Using multiple interviewers in qualitative research studies: The influence of ethic of care behaviors in research interview settings

This study considered the methodological implications of a qualitative study that involved two research practitioners as interviewers, one male and one female, who conducted semistructured cognitive interviews with middle school students. During the reading and analysis of interview transcriptions, differences were noted between the interviewers' interactions with the students. Ethic of care behaviors noted by Hayes, Ryan, and Zseller were evident in the interviews. Data analysis found differences in the frequency of both positive and negative ethic of care behaviors exhibited by each interview and possibly influenced by gender. Implications for the methodological designs of studies involving semistructured cognitive interviews conducted by multiple researchers are discussed.