Telephone interviewing: Is it compatible with interpretive phenomenological research?
Linda Sweet
Onkaparinga Clinical Education Program (OCEP); Clinical Education, Rural Clinical School, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide SA
PP: 058 - 063
Abstract
The telephone has long been used as a medium of communication. In more recent years the telephone has become a legitimate tool in marketing and survey research (Barriball et al. 1996).
Telephone interviewing is becoming an increasingly popular form of interview for qualitative research (Carr & Worth 2001). Whilst there have been discussions in the literature on logistical advantages and disadvantages of telephone interviewing, there has been little debate as to whether this form of interview is compatible with qualitative health research.
Much of the literature reporting this interview method is based on quantitative or structured questionnaire style research under the guise of 'qualitative' research. So the question remains: Is the telephone interview compatible with interpretive phenomenological research?
This paper describes how telephone interviewing was used in a recently conducted interpretive phenomenological study, and argues that this is a methodologically and economically valuable data collection technique in qualitative research. Qualitative researchers should not rely exclusively on the face-to-face interview, as the telephone interview can be an equally valuable data collection approach.
Keywords
telephone; interview; qualitative research; phenomenology
References
Barriball, K. L., Christian, S. L., While,A. E. & Bergen, A. (1996) The telephone survey method: a discussion paper. Journal of Advanced Nursing 24(1): 115-121.
Benner, P. (1994) The Tradition and Skill of Interpretive Phenomenology in Studying Health, Illness and Caring Practices. In P. Benner (ed.) Interpretive Phenomenology: Embodiment, Caring and Ethics in Health and Illness, Sage Publications Inc., London, pp. 99-128.
Burnard, P. (1994) The telephone interview as a data collection method. Nurse Education Today 14: 67-72.
Carr, E. & Worth, A. (2001) The use of the telephone interview for research. NT Research 6(1): 511-524.
Chapple,A. (1999) The use of telephone interviewing for qualitative research. Nurse Researcher 6(3): 85-93.
Fitzsimmons, D. (2001) Commentary: the use of the telephone interview for research. NT Research 6(1): 525.
Grbich, C. (1999) Qualitative Research in Health. Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd, St Leonards.
Worth, A. & Tierney, A. (1993) Conducting research interviews with elderly people by telephone. Journal of Advanced Nursing 18: 1077-1084.
eContent Home
