The Eighth International Literacy & Education Research Network Conference on

SPETSES, GREECE
4-8 July 2001

Bernice Melville

Project Officer, RCVET, Faculty of Education,
University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Formation of In-Depth Interviewers as Socio/Culturally Sensitive Beings

Abstract

Western social science and educational researchers increasingly use the in-depth interview to gather data. They employ unstructured or semi structured in-depth interviews where the focus of the research is on the stories of individual people, rather than on data from a selected sample which is to be subsequently subjected to statistical analysis. This working paper briefly traces how in-depth interviewing has become accepted practice for gathering data in the research community. Within the context of vocational education research this paper discusses the widespread use of in-depth interviewing for interpretive, critical and life history research and the impact of socio/cultural factors in relation to how researchers gather data in the current research culture. There is also a glimpse into possible future developments and some musings as to whether the in-depth interviewer may become a 'new person' in the electronic culture.

Bionote

Since 1994 Bernice Melville has been a Project Officer with the Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training (RCVET), Faculty of Education at the University of Technology, Sydney Australia. She has also taught in vocational and adult eduction and is currently undertaking doctoral research into in-depth-research interviewing as socio-cultural practice.

Presentation Type
30 min. Paper

Presentation Equipment and Other Requests
OHP

Speaking Date/Time Restrictions

Country
Australia