Exploring culture from a distance: the utility of telephone interviews in qualitative research

Abstract

Qualitative studies that utilize telephone interviews, as a primary data collection mode, often are not discussed in the qualitative research literature. Data excerpts from a study that sought to understand the culture of for‐profit universities are used to illustrate the types of data that can be garnered through telephone interviews. In addition, the author discusses conceptual notions of culture and shows how the use of cultural interviews aided the data collection process. The article closes by considering the extent to which qualitative telephone interviews can render ‘high‐quality’ data that can allow for an accurate depiction of culture.