Grasping the experience of the other from an interview: Self-transposition in use

Abstract

This article describes a part of the interview process that is never usually reported. Listening to what people say is the key to increasing our knowledge of human existences. Procuring knowledge about human experience is much more challenging. Although good sources on how to prepare and conduct an interview exist, the process of the interviewer's perception of the interviewee's message and meaning is less examined. Beyond the role of eliciting the data, the researcher endeavours to reproduce the interviewee's narration and not the voice of the researcher. By illustrating the process during the interview, further transparency and thereby validity may be achieved. To exemplify this, the perception of the interviewer is explored, and here Heidegger's work on self-transposition has proved to be helpful.

Researcher–researched relationship in qualitative research: Shifts in positions and researcher vulnerability

“…However, both researchers in the in-depth interview studies were acquainted with feelings of guilt, and were touched deeply by the participants’ stories. It is claimed that it is necessary to be deeply absorbed by the participants’ expressions and empathically touched by participants’ to, at least partly, understand what might be at stake in the life-worlds of participants (Angel, 2013 ), and that such absorption is also paramount to ethically sound research (Malacrida, 2007 ). However, had we triggered reactions that could add to the women's burden in the long run?…”

Becoming a nomad when hospitalized with a neurological disease: a phenomenological study

“…Openness in the interview situation, in the context of phenomenological research, is described as concerning not only listening to the spoken words in search of meaning, but also as possessing the ability to deeply absorb the interviewees’ expressions with both mind and body (Angel, 2013 ). Given the notion of the open-minded approach, awareness towards the importance of not taking over the conversation, but rather letting the patients tell their stories, and freely express the meanings they assigned to the phenomena of interest, was in focus.…”

“…This attitude was achieved by creating a relaxed atmosphere using friendly and approachable body language (Fog, 2004 ). Senses and intuition were used in the interview to decide when to ask the patients to elaborate on their statements, to ask follow-up questions or to let silence and pauses take over (Angel, 2013 ).…”

Being active 1½ years after hip fracture: a qualitative interview study of aged adults’ experiences of meaningfulness

“…Questions regarding confidentiality and the option of refusing to answer questions were repeated, and after the interview, debriefing was carried out [47]. Knowing participants from three former interviews and recognizing their vulnerability special awareness was directed towards recognizing participants´sign of discomfort or aversion [48].…”