INTERVIEW AS A CRAFT: A METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW

Abstract

This paper presents a methodological review of 13 doctoral dissertations written in the field of management and in which qualitative interview method was used as a primary data collecting method. The data of the research consist of 13 doctoral dissertations that were defined as a result of systematic searching conducted on the web page of Council of Higher Education National Thesis Center in Turkey. Evaluation criteria that were defined as a result of literature review were used in analyzing doctoral dissertations. Therefore, it can be said that a deductive-dominant approach was followed during content analysis process. Majority of the criteria based on Steinar Kvale’s “craftmanship approach”, and works of the prominent researchers in qualitative research were also utilized. Findings of the research reveal that dissertation in general have some deficiencies in terms of conducting interview research stages. The prominent deficiencies can be listed as follows: Philosophical underlying of methods were generally ignored, methods used in analyzing interview data have some conceptual inconsistency and ambiguity, some authors adhered to just a single reference in conducting analysis method, a lack of adequate definitions about how reliability and validity strategies are implemented were defined in several research, most of the authors adopted a standart approach in presenting research findings. Although a dissertation that fulfill each evaluation criterion, dissertations that fulfill technical requirements and approach to craftmanship approach in some aspects were also defined. Quotes from featured parts of these dissertations are presented in the findings section. Findings of this research offer recommendations to academics that have decision-making authority in universities, to graduate students, and to novice qualitative researchers, and to academics that consider themselves as a lifelong student.