Interview research in political science

Interviews are a frequent and important part of empirical research in political science, but graduate programs rarely offer discipline-specific training in selecting interviewees, conducting interviews, and using the data thus collected. Interview Research in Political Science addresses this vital need, offering hard-won advice for both graduate students and faculty members. The contributors to this book have worked in a variety of field locations and settings and have interviewed a wide array of informants, from government officials to members of rebel movements and victims of wartime violence, from lobbyists and corporate executives to workers and trade unionists

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- List of Contributors -- Introduction. "Just Talk to People"? Interviews in Contemporary Political Science -- Part 1. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS: RESEARCH DESIGN, ETHICS, AND THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER -- 1. Aligning Sampling Strategies with Analytic Goals / Lynch, Julia F. -- 2. The Ethical Treatment of Human Subjects and the Institutional Review Board Process / Brooks, Sarah M. -- 3. The Power of the Interviewer / MacLean, Lauren M. -- 4. How to Report Interview Data / Bleich, Erik / Pekkanen, Robert -- Part 2. ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF INTERVIEW RESEARCH -- 5. Crafting Interviews to Capture Cause and Effect / Martin, Cathie Jo -- 6. Using Proxy Interviewing to Address Sensitive Topics / Cammett, Melani -- 7. Working with Interpreters / Fujii, Lee Ann -- 8. The Problem of Extraterritorial Legality / Reno, William -- Part 3. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: THE VARIED USES OF INTERVIEW DATA -- 9. Capturing Meaning and Confronting Measurement / Gallagher, Mary -- 10. Elite Interviewing in Washington, DC / Beckmann, Matthew N. / Hall, and Richard L. -- 11. Lessons from the "Lobbying and Policy Change" Project / Leech, Beth L. / Baumgartner, Frank R. / Berry, Jeffrey M. / Hojnacki, Marie / Kimball, David C. -- 12. Using Interviews to Understand Racial Group Identity and Political Behavior / Rogers, Reuel R. -- Appendix: Sample Materials for Interview Research -- Notes -- References -- Index

Interview Research in Political Science -- Contents -- Preface -- List of Contributors -- Introduction. "Just Talk to People"? Interviews in Contemporary Political Science -- Part 1: General Considerations: Research Design, Ethics, and the Role of the Researcher -- 1. Aligning Sampling Strategies with Analytic Goals -- 2. The Ethical Treatment of Human Subjects and the Institutional Review Board Process -- 3. The Power of the Interviewer -- 4. How to Report Interview Data -- Part 2: Addressing the Challenges of Interview Research -- 5. Crafting Interviews to Capture Cause and Effect -- 6. Using Proxy Interviewing to Address Sensitive Topics -- 7. Working with Interpreters -- 8. The Problem of Extraterritorial Legality -- Part 3: Putting It All Together: The Varied Uses of Interview Data -- 9. Capturing Meaning and Confronting Measurement -- 10. Elite Interviewing in Washington, DC -- 11. Lessons from the "Lobbying and Policy Change" Project -- 12. Using Interviews to Understand Racial Group Identity and Political Behavior -- Appendix: Sample Materials for Interview Research -- Notes -- References -- Index.