I was unsure of how the elements of drama meshed with interviews until I read about the various roles an interviewer must navigate depending on the interview style they choose. I cannot imagine completing a structured interview as I adore exploring tangents and receiving gifts of unexpected stories. Knowing this side of my personality would mean that I should avoid an unstructured interview style and instead try to find balance with a semi-standardized approach. I enjoyed learning that the dramaturgical approach is more reflexive (Berg & Lune, 2017) and relationship based. The exchange of information and collaborating towards a common goal appeals to me.

I needed the reminder that interviews are about thoughts, feelings, memories, and how people think as opposed to concrete facts. I also appreciated learning about the types of questions to include, however, I objected to the term “throwaway” questions (Berg & Lune, 2017). I felt that it was disrespectful of participant time and commitment if the researcher had the mindset of including something they termed ‘throwaway”, implying that those exchanges were meaningless. Even if these questions do not contribute to the data, they still form part of the experience and should be valued as work done by the participants.

The articles on third party effects and the use of interpreters were very helpful and both provided meaning for my planned methodology. My current research design includes a youth co-researcher to facilitate insider access to youth participants. If I train my youth co-researcher well, any third party effects will likely be precipitated by me! However I proceed, my role as a public school teacher may have an impact on the work done by my youth participants. Much like the third party study, I am the professional in the field of study. My interpreter will be my co-researcher, who will have more in common with my participants. Although all participants will be speaking my first language, English, the coded language, slang, and general shorthand of youth will need to be decoded. I will be relying heavily on my co-researcher’s impressions and interpretations.