build upon those
already done by expanding upon information, moving
in new directions, and seeking clarifications and elaborations.
This interview approach is commonly used
in sport and exercise psychology research, particularly
within projects that are community-based or taken up
as participatory action research (e.g., Blodgett et al.,
2014). The interviews are often paired with other data
collection methods, such as arts-based methods or sharing
circles.
