Interviewing skills are a foundation for much qualitative research. Although interviews build on the researcher's everyday social skills, they constitute a peculiar kind of interaction requiring careful preparation and conceptualization. This lecture will cover key conceptual and practical concerns in interview studies.

We will consider the interpersonal dimensions of the interviewer-interviewee relationship and their significance for the design and interpretation of interview studies, and will critically debate the kinds of claims that can legitimately be made from interview data. Consideration of sampling and writing a topic guide are the core methodological concerns.