The Dialogic Interview: Co-Creating Meaning as an Alternative to Discovering What Is

The dialogic interview opens up the possibility for having richer, more informative interactions where all parties are validated and understood. In order to allow this to occur, we must shift our thinking from traditional ideas about interviewing in two main ways. First, it is necessary to understand power and neutrality as co-constructions. Secondly, the purpose of an interview must be seen not simply as a means of data extraction and truth-seeking, but as an interaction where knowledge and understanding are created and explored in the moment. If these alterations are made to the current common-sense understanding of interviewing, a more appropriate and valuable interviewing experience becomes a realistic option