ABSTRACT
It has been said that the simplest way to find out information from someone is simply to ask them! This is the underlying principle of the research interview. The one to one interview is undoubtedly the most common method by which qualitative data is collected in sport research. The interview method can be contrasted with the structured nature of the questionnaire survey (Chapter 8) in both the type of data that is collected, and how it is collected. Whereas the questionnaire collects highly structured data, and is often completed without the presence of the researcher, the researcher is a key element of the interview process, and his or her skills, attributes and interviewing technique are all an integral part of the success of this method in obtaining ‘rich’, qualitative data.
