Learning to Interview
An Autoethnographic Account of Doctoral Training
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22425859 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pengfei Zhao (0000-0003-2034-7696), Richard Watson Todd (0000-0002-5036-967X) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 466-486 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | rEFLections (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1513-5934 • E-ISSN: 2651-1479 |
| Publisher | King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.61508/refl.v33i1.288974 |
| OpenAlex | W7160834077 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
This autoethnographic study traces the development of a PhD candidate from a novice to a more competent qualitative interviewer, with a specific focus on research interviewing. Drawing on 11 pilot interviews, reflective journals, and supervisory feedback, it uses a critical incident approach to examine how interviewing skills, emotions, and reflexivity co-evolved. The study proposes a two-step, three-stage framework for understanding novice development, centered on grounding and integration across interview style, study design, and micro-techniques. The findings show that interviewer learning is nonlinear and cyclical, with an emotional trajectory that moves from anxiety toward agency. Effective interviewing depends on deep listening and rapport building, and reflexive adaptation improves interactional decisions and data quality. The study contributes to qualitative methodology by reinforcing the researcher-as-instrument perspective, demonstrating how critical incident autoethnography can illuminate interviewer development, and offering training implications for doctoral education. These implications include scaffolded rehearsal, guided reflection, supervised practice, and structured emotional support. Overall, the study provides a learner-centered roadmap for doctoral training and qualitative interviewing pedagogy.
Active listening · Autoethnography · Doctoral studies · Interview · Narrative · Qualitative research · Reflective Practice · Reflexivity · Semi-structured interview · Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions · Qualitative Research Methods and Applications · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Reflective Interviewing
Research and scholarly methods
Systematic methodological review
Challenging perspectives
Preparing for the Unanticipated
The Active Interview
A practical guide to reflexivity in qualitative research
It Requires Interest, Time, Patience and Struggle”
Learning How to Interview for Qualitative Research
Self-directed professional development activities
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Reflexivity of the lived research experiences of a doctoral student through communities of practice
Beyond listening
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |