Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences

The Definitive Guide to Qualitative Interviewing--Updated for the Age of AI

For decades, Irving Seidman's Interviewing as Qualitative Research has served as the leading resource for both new and experienced researchers in education, the social sciences, and the humanities. Now in its sixth edition, this popular text continues to provide comprehensive, step-by-step guidance on phenomenological interviewing, offering a clear and inviting rationale for using in-depth interviewing as a research method.

This significant revision introduces a groundbreaking new chapter by Robert W. Maloy which grapples with the ethical complexities and practical potentials of artificial intelligence. Readers will discover how AI can make vast sets of transcripts accessible and assist in tracking themes and generating profiles--all while maintaining the researcher's vital direct engagement with their participants' stories.

From selecting participants and obtaining informed consent to analyzing and working with final results, this edition addresses the quickly changing challenges of the modern research landscape. With updated references and guidance for interviewing abroad or with children, this book remains an essential resource for doctoral and master's students and professional researchers across the humanities and social sciences.

Key Features of the Sixth Edition:

• Integrating AI in Research: A dedicated new chapter on the possibilities and problems of using AI to analyze data and manage large-scale transcript sets.
• Ethical Guidance for New Technologies: Critical discussions on the ethical concerns that must guide the use of AI and other digital technologies in contemporary research settings.
• Phenomenological Focus: Refined techniques that stress the art of listening and avoiding leading questions to deepen understanding of participant experiences.
• Step-by-Step Methodology: Practical advice on the entire process, including navigating Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and obtaining informed consent in diverse contexts.
• Real-World Examples: Features doctoral students' research to demonstrate how interviewing can effectively address both everyday life and critical life-and-death issues.
• Contemporary Research Tools: Guidance for using technology to interview, including specific considerations for interviewing international participants and children.

Author: Irving Seidman
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Published: 07/24/2026
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.64lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.19w x 0.44d
ISBN13: 9780807784891
ISBN10: 0807784893
BISAC Categories:
- Education | Research
- Social Science | Research
- Education | Teaching | Methods & Strategies | General

About the Author
Irving Seidman is professor emeritus in the College of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst. He welcomes communication from readers who want to discuss questions they might have about interviewing as qualitative research. Robert W. Maloy, author of the new Chapter 9, is a senior lecturer in the College of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst.