Gender Issues in the Use of Interviewing as a Research Method∗

Abstract

The open-ended interview is gaining widespread acceptance within human geography as a research method. Frequently, such interviews can provide researchers with a richer account of events than can larger scale, standardized statistical approaches. However, researchers using interviews as part of their information gathering practices need to be aware of the social relations within which the interviews are conducted. In this paper I argue that gender relations are an important dynamic shaping the interview process which can significantly influence the sorts of data obtained using this particular research methodology.