Abstract
An expert interview is a qualitative semi-structured or open interview with a person holding ‘expert knowledge’. It is a method often used in policy analysis, be it as part of a more comprehensive set of methods or as a stand-alone method. The methodological literature on expert interviews in the field of communication policy studies is limited. As a result, scholars and students refer to the more extensive methodological literature on expert interviews and elite interviews in other fields. Although there are similarities between expert interviews and elite interviews, there are differences as well. The main points of contention are: (1) whether expert interviews can lead to objective knowledge, (2) what we can understand under elites and/or experts, (3) how power and bias influence the outcome of the data obtained. In this chapter, we start with the discussion on the differences between expert interviews and elite interviews. We move on to discuss types of expert knowledge and the resulting types of expert interviews. In the last section, we focus on the procedure and practical conduct in relation to expert interviews.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abels, G., & Behrens, M. (2009). Interviewing experts in political science: A reflection on gender and policy effects based on secondary analysis. In A. Bogner, B. Littig, & W. Menz (Eds.), Interviewing experts (pp. 138–156). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Aberbach, J. D., & Rockman, B. A. (2002). Conducting and coding elite interviews. Political Science and Politics, 35(4), 673–676.
Blöbaum, B., Nölleke, D., & Scheu, A. M. (2015). Das Experteninterview in der Kommunikationswissenschaft. In S. Averbeck-Lietz & M. Meyen (Eds.), Handbuch nicht standardisierte Methoden in der Kommunikationswissenschaft (pp. 175–190). Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Bogner, A., Littig, B., & Menz, W. (2009a). Das Experten-Interview. Theorien, Methoden, Anwendungsfelder. 3. grundlegend überarbeitete Auflage. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
Bogner, A., Littig, B., & Menz, W. (2009b). Interviewing experts. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Bogner, A., Littig, B., & Menz, W. (2014). Interviews mit Experten: eine praxisorientierte Einführung. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Bogner, A., & Menz, W. (2009). The theory-generating expert interview: Epistemological interest, forms of knowledge, interaction. In A. Bogner, B. Littig, & W. Menz (Eds.), Interviewing experts (pp. 43–80). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Brinkmann, S., & Kvale, S. (2014). Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
Cunningham-Sabot, E. (1999). Dr Jekyl and Mr H(i)de: The contrasting face of elites at interview. Geoforum, 30(4), 329–335.
Desmond, M. (2004). Methodological challenges posed in studying an elite in the field. Area, 36(3), 262–269.
Dexter, L. A. (1970). Elite and specialized interviewing. Colchester: ECPR Press.
Ganter, S. A. (2017). Perception and articulation of own cultural otherness in elite interview situations: Challenge or repertoire? The Qualitative Report, 22(4), 942–956.
Gläser, J., & Laudel, G. (2010). Experteninterviews und qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Goldstein, K. (2002). Getting in the door: Sampling and completing elite interviews. PS: Political Science & Politics, 35(4), 669–672.
Harvey, W. S. (2010). Methodological approaches for interviewing elites. Geography Compass, 4(3), 193–205.
Harvey, W. S. (2011). Strategies for conducting elite interviews. Qualitative Research, 11(4), 431–441.
Herod, A. (1999). Reflections on interviewing foreign elites: Praxis, positionality, validity, and the cult of the insider. Geoforum, 30(4), 313–327.
Herzog, C., & Ali, C. (2015). Elite interviewing in media and communications policy research. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 11(1), 37–54.
Kaiser, R. (2014). Qualitative Experteninterviews: Konzeptionelle Grundlagen und praktische Durchführung. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Kezar, A. (2003). Transformational elite interviews: Principles and problems. Qualitative Inquiry, 9(3), 395–415.
Lilleker, D. G. (2003). Interviewing the political elite: Navigating a potential minefield. Politics, 23(3), 207–214.
Meuser, M., & Nagel, U. (2009). The expert interview and changes in knowledge production. In A. Bogner, B. Littig, & W. Menz (Eds.), Interviewing experts (pp. 17–42). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Richards, D. (1996). Elite interviewing: Approaches and pitfalls. Politics, 16(3), 199–204.
Rivera, S. W., Kozyreva, P. M., & Sarovskii, E. G. (2002). Interviewing political elites: Lessons from Russia. Political Science and Politics, 35(4), 683–688.
Rose, G. (1997). Situating knowledges: Positionality, reflexivities and other tactics. Progress in Human Geography, 21(3), 305–320.
Smith, K. E. (2006). Problematising power relations in ‘elite’ interviews. Geoforum, 37(4), 643–653.
Tansey, O. (2007). Process tracing and elite interviewing: A case for non-probability sampling. PS: Political Science and Politics, 40(4), 765–772.
Thomas, R. J. (1993). Interviewing important people in big companies. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 22(1), 80–96.
Welch, C., Marschan-Piekkari, R., Penttinen, H., & Tahvanainen, M. (2002). Corporate elites as informants in qualitative international business research. International Business Review, 11(5), 611–628.
Further Reading
Bogner, A., Littig, B., & Menz, W. (2009). Interviewing experts. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Desmond, M. (2004). Methodological challenges posed in studying an elite in the field. Area, 36(3), 262–269.
Harvey, W. S. (2011). Strategies for conducting elite interviews. Qualitative Research, 11(4), 431–441.
Herzog, C., & Ali, C. (2015). Elite interviewing in media and communications policy research. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 11(1), 37–54.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Van Audenhove, L., Donders, K. (2019). Talking to People III: Expert Interviews and Elite Interviews. In: Van den Bulck, H., Puppis, M., Donders, K., Van Audenhove, L. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Methods for Media Policy Research. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16065-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16065-4_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16064-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16065-4
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)