ABSTRACT
Given the dearth of literature on how researchers can talk to the bereaved, this chapter discusses the methodological, ethical, and practical aspects that a researcher must consider when conducting bereavement interviews. The chapter outlines how to recruit participants for bereavement research; examines the advantages of conducting face-to-face interviews at the participant’s home; considers appropriate ways to ease into the interview; and emphasises the importance of non-judgemental research questions, listening, and sufficient time. The chapter suggests the method of empathic ignoring to deal with participants’ expressions of grief and discusses the benefits of debriefing and aftercare. The methodological reflections in this chapter are based on an empirical grounded theory study exploring the impact of digital legacies on the bereaved. The study’s data comes from intensive media-elicitation interviews with 33 bereaved individuals and is complemented by researcher-generated photography. Bereavement practices are inextricably linked to memory, and memory is inextricably linked to media. The chapter aims to support researchers interviewing those who are grieving and may be particularly helpful to researchers who are new to bereavement research, have little experience of interacting with the bereaved, or feel insecure about how to respond to participants’ expressions of grief.
