Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

January 2016

Publication Title

Qualitative Social Work

Volume

15

Issue Number

1

First Page

118

Last Page

133

DOI

10.1177/1473325015585613

Keywords

Qualitative methodology, Telephone interviews, Women, Sexual minorities, Alcohol consumption

Disciplines

Social Work | Substance Abuse and Addiction | Women's Health

Abstract

This study explored effective interviewer strategies and lessons learned based on collection of narrative data by telephone with a subsample of women from a population-based survey, which included sexual minority women. Qualitative follow-up, in-depth life history interviews were conducted over the telephone with 48 women who had participated in the 2009–2010 National Alcohol Survey. Questions explored the lives and experiences of women, including use of alcohol and drugs, social relationships, identity, and past traumatic experiences. Strategies for success in interviews emerged in three overarching areas: (1) cultivating rapport and maintaining connection; (2) demonstrating responsiveness to interviewee content, concerns; and (3) communicating regard for the interviewee and her contribution. Findings underscore both the viability and value of telephone interviews as a method for collecting rich narrative data on sensitive subjects among women, including women who may be marginalized.

Comments

This document is an author's accepted manuscript of an article published in Qualitative Social Work, volume 15, issue 1, 2016. The Version of Record may be found at this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1473325015585613.
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