Talking to elites: a guide for novice interviewers

Elite interviewing is one of the most frequently employed qualitative research methods in political science. Talking to elites allows researchers to detect any decision making process, trace the policy process of key events, garner insider information, and unravel complex mechanisms. Some level of confidence and skill is often required in quality elite interviewing, but there is no trusted guide for novice interviewers. Based on my experience of interviewing politicians, government officials, and political party leaders as a graduate student, I provide a holistic approach to elite interviews by drawing insights from my experience and other methods such as participation observation. In this article, I aim to acknowledge the challenges of elite interviews as a graduate student, junior faculty, or scholar with limited experience in interviewing and offer some guidance and recommendations before and after the conduct of interviewing.