Tutorial on Breaking Down Interviews for Examination
Qualitative research relies heavily on building strong relationships with participants to gather authentic and detailed data. A recent study by Schmid, Garrels, and Skåland (2024) emphasises the need for a more nuanced and reflective approach to relationship-building in qualitative research.
To effectively build rapport with participants, researchers should employ a combination of verbal and nonverbal techniques, address ethical considerations, and be aware of the challenges that may arise.
Verbal Techniques
Active listening is key, with researchers listening attentively, responding thoughtfully, paraphrasing key points, and showing genuine curiosity to make participants feel heard and understood. Question framing is also important, using open-ended, non-threatening questions that encourage participants to express emotions, beliefs, and opinions in depth. Creating a comfortable atmosphere, through informal conversational openings and expressing empathy, is crucial in reducing participant anxiety and encouraging openness.
Nonverbal Techniques
Nonverbal communication plays a significant role in building rapport. Smiling and nodding, maintaining eye contact, and mirroring participants' gestures or posture can increase participants' perceptions of rapport and lead to more disclosure. It's essential for researchers to attentively watch participants' facial expressions, body language, and tone to understand unspoken feelings and adjust interaction accordingly.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations are paramount in qualitative research. Researchers must obtain clear, voluntary consent, explaining study aims and participants' rights. Confidentiality and anonymity are essential to protect privacy and secure sensitive information. Respect and empathy are key components in building a good relationship, ensuring participants feel safe sharing honest perspectives. Pre-contact, researchers may contact participants before interviews to build familiarity and trust. Ongoing validation techniques like member checking—sharing findings with participants to confirm accuracy—help maintain ethical rigor and respect participant perspectives.
Potential Challenges
Subjectivity and bias, nonverbal misinterpretation, virtual settings limitations, and ensuring consistency are potential challenges in building rapport. Researchers must be aware of these challenges and take steps to mitigate their impact.
In summary, success in establishing rapport in qualitative research hinges on a blend of attentive verbal engagement, positive and responsive nonverbal communication, strict ethical adherence, and awareness of the challenges posed by subjectivity and interview context. Researchers must find a balance to protect both themselves and the participants, avoiding both too little and too much rapport. The boundary between building trust and maintaining professional distance must be carefully maintained to ensure the well-being of participants. Academic training and preparation of researchers should emphasise the ethical dimensions of relationships to build trust without crossing personal boundaries.
- Effective education-and-self-development and personal growth can be fostered by adopting a participating researcher's approach, employing both verbal and nonverbal techniques to build strong relationships, and addressing ethical considerations in learning environments.
- Building rapport in qualitative research, as well as in educational settings promoting self-development and personal growth, necessitates a balanced blend of attentive verbal engagement, positive nonverbal communication, strict ethical adherence, and awareness of challenges, ensuring a safe space for openness, honesty, and learning.
