The anthropological recorded interview. Methodological issues and ethnographic examples

This work is conceived for students who already have a background in anthropological studies; it aims to teach students to carry out anthropological interviews with the use of recording instruments. This study was prepared in the frame of the E-QUAL project, and it provided the narrative structure on which a moodle module on the same topic was built by the present author. The study is divided into three units: “How to prepare an interview”, “How to carry out an interview”, and “How to transcribe an interview”. The first unit looks into the ethical aspects and methods of preparation of the topic, and provides information on how to approach first contact with the interviewee. The second unit analyses the importance of building a relationship with the interviewee, strategies for conducting the interview and preparation of the questions. The third unit tackles the issues relating to transcription (timing and methods). In all the units, the students will have to put into practice what they have learned, individually working out the goals of an interview, contacting a possible interviewee, creating a list of questions, carrying out the interview and finally transcribing it. The aim of the module is not to create a perfect or correct interview on a specific topic, but rather to enable students to be capable of formulating an interview for any kind of research they might undertake.