Abstract
Data collection through interviews has been a current research practice in architecture, urban design and planning, while the methodological discussions on the relevance, objectives, conduction and specificities of interviews in these disciplines are still rare. This paper aims at elucidating why and how qualitative interviews can provide or generate socio-spatial data whose analysis and interpretation may lead to valid knowledge. It begins by examining the roles assigned to interview data, and their limits. Then it highlights various interview emphases drawing on five types, consolidated in other areas (exploratory, ethnographic, narrative, focused, and expert interview). The intention is not to propose choices between them nor to create another type, but to open a range of variations that may be combined, elaborated and expanded according to the situation of each research.
Keywords:
Interviewing; Methodology; Socio-spatial research; Qualitative research; Narratives