The Elephant in the Room-Recording Devices and Trust in Narrative Interviewing

Abstract

Narrative interviewing is a commonly utilized methodology, and the conventional practice of documenting interviews through audio-technical recording is seldom challenged. However, based on interviews conducted with mothers receiving basic income support, this paper demonstrates that recording devices may engender a lack of trust on the interviewee’s part. Such mistrust can impede the achievement of the methodological goals of narrative interviewing, which include eliciting rich, profound, and authentic narratives. This effect can be attributed to both the social and physical characteristics of the recording device itself, which interact with issues related to intimacy, deviancy, sanctionability, or the social undesirability of the interviewees’ attitudes or behaviors. This mistrust often becomes apparent through signs of discomfort exhibited by the interviewees – akin to the metaphorical ‘elephant in the room’. It can also manifest as extensive and in-depth conversations occurring before and after the recorded portion of the field interaction or through non-verbal signals indicating a desire to interrupt the recording. To address this restrictive effect, four strategies are suggested: (1) Conducting an evaluation of trust risks before planning the fieldwork; (2) Expanding trust-building measures during the interview situation, possibly including sharing control over the recording device with the interviewee; (3) Viewing the entire research interaction as a document in itself; and (4) Exploring supplementary or alternative documentation techniques beyond audio recording.