With short accessibly written chapters, What is Qualitative Interviewing? explores a range of interview types and practices, and provides illuminating examples with diagrams and extracts.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on bloomsburycollections.com. What is Qualitative Interviewing? is an accessible and comprehensive ‘what is’ and ‘how to’ methods book. It is distinctive in emphasising the importance of good practice in understanding and undertaking qualitative interviews within the framework of a clear philosophical position. Rosalind Edwards and Janet Holland provide clear and succinct explanations of a range of philosophies and theories of how to know about the social world, and a thorough discussion of how to go about researching it using interviews. A series of short chapters explain and illustrate a range of interview types and practices. Drawing on their own and colleagues’ experiences Holland and Edwards provide real research examples as informative illustrations of qualitative interviewing in practice, and the use of a range of creative interview tools. They discuss the use of new technologies as well as tackling enduring issues around asking and listening and power dynamics in research. Written in a clear and accessible style the book concludes with a useful annotated bibliography of key texts and journals in the field. What is Qualitative Interviewing? provides a vital resource for both new and experienced social science researchers across a range of disciplines.

"Professors Rosalind Edwards and Janet Holland provide an easily digestible introductory text for newcomers to the qualitative aspects of social research. Research can be daunting for beginners who are keen to engage in the interview process as a key method. What is Qualitative Interviewing? will no doubt provide the confidence for students to consider best practice when interviewing their participants ... A most definite must read for those plunging into their very first qualitative interviews." - The Sociological Imagination

"We learn, with the utmost clarity and conciseness, a great deal about the key terms, the development of the method, forms of qualitative interviewing, research tools, practical aspects of conducting an interview ... and strengths, issues and the future of qualitative interviewing ... A really successful and readable book that will help you to understand and reflect upon qualitative interviewing." - Soziologische Revue (Bloomsbury translation)