Joint and individual interviewing in the context of cancer

Qual Health Res. 2001 Jul;11(4):553-67. doi: 10.1177/104973201129119208.

Abstract

Joint interviewing lies somewhere between individual in-depth interviews and focus groups in the panoply of qualitative methodology, yet it has been little explored or described in health research. This article sets out to reflect on the process of choosing to combine joint and individual interviews in the context of a study on the needs of cancer patients and their carers. Questions of intrusion, inclusion, power, and difference caused the researchers to refine their research methods and become more responsive to the preferences of their participants. The article goes on to describe the kind of data generated by joint interviewing and to consider questions of analysis. The author concludes by suggesting that in appropriate circumstances, joint interviewing offers a valuable method of enquiry.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Female
  • Health Services Research / methods*
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • United States