A Conversational model for qualitative research: A case study of clergy and religious knowledge

Abstract

This paper describes the qualitative research interview as a conversation designed to gain understanding of the world of research informants. It illustrates the potential of the qualitative research interview when the researcher is able to enter into and maintain a conversation with the research informant as an insider in the latter’s community. The paper draws from lessons learned in a case study of a clergy-person’s preparation of their Sunday sermon, and proposes an innovative research design model that addresses the validity and reliability concerns related to the methodology. Specifically, this model develops an insider perspective of the phenomenon of study using the process of dialogical inter-subjectivity. © 2009 Australian Academic and Research Libraries.