Reflections on a cross-cultural interview study

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this article is to address some aspects of a cross-cultural interview study conducted in a PhD research project. This is done by reflecting on and discussing the influence of language and culture on the research process, as experienced by the researcher.Design/methodology/approachThe experiences have been taken from an interview study with fifteen American participants in which the researchers were Norwegian. The interviews were conducted in English.FindingsBy offering insights into experiences of the research process in a cross-cultural interview study, the article connects the discussion to the concepts of positionality and reflexivity. These concepts are found to be especially relevant when managing differences between the researcher and participants in cross-cultural studies, and for improving the trustworthiness of the research.Practical implicationsThe experiences and reflections discussed in the article may be useful to other researchers in similar (cross-cultural) research contexts and situations.Originality/valueThis article has been inspired by the experience of conducting research in a second language and in a different country. By drawing on a researcher’s point of view, this article reflects on these aspects when working as a visiting researcher doing international research.